Sports Betting Terms 101

Maybe you’re a seasoned sports bettor, or maybe you’re just starting to get your feet wet. Either way, it pays to know the proper terminology when logging onto sportsbooks like Bodog. While the following list is by no means comprehensive, it should give you an idea of the meanings of some of the most commonly used phrases in the industry.

SPORTS BETTING TERMS

Parlay - A single bet that links together two or more individual wagers. All wagers must cover the spread for a bettor to win money, and the payoff is much higher (but so is the risk).

Bonus Whore - Someone who opens up an offshore betting account in order to take advantage of bonuses being offered to new customers. However, the bonus whore has no intention of providing long-term business.

Vig or Vigorish - The commission received by the bookmaker on a bet. Also known as “Juice.” For example, most bets require you to wager $110 to win $100. That extra $10 goes to the bookmaker.

Point Spread - Used to even the odds of a sporting event, points are either added or subtracted from the final score of a particular team. The resulting score determines the winner for betting purposes.

Push - A tie against the spread. On straight bets, the result is usually “no action,” and all the bettors money is returned.

Air Move - When a sportsbook changes their betting line in response to a change by another sportsbook.

Beard - A person who places bets for another person, usually because the sportsbook will not take action from that individual.

Post-Up Betting - Placing bets from an already funded account. Wins or losses are simply added to or subtracted from the bettor’s account. This is a regular practice with online sportsbooks.

Circled - A game on which the bookmaker has placed a lower maximum betting limit. For example, a sports book might normally allow a $1000 max limit on NFL games, but a particular game is “circled” and limited to only a $500 max bet.

Off or Off the Board - If an event is Off the Board, then the sportsbook is no longer taking bets on it.

For more sports betting articles, take a look at the following:

2007 Tour de France Odds from Bodog

America’s Cup Odds from Bodog

Sports Betting Terms 101