Betting Terms

• Added Game – For sports betting, a game not part of Las Vegas regular rotation posted as an accommodation to customers.
• ATS – Acronym for “Against the Spread”, and is used for record keeping for particular sports trends. For example, if a team is 5-1 ATS in home games, then they have covered the spread five times in six tries in their home games.
• Chalk – The favorite.
• Closing line – The point spread, or line, once the game begins. This is the final pointspread when there is no more wagering allowed, and is considered the official line on the event.
• Cover – In sports betting, this term means a pointspread win. In football betting, if the favorite is minus -7 points, and wins 21-0, then they covered the spread.
• Dime Line – In sports betting, a Dime line is a line where the juice is 10%.
• Even Money – Sports betting term "Even money" is a bet whose odds are 1-to-1; a wager in which no vigorish or juice is laid.
• First Half bet – In sports betting, this is a bet placed only on the outcome of the first half of the game.
• Hook – In sports betting a Hook is the half-point added to football and basketball betting lines. For instance, a 3.5 point spread could also be called “3 and a hook.”
• Laying the points – Betting the favorite. The player needs the favorite to win the game by a specific amount of points, called the pointspread or line.
• Line – In sports betting, the current odds or pointspread on a particular game. The amount of points that must be given when betting on the favorite, or received when betting on the dog. Also called the pointspread.
• Linemaker – The person who determines the original betting lines for a sportsbook.
• Moneyline – Odds expressed in terms of money. Whenever there is a minus (-), you lay that amount to win a hundred dollars. When there is a plus (+), you get that amount for every hundred dollars wagered. For example, a baseball game where the favorite is -110 would mean that a player is risking $110 to win $100. If a team is +110, then the player risks $100 to win $110.
• Odds – Betting line represented in number form, usually in horse racing. For instance, a horse might be 3-to-1, or pay $3 for every $1 wagered by the bettor.
• Off the board – In sports betting, this is a game in which the sportsbook will not accept action for a variety of reasons, such as a late injury or bad weather.
• Opening line – The initial, or first, pointspread offered as soon as the game is posted and available to the betting public. Also called the opening pointspread.
• Over – An “over” is a bet in which the bettor guesses that the total points scored by two teams combined will be over a certain number, called the Total.
• Pointspread – In sports betting, this is the predicted scoring differential between two opponents as quoted by a sportsbook.
• Puck line – A second form of wagering (other than the money line) used in NHL hockey betting. If a favored team has a puck line of (minus) -1.5, then that team must win the game by 2 goals or more in order to win the bet.
• Runline – A second form of wagering (other than the moneyline) used in MLB baseball betting. If a favored team has a run line of (minus) -1.5, then that team must win the game by 2 runs or more in order to win the bet.
• Sides – In sports betting, the two teams playing: the underdog and the favorite.
• Spread – In sports betting, the current odds or pointspread on a particular game. The number of points that must be given when betting on the favorite, or received when betting on the dog. Also called the line.
• Steam – When a line starts to move rapidly because the vast majority of money is being bet on one team.
• Store – An online sportsbook, or any sports betting establishment that accepts wagers.
• Straight bet – In sports betting this is a wager on only one team (or horse).
• Straight up (SU) – Straight up is the outcome of a game regardless of the pointspread. For example, if a team is a seven-point favorite, but only wins by three points, then they lost the game against the pointspread, but still won the game straight up.
• Taking the points – Betting the underdog and receiving the additional points given to that team due to the line, or pointspread.
• Total – The combined amount of runs, points or goals scored by both teams during the game, including the overtime. Also known as the Over/Under.
• Under – An “under” is a bet in which the bettor guesses that the total points scored by two teams will be under a certain number, called the Total.
• Underdog – In sports betting, the team receiving the points is the underdog.
• Vegas Rotation – The official numbered order of each days games by individual sport recognized by Vegas casinos and online sportsbooks.
• Vigorish – The sportsbook’s commission on a losing bet; also known as the “juice,” or the “vig.”