When it comes to betting, there are a wide variety of terms and phrases used, many of which are quite complex. Trying to understand what these terms mean can be quite daunting, especially since most bookmakers offer a help section to their clients on their websites which is quite difficult to navigate, especially if you’re new to betting. To make things even more confusing, a number of different bookmakers even have different meanings when it comes to specific terms and phrases. Hopefully, this article will clear up some of the mystery surrounding common terms in betting.
Money Line
The name pretty much says it all; this is the place where you place your wager according to how much you are willing to risk. The betting website will then do the rest and tell you the outcome of the event, along with providing useful betting stats if you’re into that sort of thing. The downside to this type of wagering is that it’s fairly easy for the bookmaker to run up a big disadvantage when compared to the house edge which is usually between 2.5% and 5%. This is why most people shy away from using this type of wagering; if you’re looking for a sure thing, go for it, but if you want to play the odds, avoid putting all your money on one side.
Parlay
This is where you place multiple bets on one event. For example, you may choose to bet $10 on the Cleveland Browns to win the game, $10 on the New England Patriots to win, and $20 on the San Francisco 49ers to win. If any of those teams happen to win, you will end up paying out $30, but if they lose, your chances of winning are only $10. Essentially, you are placing a single bet, but the payout is based on the outcome of multiple events. This wagering option is usually available only through reputable bookmakers and comes with some significant advantages. One of the biggest is that it allows for bigger wagers to be placed which in turn speeds up the payout process when compared to single bets. It also provides a better overall experience for the user since the website can process multiple bets in one fell swoop. Due to the complexity of combining multiple wagers into one bet, this type of wagering requires a bit of an engineering wizardry which the website’s backend developers are usually more than capable of delivering.
Over/Under
This is where you either choose to bet that the total number of points scored by the two teams going into the game will be over or under a certain amount. For example, you may choose to bet that the total amount of points scored by the two teams will be 42 or less; if it’s between 43 and 45, you win, otherwise, you lose. The advantage of this type of wagering is that it provides a clearer picture of the outcome since there are actually two possibilities; either both teams score below the line or one team scores above it. This type of wagering is widely used in sports like football and hockey due to the sheer number of occurrences where the score is close, making it difficult to determine which one is won and which one is lost without having a precise number to point to. Additionally, there is no house edge associated with this type of wagering since it’s a matter of just picking numbers and having them crossed off when the game is over which is always a good thing.
First Score
In sports, this is exactly what it sounds like; this is where you choose to bet on the first score of the game. For example, if you are watching the Houston Astros play the New York Yankees, you may want to bet $10 that the first score will be a homerun by the Astros or under 10 runs, the Yankees will score first. Alternatively, you may choose to bet $10 that the Houston Astros will score first and $10 that the New York Yankees will score first. This type of wagering comes with some significant advantages. One of the biggest is that the overall outcome is more clearly defined since there are only two possible outcomes. Additionally, since the first score is always defined as the first point scored in the first inning, this type of wagering has a built-in ace in the hole, which is something that all punters should know and utilize whenever possible.
Point / Pro-Football / Horse / Soccer
This is where you place your wager according to how many points, footballs, horses, or soccer balls will be scored in the game. For example, if you are watching the Super Bowl and the San Francisco 49ers are playing the New England Patriots, you may want to bet $10 that the 49ers will score at least twenty points or the Patriots will win. Alternatively, you may want to bet $10 that the Patriots will score at least twenty points or that the 49ers will win. In horse racing, this is called a trifecta bet; you are basically betting that three of the four horses in the race will finish first, second, and third, respectively. This type of wagering also has a built-in ace in the hole in the form of a trifecta; this is where you choose to bet that all three of the horses in the race will finish in the exact same order which is extremely hard to do, especially if one of the horses is running away with the race. When it comes to soccer, this is typically where you find the most fun since every game has a different formula which makes it nearly impossible to predict the outcome, especially since, as mentioned before, most soccer games have multiple goals, making it quite difficult to accurately gauge how the game will unfold. The upside to this type of wagering is that it provides for some truly unique experiences since every bettor will have a different idea of how the game will play out and which team will end up on top. Every game is a mystery, and that is what makes it so much fun.
Total / Average / Odds / Odds-Averaging
These are the standard ways of betting according to how many points, touchdowns, or goals will be scored in the game. For example, if you are watching the Super Bowl and the Cleveland Browns are playing the New England Patriots, you may want to bet $10 that the Patriots will score at least twenty points or the Browns will win. Alternatively, you may want to bet $10 that the Patriots will score at least twenty points or that the Browns will win. In tennis, this is called an upset bet or an upset wager; you are basically betting that the result of the match will be some sort of upset, which could include anywhere from one to three points scored by one of the players, or if the score is close, it could also include a tie. The upside to this type of wagering is that it is pretty straight forward; you either win or lose, and you don’t have to think too hard about it. The downside is that the number of upsets that occur in tennis is very small, and it is usually difficult to make a good profit off of these types of bets since the house edge is usually very high due to the small number of occurrences where an upset happens. The other downside is that a lot of these types of wagers require you to look at individual screenshots of the game since it is almost impossible to keep track of all the scores and stats throughout the entire game, especially if you’re new to betting. For these reasons, this type of wagering should only be used by experienced bettors who already know what they are doing and how to properly utilize the various stats that are presented to them through the website’s help section, not by beginners who are just getting started.