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Sports betting glossary
Every word on a betting screen, in plain English. All 36 terms have their own page with a worked example you can check by hand, and every sport has a guide.
Betting basics
The bets, prices and money words you will see at any sportsbook. 22 terms.
- SpreadThe number of points a team must win by, or can lose by, for a spread bet to win. The favorite gives points and the underdog gets them.
- MoneylineA bet on which team wins the game outright. Points do not matter, and the price shows what each dollar wins.
- TotalA bet on whether the two teams' combined score finishes over or under a set number.
- Player propsA bet on one player's stat or event, like receptions, passing yards or a touchdown.
- Anytime touchdownA player prop that wins if the player scores at least one touchdown in the game.
- ParlaySeveral bets combined into one ticket. Every leg has to win, and the payouts multiply.
- Same-game parlayA parlay built from bets in one game. Its legs can depend on each other, so books price them differently.
- FuturesA bet on an outcome that is decided later, like a title, a conference or an award. Its price moves until the result is in.
- The middleTwo bets on opposite sides of one number, placed at two books. If the final lands between the two lines, both bets can win.
- Odds formatsAmerican (+150, -110), decimal (2.50) and fractional (3/2) odds show the same price three ways.
- Implied probabilityThe chance a price suggests. A price of -150 implies a 60% chance before the book's margin is taken out.
- VigThe margin a book builds into its prices. It is why the two sides of a market add up to more than 100%.
- No-vig priceThe fair price for each side once the book's margin is removed from the market.
- Expected valueWhat a bet is worth on average if its price is right. A +EV price pays more than the fair price.
- Line movementHow a number or price changes as money comes in and news arrives.
- Closing lineThe last price before a game starts. Bettors use it as the benchmark for whether a price was good.
- Closing line valueWhether your price beat the closing price. Beating the close over many bets is a common sign of a good price, not a guarantee.
- ArbitragePrices on every outcome at different books that lock in a profit whatever the result, before limits and fees.
- Bankroll and bet sizeThe money set aside for betting, and how much of it each bet risks. Smaller, steadier stakes protect it.
- Bet trackerA log of your bets with the price, the result, the profit and the return on stake, so you can see what is working.
- Backup betA second bet lined up as a fallback in case the first one does not play out.
- Odds calculatorConverts between odds formats and works out a payout, the implied chance and the margin in a price.
In Antic
How Antic rates games and players, and what its tools and pages show. 14 terms.
- Antic RatingA player's score for one game on a 0 to 10 scale, built from their plays. Above 10 is reserved for outstanding games.
- Game ratingHow exciting a game was, on the same 0 to 10 scale, from how the win chance swung. It updates while the game is live.
- Win probabilityThe chance a team wins from the state of the game right now. It moves with every play.
- PollsPredictions on a game, like who wins a quarter or whether a player reaches a stat line. Votes show the split.
- Team picksPick the team you back in a game's comments. Your pick shows beside your comments, and the counts show the split.
- Game of the dayThe one game Antic highlights each day, with the reason it was chosen.
- EdgeAntic's price tools. They compare prices across books to find positive expected value, arbitrage, middles and low-hold markets.
- Opportunity alertsPop-ups for a live price that clears the bar for +EV, arbitrage or a middle.
- LineupsA team's players by unit, with position, season numbers, rating and injury status.
- Injury statusThe league's report on a player's availability, such as Probable, Questionable, Doubtful, Out or Injured Reserve.
- Play-by-playEvery play in order, with the game situation, the play's rating and the reactions it got.
- StandingsTeams ranked by record within a league, conference or division, using each league's tiebreakers.
- Title oddsThe price to win a championship, with the best price across the books Antic covers and the chance it implies.
- Responsible gamingSet limits, take breaks and get help if betting stops being fun. Antic never places bets.
Sport guides
How each sport's season, scoring, ratings and props work, with the terms you need for it.
- NFLThe National Football League. Thirty-two teams play 17 regular-season games each, then a single-elimination playoff.Learn more
- College footballTop-division college football. Teams play in conferences, and the season ends with a playoff for the national title.Learn more
- NBAThe National Basketball Association: 30 teams, an 82-game regular season and a best-of-seven playoff in the spring.Learn more
- WNBAThe Women's National Basketball Association. The regular season runs through the summer, and the playoffs run into the autumn.Learn more
- NHLThe National Hockey League: 32 teams, an 82-game regular season and a best-of-seven playoff that ends with the Stanley Cup Final.Learn more
- MLBMajor League Baseball: 30 teams, a 162-game regular season and a playoff that ends with the World Series.Learn more
- SoccerProfessional soccer in the leagues and cups Antic follows, from the Premier League to the Champions League.Learn more
- College basketballMen's college basketball, played by conference teams and decided by the NCAA Tournament in March and early April.Learn more
- MMAMixed martial arts. Fighters compete in weight classes on cards, and fights end by knockout, submission or decision.Learn more
- TennisProfessional tennis on the men's ATP and women's WTA tours. Matches are won by sets, and the tours run most of the year.Learn more