Agent A person responsible for paying and collecting for a group of players.
Beard Someone who places a bet for someone else in order to conceal or protect the identity of the real bettor.
Bet To risk money on the outcome of an event.
Book An establishment that accepts bets on sporting events.
Bookmaker Someone who accepts bets.
Buck One hundred dollars.
Buy (Points) When a player pays an additional price to receive half a point or more in his favor on a point spread game.
Cap The maximum amount a player is permitted to lose.
Chalk The favorite.
Chalk Player Someone who usually plays the favored teams.
Circled Game A game with reduced betting action because of injuries, bad weather, propositions, or halves of games. These games cannot be included in parlays or teasers.
Charter The person who changes the point spreads on games based on how the players are betting.
Clerk The person reading lines and taking bets from players.
Computer Group The group of bettors, led by computer expert Ivan Mindlin, who came up with their own point spread and collectively bet millions on their picks. Also referred to as Ivy, as in Ivy League.
Cover A point spread win.
Cut Off When a player is no longer permitted to place bets with a bookmaker.
Dime A thousand-dollar sports-betting wager.
Dog The team perceived to be most likely to lose.
Dog Player A player who usually bets on the underdog.
Dollar One hundred dollars.
Edge A person’s advantage when it comes to sports betting.
Even Money A bet whose odds are 1/1.
Exotic A wager other than a straight bet or parlay; also referred to as a prop or proposition.
Favorite The team expected to win an event.
Figure The amount owed to or by a bookmaker.
Follower A player who bet the same on games as the Computer Group.
Future Odds that are posted in advance of a major sporting event including the Super Bowl, the World Series, the Stanley Cup, and the NBA Championship. This is called a Future bet.
Gamble To risk money on the outcome of an event.
Grader A person who determines which tickets won or lost.
Handicapper Someone who predicts the outcome of a sporting event based on statistics.
Hot Game A game that is drawing a lot of action on one side.
Hook A half-point.
Juice The bookmaker’s commission on a losing bet, also known as “vigorish” or “vig.”
Line The current odds or point spread on a particular event.
Lock A sure bet.
Master The document used to keep track of a player’s current balance.
Listed Pitchers A baseball bet which will be placed only if both of the pitchers scheduled to start a game actually start. If they don’t, the bet is cancelled.
Long Shot A team or horse perceived to be unlikely to win.
Middle To win both sides of the same contest in a sports-betting event. Betting on the underdog at one point spread and the favorite at a different point spread, and winning both sides.
Nickel Five hundred dollars.
No Action A wager in sports betting in which no money is lost nor won.
Odds The likelihood of an outcome occurring, stated in numbers form.
Off the Board A game that a bookmaker will not accept bets on.
One Dollar A hundred dollars.
Opening Line The earliest line posted for a particular sporting event.
Over A bet that the combined point total of two teams will be above the specified total number of points predicted.
Parlay A bet with two or more teams in which all teams must win or cover for the bettor to win and receive higher payouts.
Pick ’Em When neither team is favored. Also called a “pick.”
Player A person placing a bet.
Point Spread The predicted scoring differential between two opponents.
Price The odds or point spread.
Push When a game ends with no winner or loser.
Rip ’Em The act of separating the original ticket from its carbon copy.
Round Robin A series of three or more teams in 2-team parlays.
Run Down To read the odds for the games on the schedule.
Run Numbers When two graders compare answers on the result of the previous day’s tickets.
Sharp A knowledgeable or professional gambler.
Spread The predicted scoring differential between two opponents as quoted by a sports book.
Straight Bet A single bet on one team.
Straight-up Winning a game without any regard to the point spread.
Taking the Points Betting on the underdog, and its advantage in the point spread.
Teaser A bet in which you combine the bets and adjust the point spread or total of each individual play.
Ticket The slip of paper a sports-betting wager is written on.
Tie A wager in which no money is lost nor won because the teams’ scores were equal to the number of points in the given line.
Total The combined number of runs, points, or goals scored by both teams during the game, including overtime.
Under A wager in which the bettor guesses that the total points scored by two teams will be under a certain figure.
Underdog The team perceived to be most likely to lose. Also known as the “dog.”
Wager To risk money on the outcome of an event.
Wise Guy A knowledgeable bettor, handicapper, or professional bettor.
(Some of these definitions are from Doc’s Sports Service.)