Improve your betting knowledge with this beginner’s guide to sports betting terms. Learn about the different markets and get tips on when you should use them and what value they offer bettors.
Sports Betting Terms – Betting Glossary
If you’re a newcomer to betting online or you simply want a refresher on the main betting markets and bet types, this sports betting glossary has you covered.
Correct Score
The correct score betting market is virtually universal across all sports. It is simply a bet on what you think the exact (correct) score will be at the end of the match.
Given this is a fairly difficult bet to predict, the odds are higher than in many other markets.
Over/Under
There are multiple over/under markets available; however, the most popular are over/under total goals in football and over/under total points in basketball.
With this bet, you wager on whether the total score is going to be higher (over) or lower (under) than the betting line.
Half/Full Time
The half-time/full-time betting market is primarily associated with football. You can think of this wager as two bets rolled into one because it consists of predicting the half-time result and the full-time result.
Asian Handicap
Many beginner bettors are deterred from Asian handicaps because of the .25 and .75 odds. However, as our in-depth guide explains, this is a relatively easy market to learn, and it has great potential for smart punters.
Double Chance
The double chance betting market takes the regular 1×2 (match winner) market and gives bettors two chances of winning.
For instance, you can bet on 1 or X, 1 or 2, or X or 2. If either one of the two results is correct, the bet pays out.
1×2 Betting
The 1×2 market, also known as match winner or match result, is far and away the most popular betting option. It is simply a wager on what you think the final result will be – a home win (1), draw (x), or away win (2).
Win To Nil
Many savvy bettors like the win to nil market because it offers better odds than 1×2 betting. For this bet to win, the team you back must win the match and keep a clean sheet.
Anytime Goalscorer
One of the most popular player props markets is anytime goalscorer. As the name suggests, this is a bet on a specific player to score at anytime during the match.
Of course, your own goals don’t count as a goal scored.
Both Teams To Score
Fondly known as BTTS, both teams to score is a great bet for matches between teams with good attackers and leaky defences. For this bet to win, both teams have to score one or more goals.
Draw No Bet
The draw no bet market is similar to double chance as it’s based on the match result.
However, instead of it being a 1×2 bet, the draw is void, so you only bet on a team to win. If the match is drawn, the bettor’s stake is returned to them.
Handicap
A standard handicap, sometimes called a spread, is a betting market where teams are either given a minus or positive handicap. For instance, Arsenal -1.5 means that they need to win by two clear goals or more.
