Football Betting Glossary: Understand Key Terms to Sharpen Your Betting Acumen!
Welcome to our comprehensive football betting glossary, a valuable resource designed for both beginners and seasoned bettors. This glossary demystifies the complex world of football betting, offering clear definitions and insights into key terms and concepts. Enhance your betting experience and knowledge with this essential guide to football betting terminology.
A
Acca Insurance: Accumulator insurance is a bookmaker’s offer that refunds a bettor’s stake if only one selection in their accumulator bet fails.
Accumulator: An accumulator is a bet comprising multiple selections, all of which must win for the bet to be successful.
ACCA: An abbreviation for accumulator.
Action: Informal term for placing a bet.
Against the Spread: Betting against the spread involves not only selecting the winner but also requiring the team to win by more than a specified point margin.
All-In: Term often used in casino betting where a player wagers their entire bankroll.
All-Weather: Refers to surfaces that enable races to occur under various weather conditions.
Ante-Post: Bets placed in advance of the event, commonly in horse racing.
Arber: Short for arbitrager. A bettor who exploits odds differences across bookmakers for guaranteed profit.
Arbitrage Betting: A technique where a bettor places bets with different bookmakers on all possible outcomes of an event for a guaranteed profit.
Asian Handicap: A betting style that aims to level the playing field between two unevenly matched teams by applying a handicap to the stronger team.
B
Back: To wager on a particular outcome in an event.
Bad Beat: Losing a bet that seemed almost certain to win.
Banker: A bet seen as very likely to win.
Bankroll: The total amount of money a bettor has set aside for betting.
Bar: Indicates the shortest odds not displayed on a betting board.
Beard: Someone who places a bet on behalf of another person.
Best Odds Guaranteed: A bookmaker promotion, often in horse or greyhound racing, ensuring the bettor gets the best odds if they increase after a bet is placed.
Bet: The act of wagering money on the outcome of an event.
Bet Constructor: A service allowing bettors to create virtual matchups using real events and bet on them.
Bet Live: See Live Betting.
Bet Slip: A digital record of a bettor’s selections before confirming a bet.
Betting Exchange: A platform where bettors wager against each other rather than the bookmaker.
Betting Markets: Various options provided by bookmakers that bettors can wager on.
Board Price: The odds displayed on bookmakers’ boards at a racetrack before a race starts.
Bookie: Informal term for a bookmaker.
Bookmaker: An authorised entity that offers odds and accepts bets.
Bore Draw: A term for a match ending in a 0-0 draw.
BTTS: Abbreviation for “both teams to score,” a market on whether both teams will score in a match.
C
Cash out: A feature allowing bettors to settle a bet before an event concludes.
Cashback: A promotion where bettors receive their stake back if their bet loses.
Chalk: A strong favourite in a betting event.
Circled Game: A game with limited betting action, either due to stake restrictions or limited market availability.
Clean Sheet: Refers to a team not conceding any goals in a match.
Closing Line: The final odds offered on an event before it begins.
Co-Favourite: When two or more teams or competitors have the same odds of winning.
Combination Bet: A bet comprising multiple selections.
Combination Forecast: A bet in horse or greyhound racing where the bettor predicts the first two finishers in any order.
Combination Tricast: A bet in horse or greyhound racing where the bettor predicts the first three finishers in any order.
Correct Score: A market where bettors predict the exact final score of a game.
Cover: To place a secondary bet to minimise potential losses from a primary bet.
D
Dead Heat: A tie between two or more competitors for betting purposes.
Deposit: Transferring money into a betting account.
Dog Player: A bettor who typically wagers on underdogs.
Double Action: A bet involving two or more selections at different times.
Double Bet: Combining two selections into one bet to increase potential winnings.
Double Chance: A market covering two of three possible outcomes in an event.
Double Result: Betting on two outcomes, such as the result at half-time and full-time.
Doubles: A single bet involving two selections.
Draw No Bet: A market eliminating the draw option, refunding stakes if the event ends in a draw.
Drifter: A selection whose odds are increasing due to less backing.
Dutching: A strategy where a bettor backs multiple outcomes in the same event for a guaranteed profit.
E
Each Way: A bet consisting of two parts: a win bet and a place bet, often used in horse and greyhound racing.
Early Price: Fixed odds offered in advance of an event.
Edge: An advantage a bettor has over a bookmaker in a particular bet.
European Handicap: A market applying an advantage or disadvantage to one side to even the odds.
Evens: Odds of 2.00, where the potential profit equals the stake.
Exacta: A bet in horse racing where the bettor must predict the first two finishers in the correct order.
Exotic: Any bet outside of straight or multiple bets, often referred to as a prop bet.
Exposure: The potential financial loss a bettor faces from their bets.
F
Favourite: The team or competitor deemed most likely to win.
First Goalscorer: A market on which player will score the first goal in a match.
First Half Bet: A bet on the outcome of the first half of an event.
Fixed Odds Betting: Betting against odds set by a bookmaker, where the payout is fixed at the time of the bet.
Flag Bet: A wager comprising 23 bets across four selections.
Fold: The number of selections in an accumulator bet.
Forecast: A bet predicting the exact order of the first two finishers in an event.
Form: The recent performance of a team or individual.
Free Bet: A bonus offered by bookmakers where a bettor can place a bet without using their own money.
G
Gambler: Someone who places bets on events with uncertain outcomes.
GamCare: A UK organisation offering support for problem gambling.
Goal Line: Betting on the total number of goals scored in a match.
Goliath: A bet consisting of 247 bets across eight selections.
H
Half Time Bet: A bet on the outcome of the second half of an event.
Half Time Result: Betting on the result of a match at half-time.
Handicap: An advantage given to the weaker team or a disadvantage to the stronger team to level the playing field.
Handicapper: A bettor who frequently places bets on handicap markets.
Head to Head Betting: Betting on a two-way market, choosing between win or lose.
Hedging: A strategy involving placing bets on different outcomes to minimise potential losses.
Heinz: A bet consisting of 57 bets across six selections.
High Roller: A bettor who consistently wagers large amounts of money.
Hook: A half-point in betting terms.
I
IBAS: Independent Betting Adjudication Service, a UK-based service for resolving betting disputes.
In-play Betting: Betting on an event after it has started.
J
Jackpot: The largest prize offered in a casino game.
Joint Favourite: When two or more competitors are equally favoured to win by bookmakers.
K
Kelly Criterion: A mathematical formula used to determine the optimal size of a series of bets.
L
Last Team to Score: A bet on which team will score the last goal in a match.
Lay Betting: Betting on a particular outcome not to occur.
Layoff Betting: When a sportsbook places a bet with another bookmaker to reduce their own risk, or when a bettor places bets on both sides of a market to limit losses.
Lengthen: Increasing the odds on a selection, indicating it is less likely to occur.
Line: Another term for odds or price.
Live Betting: Betting on an event that is currently in progress.
Lock: A bet considered almost certain to win.
Longshot: A bet with high odds and a lower probability of occurring, offering a higher payout if won.
Lose-to-Win Accumulator: An accumulator bet where at least one selection must lose for the bet to win.
Lucky 15: A bet consisting of 15 bets across four selections.
Lucky 31: A bet consisting of 31 bets across five selections.
Lucky 63: A bet consisting of 63 bets across six selections.
M
Martingale: A betting system where a bettor doubles their stake after each loss to cover previous losses.
Matched Betting: A technique where a bettor uses free bets from promotions to place bets on all possible outcomes of an event for a guaranteed profit.
Money Back Bets: Promotions where bookmakers refund a player’s stake if their bet loses.
Monkey: Slang for a £500 bet in the UK.
Multiples: A bet combining multiple single bets into one, requiring all selections to win for a payout.
N
Nap: A tipster’s best bet of the day.
No Action: When a sportsbook cancels all bets on an event, refunding all stakes.
Non-Runner: A competitor withdrawn from a race or event.
Non-Runner No Bet: A promotion where stakes are refunded if a backed horse is withdrawn from a race.
Novelty Bet: Another term for a prop bet, covering non-sports or alternative bets.
Number Spread: See Point Spread.
Nuts: The best possible hand in a card game, unbeatable by any other hand.
O
Odds: The ratio provided by a sportsbook determining the payout of a wager, representing the likelihood of an outcome.
Odds Against: Odds higher than evens (2.00), indicating less probability of the outcome occurring.
Odds On: Odds lower than evens (2.00), indicating a higher probability of the outcome occurring.
Oddsmaker: A person responsible for setting the odds for an event.
Off The Board: When a bookmaker stops accepting bets on a specific event or market.
Opening Line: The initial odds offered on an event.
Outright Bet: A bet on the overall winner of a competition rather than a single match.
Outsider: A competitor with slim chances of winning.
Over: Part of the Over/Under market, betting that an event will occur more times than a set threshold.
Over-round: The built-in profit margin for a bookmaker, ensuring profitability regardless of the event’s outcome.
Over-Under Betting: Betting on whether an event will occur above or below a predetermined threshold.
P
Parlay: Another term for an accumulator bet, combining multiple single bets for a higher potential payout.
Patent: A bet consisting of seven bets across three selections.
Permutations or Perms: A bet combining multiple wagers in different combinations, allowing for a win even if some selections lose.
Photo Finish: A finish in a race where competitors are so close that a photo or video is used to determine the winner.
Place: To place a wager; to bet.
Point Spread: A bet on the margin of victory in a game.
Pony: Slang for a £25 bet in the UK.
Pre-Match Bet: A bet placed before the start of an event.
Price: Another term for odds or line.
Profit: The amount won from a successful bet.
Prop Bet: A wager not tied to the final outcome of a game, such as total fouls or first goal.
Q
Quinella Bet: A bet in horse or greyhound racing where the punter predicts the first two finishers in a race in any order.
R
Rag: Slang for an outsider or underdog in a betting event.
Request a Bet: A feature allowing bettors to request specific odds from a bookmaker for a custom bet.
Return: The total amount won from a wager.
Reverse Forecast: A bet predicting the first two finishers in an event in any order.
Reverse Forecast Double: A bet involving two reversed forecasts across two races.
Rule 4: A rule applied when a horse is withdrawn from a race, adjusting the odds of the remaining horses.
Runner: Another term for a beard, someone who places bets on behalf of another person.
S
Scorecast: A bet combining the winner of a match and the first goalscorer into one wager.
Scout: A punter who waits for an ideal betting opportunity and then places a large bet.
Sharp: An experienced and knowledgeable bettor.
Single Bet: A bet on a single outcome of an event.
Singles: A bet covering only one selection.
Smart Money: Bets placed by knowledgeable or professional bettors.
Spread Betting: A betting strategy where a bettor predicts the outcome of an event in terms of a range.
Stake: The amount of money wagered on a bet.
Steam: Rapid and significant movement in betting lines due to heavy betting activity.
Super Heinz: A bet consisting of 120 bets across seven selections.
Super Yankee: A bet consisting of 26 bets across five selections.
Surebet: See Arbitrage Betting.
System Bet: A series of bets on different selections in various combinations, offering a higher chance of winning but at a higher cost.
T
Tic-Tac: Hand signals used by bookmakers’ staff to communicate odds and movements.
Tipster: Someone who provides betting tips or predictions.
Total Goals: A market on the total number of goals scored in a match.
Tricast: A bet predicting the first three finishers in an event in the correct order.
Trifecta: A bet predicting the first three finishers in a race in the correct order.
U
Under: Part of the Over/Under market, betting that an event will occur fewer times than a set threshold.
Underdog: The competitor or team least likely to win.
Union Jack: A bet comprising eight trebles from nine selections.
V
Value: The worth or desirability of a bet, often when the odds are better than expected.
Void: A bet that is cancelled and the stake returned, usually due to an event not occurring as planned.
W
Wager: Another term for a bet.
Win Bet: A bet on a selection to win an event.
Withdrawal: Taking money out of a betting account.
Working: A horse going through its training routine.
Write: The handle or total amount of money wagered by bettors on an event.
Further reading on Football Betting Glossary
- Wikipedia: Gambling Terminology (2024)
