Football betting can be overwhelming if you have not
mastered the terminology commonly used by stakeholders. Taking your time to
learn the terms and phrases involved can help you to become comfortable with
placing all kinds of bets while also giving you an edge when making betting
decisions. Here are the most common terms and phrases you should know:
A
1. ACCUMULATOR: A
bet combining many selections. All selections in the bet must be successful for
the bet to win.
2. ACTION: Any
sort of bet a punter chooses to place.
3. AGAINST THE
SPREAD: A bet in which you determine the team that will cover a spread. This
does not necessarily mean the team that shall win.
4. ANTE POST:
Putting a bet several days, weeks, months or even year before the event. For
example, you can bet on a world cup winner well before the event occurs.
5. ASIAN
HANDICAP: A special kind of handicap that is very popular in the Far East. In
the handicap, a team is given an advantage in the form of points or goals
before the actual match begins. The favorite is often given negative points or
goals while the underdog is given positive points or goals.
B
1. BANKER: A pick
that is greatly fancied. It can be used as the cornerstone of a bet.
2. BEARD: A friend
or acquaintance you can task to place a beard for you in order to conceal your
identity. A bettor uses a beard to conceal his/her true identity.
3. BET: To put
money on a prediction of the outcome of an event.
4. BETTING
EXCHANGE: A peer-to-peer betting network that enables punters to place bets
against fellow punters.
5. BOOKMAKER/BOOKIE:
A company that is licensed to accept bets on the results of an event based on
pre-set odds to customers.
6. BOTH TEAMS TO
SCORE (BTTS): Each of the two teams involved in a football match will score at
least a goal each.
C
1. CANADIAN: Also
called Super Yankee, the Canadian is a multiple bet consisting of 26
combinations derived from 5 selections. It has 10 doubles, 10 trebles, 5 four
folds and 1 five fold. At least 2 of the selections must win for the Canadian
to give some return.
2. CASH OUT: The
option for punters to settle their bets before the selections involved are
finished, such as getting money on a five fold accumulator after just 4
selections are already won. You can also cash out a single if you fear losing
the bet by waiting till the match is finished.
3. CHALK: The
favorite team.
4. CHALK PLAYER: A
punter who usually puts bets on the favorite teams.
5. CIRCLED GAME:
A match for which betting activity has been limited by the bookmaker, often
because injury or bad weather may significantly affect the chances of either
team winning.
6. CLEAN SHEET:
When a team finishes a match without conceding a goal. In football betting, it
may be referred to as TO WIN TO NIL, which implies that you are backing a team
to win without conceding a goal.
7. COMBINATION
BET: A bet in which multiple bets are created from a specific number of
selections. The combinations are done to reduce the risk involved while
maximizing potential gain. In a combination bet, you still get some money if
one of the selections fails to win.
8. CORRECT SCORE:
Actual score of a match; usually odds for correct score are offered by
bookmakers at full-time but can also be at half-time.
D
1. DOG: Team
expected to lose a match. Also called underdog.
2. DOG PLAYER: A
bettor who tends to put bets on the underdog.
3. DOUBLE: An
accumulator with only two selections both of which must be successful for the
bet to win.
4. DOUBLE ACTION:
An “If-Bet” that follows if an earlier bet is won, tied or cancelled.
5. DOUBLE
CHANCE: The option to bet on a team
winning/drawing or on either team winning. There is no possibility of a tie in
double chance betting.
6. DOUBLE
RESULT: A bet on the result of a match
at half-time and at full-time. For example, you can go for the home team
winning at half-time and the home team winning at full-time, what is called
Win/Win.
7. DRAW NO
BET: This is a coverage bet in which you
get your stake refunded if a match ends in a draw. With the draw no bet option,
if you bet on team A winning, your bet succeeds when it wins, loses when it
doesn’t win and you get your stake back if there is a draw.
8. DRIFT: The
change in the price or odds of a match over time. For example, if the odds on a
team winning move from 1.86, to 2.10, to 2.26 and then to 1.94, the team is said
to be “on the drift”.
9. DUTCHING:
Spreading your available stake over more than one outcome of a match. For
example, if you have a stake of Ksh 500, you can put half of it on home win and
the other half on a draw. This should be based on getting a specific profit
should either of the results occur.
E
1. EDGE: The
advantage a bettor has in a bet.
2. EVEN: An event
with 50/50 chance of occurring, often given odds 2.00 in football betting.
3. EXOTIC: Any
other kind of bet other than a straight bet or parley. Also called a
proposition or prop.
4. EXPOSURE: The
maximum amount of money a bettor or sports book stands to lose in a match.
F
1. FAVORITE: The
team rated by the bookmakers as most likely to win a match.
2. FIRST
GOAL-SCORER: A bet placed on the football player predicted to score the first
goal in a match.
3. FIRST HALF BET:
A bet placed solely to cover an event predicted to occur in the first half of a
match.
4. FOLD: The
number of selections in a multi-bet. For example, a four fold is a single bet
made up of 4 selections. All must be successful for the four fold to win.
5. FORM: How a
football team is currently performing.
G
1. GOAL LINE: A
bet on the total number of goals going over or staying under a certain number.
For example, Over/Under 2.5 goals market offers punters the chance to pick
whether the total number of goals in a match will exceed or fall below the 2.5
mark.
2. GOLIATH: A
combination bet derived from 8 selections in different events. There are 247
bets in a Goliath which include 28 doubles, 56 trebles, 70 four folds, 56 five
folds, 28 six folds, 8 seven folds and an accumulator of 8 teams. A minimum of
2 selections must be correct for a Goliath to yield some return.
H
1. HALF TIME BET:
Bet placed on the basis of the result at half-time.
2. HALF TIME
RESULT: A bet in which the punter predicts correctly the result of a match at
half time.
3. HANDICAP:
Giving some advantage to the weaker team and some disadvantage to the stronger
team to make a one-sided event more interesting. For example, the favorite team
may be given a -1 goal before the game starts so that a bet on it in the
handicap market only wins if the favorite scores at least two goals.
4. HANDICAPPER: A
person who researches, rates and bets on various sports events.
5. HEDGING:
Placing a bet that is opposite to the one your predicted in your earlier bet in
order to cut your losses or guarantee a win.
6. HEINZ: A
combination bet made from 6 selections that are combined into 15 doubles, 20
trebles, 15 four folds, 6 five folds and 1 accumulator; bringing the total bets
to 57. At least two selections must be correct for you to get some return on a
Heinz bet.
7. HOOK: a half
point added or subtracted from a certain goal line or betting lines for a
match.
L
1. LAY: When a
bookmaker accepts bets, it is said they lay bets. The bookmaker is hence called
a layor. You can also lay bets on a betting exchange, where you bet against
peers and you are responsible for accepting or rejecting their offers.
2. LENGTHEN: To
increase odds on a particular event.
3. LINE: The
current point or odds spread on a particular event or result happening.
4. LOCK: A term
for a prediction that almost guaranteed.
5. LONGSHOT: A
team that is perceived as unlikely to win.
6. LUCKY 15: 15
combination bets derived from 4 selections in different events. A Lucky 15 bet
consists of 4 singles, 6 doubles, 4 trebles and 1 four fold. At least 1 team
must win for you to get some return.
M
1. MATCH BETTING:
Often known as fixed odds betting, is the availability of odds for the three
standard events in a match (win, loss, draw). Football match betting is often
called 1X2 betting and comes with fixed odds for any of the events. “1” denotes
home team, “2” denotes away team and “X” denotes a draw.
2. MONKEY: A slang
word for Ksh 500.
3. MULTIPLES: Is
another word for accumulators. Multiple bets are made up of more than 1
selection. They include doubles, trebles, four folds, five folds and more,
depending on the maximum teams a bookmaker accepts.
N
1. NAP: The best
bet of the day for a tipster.
2. NO ACTION: A
bet that neither wins not loses money.
3. NUMBER SPREAD:
An index spread that is based on the number of goals scored in a match.
O
1. ODDS: The
returns or price offered by the bookmaker on an event.
2. ODDS ON: The price where the odds on offer are less
than evens, that is less than 2.00 (less than 50%) for an event.
3. ODDS AGAINST:
The price where odds are greater than evens, that is greater than 2.00 (greater
than 50%) for an event.
4. OUTRIGHT
BET: A straightforward bet possible for
an event, such as placing a bet on a League winner, the next President, or a
Cup winner. An outright bet simply means putting a wager on a selection from an
event to win.
5. OUTSIDER: The
team with little chance of winning a match. The opposite of a favorite.
6. OVER: Commonly used for goal line betting to refer
to total goals above a certain goal line, such as over 2.5, over 1.5, over 3.5
or over 4.5 goals.
P
1. PARLAY: A term
used for accumulator bet.
2. PATENT: A bet
made of 3 selections combined into 7 bets, including 3 singles, 3 doubles and 1
treble. Just one successful selection guarantees some return.
3. POINT SPREAD:
The predicted score differential between two opposing teams as quoted by a
sports book.
4. PRICE: Gambling
or betting odds.
5. PUNTER: A
bettor, the individual who puts a bet.
R
1. RUNNER: A
person who places bets for another person.
S
1. SCOUT: A
person who waits for what he perceives to be an unusually strong wager. AKA,
sports player.
2. SHARP: a
sophisticated or professional punter.
3. SINGLES:
Backing only one outcome of one football match. For example, backing team 1 to
beat team 2. A single is the simplest odd you can place.
4. SPECIAL BET: A
bet placed on an outcome that is out of the ordinary fixed odd betting
outcomes. Special bets may be on things like team performance, number of
bookings in a match, number of corners in a match or the first and last goal
scorer of a match.
5. SPREAD
BETTING: Backing a team to cover a
spread, such as predicting that a team will lose by 3 goals, win by 5 goals
etc. It is similar to the handicap type of betting and the teams involved may
have points added or deducted from them before the match so that to win a team
may need to overcome or hold on to the points given before the match. Example
is team 1 given -4 points before a match. In order to win, the team must score
5 goals.
6. SUPER HEINZ: A
combination bet made from 7 selections that are used to create 120 bets,
including 21 doubles, 35 trebles, 35 four folds, 21 five folds, 7 six folds and
1 accumulator. At least two selections must win for the bet to succeed.
7. SUPER YANKEE:
Same as the Canadian. See Canadian above.
T
1. TREBLE: 1 bet consisting of 3 selections in different
events. All the picks must be correct for the bet to get a return.
2. TRIXIE: Three
selections are used to create 4 bets, including 3 doubles and 1 treble. At
least 2 selections must win for the bet to give a return.
U
1. UNDER: Used in
the total goals betting market (over/under market) to denote that the total
goals in a match will not exceed a certain line, such as 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 or 4.5
goals.
2. UNDERDOG: The
team expected to lose in a football match. Also called the dog.
V
1. VALUE BET: A
bet based on the fact that the odds provided by the bookmaker are better than
the mathematical chance of a team getting the result in question. For example, if
team 1 has a mathematical chance of 50% winning a game, the odds should be
2.00. Any odds higher than 2.00 for that team winning give more value and a bet
on them is a value bet.
2. WISE GUY: A
knowledgeable or well-informed punter or handicapper.
Y
1. YANKEE: Used
to describe 11 bets created from 4 selections in different events, normally
including 6 doubles, 4 trebles and 1 accumulator. At least 2 of the selections
must win in order to get a return.