The 20 most commonly used sports betting slang terms

Sports betting is now legal in more than two dozen states, with that number expected to increase substantially by 2023.

If you're a novice bettor looking to familiarize yourself with this booming industry, read below to learn 20 of the most commonly used sports betting terms and phrases.

Action

"Action" is another word for a bet. The term is also used in casino betting, in which you may hear a dealer say "the action is on you," meaning it’s your turn to act.

Bad Beat

When an unexpected event causes a person to lose their bet, despite the high likelihood of that bet becoming successful, it's known as a bad beat.

For example, if you bet on the Dallas Cowboys to cover a 7.5-point spread and they are leading by eight points with less than two minutes remaining, you would expect your bet to hit at that point in the game. However, let's say the opposing team forces a fumble and takes the ball back for a touchdown to bring the score within one point with a few seconds remaining. This would be a bad beat, because an unlucky and unforeseen mistake prevented Dallas from covering the spread, which cost you your bet.

The above bad beat is also an example of a backdoor cover, in which a team scores enough points late in the game to cover the spread.

Buy points

Sometimes sportsbooks will let bettors "buy points," or adjust the betting line according to their liking, in exchange for better or worse odds. For instance, if the point spread of a game is set at 3, a bettor can "buy" half a point to change the line to 3.5. The odds will adjust based on how much the bettor has altered the line. This type of bet is also known as a teaser.

Chalk

Chalk is another word for the team or person that is favored in a matchup. A "chalk bettor" will usually bet on the favorite.

Closing line

The closing line is the final line, or odds, offered before the start of a game or match.

Cover

When betting on the point spread, you are choosing which team will "cover" the assigned point differential. Let's say the Florida Gators are favored to win by 14.5 points against the Texas A&M Aggies. For the Gators to cover, they must win the game by 15 or more points. For the Aggies to cover, they must win the game outright or lose by 14 or fewer points.

Dog

Short for the "underdog," or the team or player expected to lose a matchup. Conversely, the "favorite" is projected to win a matchup. 

Edge

The edge is an advantage — either real or perceived — that a bettor or sportsbook has on a particular bet. Seasoned sports bettors look for what they believe are inaccurate lines or odds in order to gain an edge over the sportsbook. This strategy is known as line shopping. 

Even money

When a bet has nearly a 50 percent chance of winning and will pay out 1:1, it is said to be “even money." If you bet $1, you will win $1.

Futures bet

A futures bet is a wager on the outcome of an event in the future. For example, you can bet on the winner of the Super Bowl, AFC Championship Game, or the NFC South division title, as well as the recipient of the NFL MVP award. A bettor can lock in a futures bet well before the beginning of a season. Once the season is underway, futures odds will change, based on what has happened during the season.

Handle

The handle can refer to the amount of money wagered on a specific game, betting market, or the sum of money a sportsbook has accepted over a period of time.

Hedging

When you bet against your original wager in order to guarantee a profit or minimize the risk on an original bet, you are hedging your bet.

Hook

The hook is a half point in the betting line, which eliminates the chance for a bet to “push," or tie. If a point spread is 3.5 points, the half point is the hook.

Juice

The juice — sometimes called vigorish, or vig — is the percentage, or commission, a sportsbook takes for facilitating a bet. The standard juice is 10% and ensures a profit for the sportsbook on both sides of a wager.

Moneyline

A moneyline bet is the most straightforward wager available at a sportsbook. To bet the moneyline, you need only to pick which team you think will win the game outright, or straight up.

Parlay

A parlay wager combines two or more bets into a single wager in order to boost your potential payout. A parlay may also be called an accumulator, acca, combo bet, or multi wager. In order for this type of bet to win, every leg of the parlay must hit.

Prop bet

Short for proposition bet, this type of wager does not take into account the winner of a matchup, but instead relates to whether a specific occurrence will happen during a given matchup. Prop bets may also be referred to as "side bets." 

Examples of prop bets include wagering on the first goalscorer in a hockey game or the Over/Under on how many hits a particular player will record during a baseball game.

Push

A push is another word for a tie between the bettor and sportsbook. This will often occur with spread betting or totals betting.

Reverse line movement

Reverse line movement occurs when a line moves in the opposite direction of the side that has received more action. For instance, if the Alabama Crimson Tide has received 70% of public bets as the -7.5 favorite, but the point spread suddenly moves to 6.5, this is an example of reverse line movement. Oftentimes, this is a sign that sharp money (wagers from professional bettors) have influenced the line.

Total (points total)

The points total is the projected combined final score of a matchup. A typical NFL total is often set between 44 and 51 points. NBA totals usually fall in the 210- to 220-point range. Bettors will choose to back the Over or Under on the projected total points. Totals are also available for proposition bets, such as a player's total passing yards or total assists.