Sports Betting Glossary
Plain-language definitions of the sports betting and player prop terms you will run into on PlayerProps.ai and across the betting world. We are an education-first platform, so the goal here is simple: learn the language, then make your own picks.
A
What does “action” mean in sports betting?
Action means a wager has been officially accepted and is live. If a game is canceled or voided, you might hear “no action,” which means the bet is refunded.
What does ATS mean in betting?
ATS stands for “against the spread.” Instead of betting on who wins outright, you bet on whether a team covers a point spread. A team can win ATS even if it loses the game.
What is an alternate line?
An alternate line is an adjusted version of the original spread or total, offered at different odds. It is useful for building correlated parlays or buying a safer number.
What is arbitrage betting?
Arbitrage means betting every outcome of an event across different sportsbooks so the math guarantees a small profit no matter what happens. Opportunities are rare and disappear fast.
What is an Asian handicap?
An Asian handicap is a soccer betting format that removes the draw by giving one side a fractional head start. It turns an uneven matchup into a roughly two-way market.
B
What is a bad beat?
A bad beat is when a bet that looks won turns into a loss because of a fluke result, often in the final seconds. Every bettor collects a few war stories.
What is a bankroll?
Your bankroll is the money you have set aside strictly for betting. Disciplined bettors risk only a small percentage of it on any single play.
What is a betting exchange?
A betting exchange lets you bet against other people instead of a sportsbook, often at better prices, with the exchange taking a small commission on winnings.
What is a betting unit?
A unit is your standard bet size, for example $10 or $50. Tracking results in units instead of dollars makes it easier to measure performance and manage risk.
What does it mean to buy points?
Buying points lets you move a spread or total in your favor in exchange for a lower payout. You are paying for a safer number.
C
What is a capper?
Capper is short for handicapper. In the paid sense, a capper sells betting picks. PlayerProps.ai takes the opposite approach and gives you the tools and education to handicap for yourself.
What does cash out mean?
Cash out lets you settle a bet early, locking in a partial profit or cutting a loss before the event ends. The sportsbook prices the offer, so it usually costs you a little over the long run.
What does “chalk” mean?
Chalk refers to the favorite, the side most people are expected to back. “Betting chalk” means taking the favorites.
What is closing line value (CLV)?
CLV is the difference between the odds you got and the final odds right before the event starts. Consistently beating the closing line is a strong signal that you are finding good numbers.
What is a consensus pick?
A consensus pick is the side most bettors are backing. Knowing where the public sits helps you decide whether to follow it or fade it.
See Public Betting Splits →What is a correlated parlay?
A correlated parlay combines bets whose outcomes are linked, so if one hits the others become more likely. A quarterback going over passing yards and his top receiver going over receiving yards is a classic example.
What does it mean to cover the spread?
Covering means beating the point spread. If you back a team at -3 and it wins by 7, it covered. If it wins by 2, it did not.
D
What does “degen” mean?
Degen, short for degenerate, is affectionate slang for someone who bets often or recklessly. It is used as a joke more than an insult. If it stops feeling like a joke, it is worth stepping back.
What is a double result bet?
A double result bet asks you to predict both the halftime and the full-time result correctly. Both have to land for the bet to win.
What is “draw no bet” in soccer?
Draw no bet refunds your stake if the match ends in a tie. It is a safer alternative to the three-way moneyline in soccer.
E
What does “edge” mean in sports betting?
An edge is any advantage you have over the sportsbook, whether from better information, a better number, or sharper analysis. Finding one is the whole point of research.
What is expected value (EV)?
Expected value, often shortened to EV, is a math concept describing the average result of a bet if it were repeated many times. It is one of several frameworks bettors use to think about decisions.
F
What does it mean to fade a team or player?
To fade is to bet against something, whether a team, a player, or the public. Fading the crowd is a common contrarian strategy.
What is a favorite?
The favorite is the side expected to win, shown with a minus sign in American odds, such as -150. The bigger the number, the bigger the favorite.
What is first five innings (F5) betting?
F5 betting settles on the score after only the first five innings of a baseball game, before the bullpens take over. It is a popular way to bet on a game's starting pitchers rather than the full nine.
What is a futures bet?
A futures bet is a wager on an outcome decided well down the road, like a league MVP or a championship winner. Your money is tied up until it resolves.
G
What is the grand salami?
The grand salami is a bet on the combined total runs or goals scored across every game in a league on a given day, common in MLB and NHL.
Where can I get help for problem gambling?
If betting stops being fun or starts causing harm, help is available. We point our community to Birches Health, a clinician-led responsible-gaming partner, and to the 1-800-GAMBLER helpline.
H
What is “handle” in sports betting?
Handle is the total amount of money wagered on an event or over a period. It is an industry-level figure, often reported by states and sportsbooks.
What does hedging mean?
Hedging is placing a bet on the opposite outcome of one you already hold, to lock in a profit or limit a loss. It is common late in a parlay or a futures ticket.
What is a hit rate?
A hit rate is how often an outcome has happened over a sample, like a player going over a prop line in 8 of his last 10 games. It is one of the most useful starting points for prop research.
Research hit rates in the Predictor →What is a “hook” in betting?
The hook is the half-point on a spread or total, like the .5 in -3.5. It exists so a bet cannot push, and it is often the difference between a win and a loss.
I
What is implied probability?
Implied probability is the win chance baked into a set of odds. For example, -110 implies about a 52.4% chance. Converting odds to a percentage is the first step in judging whether a price is fair.
What is in-game (live) betting?
Live betting means placing wagers while the event is happening, with odds that shift in real time as the action unfolds.
J
What does “juice” mean?
Juice, also called vig, is the sportsbook's built-in cut. At -110 on both sides, the book is charging roughly a 4.5% margin.
L
What is a betting limit?
A limit is the most a sportsbook will accept on a given bet or market. Sharper, riskier markets carry lower limits, and consistent winners sometimes see their limits cut.
What is line movement?
Line movement is when odds shift after release, driven by new information or by betting action. Tracking it shows you where the market is heading.
Follow the market in Betting Splits →What is a “lock” in sports betting?
A “lock” is slang for a bet someone claims is a sure thing. There is no such thing as a guaranteed bet. Anyone selling you locks is selling confidence, not certainty, which is why PlayerProps.ai does not deal in them.
M
What does it mean to middle a bet?
Middling is betting both sides of a spread or total at different numbers, hoping the result lands in between so both bets win. It is a low-risk, high-upside play when the line moves.
What is a moneyline bet?
A moneyline bet is simply picking the winner, with no spread involved. The price reflects how likely each side is.
See the Moneyline Predictor →N
What is NRFI in baseball betting?
NRFI stands for “no run first inning.” You are betting that neither team scores in the first inning. The opposite is YRFI, “yes run first inning.”
Research it in the NRFI Predictor →O
What are odds in sports betting?
Odds show both the payout and the implied probability of a bet. They come in American (-110), decimal (1.91), and fractional (10/11) formats, which all describe the same thing.
What does “off the board” mean?
A game is off the board when a sportsbook temporarily removes its lines, usually because of an injury, weather, or other uncertainty.
What does over/under mean?
Over/under, also called the total, is a bet on whether the combined points, runs, or goals will finish above or below a number the sportsbook posts.
P
What is a parlay and how does it work?
A parlay is a single bet that links multiple picks, where every leg has to hit to win. The payout grows with each leg, and so does the risk.
Build and stress-test parlays in the Optimizer →What is a pick service or tipster?
A pick service, sometimes called a tipster, sells or sends out betting picks for you to follow. PlayerProps.ai takes the opposite approach and teaches you how to find your own.
What is a player prop bet?
A player prop is a wager on an individual player's stat line, like over 5.5 rebounds or 1+ touchdown. Props are the core of what we do.
Research props in the Predictor →What is a projection?
A projection is a data-driven estimate of how a player or team will perform, like a model expecting a guard to score 18.5 points. Comparing a projection to the posted line is the heart of prop research.
See projections in the Predictor →What is a push?
A push is a tie between your bet and the line, like taking -3 when the team wins by exactly 3. Your stake is refunded, with no win or loss.
R
What does ROI mean in sports betting?
ROI, or return on investment, measures profit relative to the total amount you wagered. It is a cleaner way to judge results than raw win-loss, because it accounts for how much you risked.
S
What is a same game parlay (SGP)?
A same game parlay combines multiple bets from a single game into one ticket. Legs are often correlated, which is why sportsbooks price SGPs differently from standard parlays.
Build SGPs in the Optimizer →What is a sharp bettor?
A sharp is a disciplined, analytical bettor who beats the market over the long run. Sportsbooks watch sharp money closely because it tends to be right.
What does “steam move” mean?
A steam move is a fast, league-wide line shift caused by a wave of heavy, usually sharp, betting. Spotting it early can mean catching a better number.
Watch the market in Betting Splits →T
What is a teaser bet?
A teaser is a parlay that lets you adjust the spreads or totals in your favor across multiple games, in exchange for a lower payout. It is popular in football.
What is a tout?
A tout is a person or service that sells betting picks, often with hyped win claims and little transparency. PlayerProps.ai is not a tout service. It is a research and analytics platform that teaches you to make your own picks.
U
What is an underdog in betting?
The underdog is the side expected to lose, shown with a plus sign in American odds, such as +150. Backing an underdog means risking less to win more.
What is Underdog Fantasy?
Underdog Fantasy is a daily fantasy platform known for prop-style pick'em games. You can research player projections for it in our tools.
Open the Predictor →V
What does “value” mean in betting?
Value means getting a better price than an outcome's true likelihood deserves. Hunting for value, rather than just picking winners, is what separates long-term winners from the field.
What does “vig” mean in betting?
Vig, short for vigorish, is the sportsbook's commission built into the odds. It is the same thing as juice, and it is why betting -110 on both sides still favors the house.
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