18+ · Gamble Responsibly · never stake more than you can afford to lose
MantisPicks

Betting Glossary

Plain-English definitions of every term used on this site — 54 entries from Accumulator to Yield.

A

Accumulator (Acca)
A bet on multiple selections where every leg must win for the bet to pay out. Odds multiply, so the potential return grows with each added leg — and so does the failure rate.
Arbitrage (Arb)
Simultaneously betting on every outcome of a market across different bookmakers whose combined implied probability is below 100%, locking in a profit regardless of the result. Bookmakers actively limit arbers.
Asian Handicap
A goal-line handicap that removes the draw as a possible outcome. Half-goal and quarter-goal lines split the stake — for example, "team +0.25" wins half if the match is drawn.
Ante-Post
A bet placed well before an event (a whole season, tournament or championship), usually at longer odds than the closer-to-event market.

B

Bankroll
The total amount of money set aside for betting. A disciplined bettor never stakes more than a fixed % of their bankroll on a single wager.
Bookmaker (Book)
A licensed operator that offers odds on sporting events, accepts bets and pays out winnings. Also called a sportsbook.
BTTS (Both Teams To Score)
A market that pays out if both teams score at least one goal in the match. "Yes" pays if both score; "No" pays if at least one team is shut out.

C

Cash Out
A bookmaker feature that lets you close a bet early at a market-adjusted price before the event is decided. The offered price includes a house edge.
Closing Line
The final odds a bookmaker offers on a market just before the event starts. Widely regarded as the market's most accurate probability estimate for that event.
Closing Line Value (CLV)
The percentage by which a bettor's taken odds beat the closing line. Long-term positive CLV is a stronger predictor of profitability than short-term win rate.
Correct Score
A market where you bet on the exact final scoreline of a match. High odds because there are many possible outcomes.

D

Decimal Odds
Odds format expressed as a single number (e.g. 2.50) representing the total return per unit stake. Standard across Europe. Multiply stake × odds to get payout.
Double Chance
A market covering two of the three possible 1X2 outcomes on a single ticket (e.g. "Home or Draw"). Lower risk, lower reward.
Draw No Bet (DNB)
A market that voids the stake if the match ends in a draw. Pays only if the backed team wins outright.

E

Each Way (EW)
A bet split in two halves — one on the selection to win, one to place (finish in a specified top position). Common in horse racing and outright markets.
Edge
A statistical advantage a bettor has over the market — the difference between the true probability of an outcome and the bookmaker's implied probability.
Expected Value (EV / +EV)
The average profit or loss of a bet if it were repeated infinite times. Positive EV means the bet is profitable long term at the price taken; negative EV loses money on average.
Exchange Betting
A peer-to-peer betting market (e.g. Betfair) where users lay and back selections at each other, and the platform takes a small commission on winnings.

F

Favorite (Fav)
The selection a bookmaker considers most likely to win, priced at the lowest odds in the market.
First Half Result
A market on the outcome at halftime only. Separate from full-time result.
Fractional Odds
UK-style odds format like 5/1 or 7/2. The first number is profit, the second is stake. Convert to decimal by dividing and adding 1 (5/1 = 6.00).
Free Bet
A promotional stake credited by a bookmaker after certain actions. Winnings usually pay out the profit only (stake not returned) and often have wagering requirements.

H

Handicap
A virtual head-start or deficit applied to one team to level a mismatched market. Extended into Asian and European variants — see Asian Handicap.
Hedging
Placing an offsetting bet on the opposite outcome of an existing wager to lock in a guaranteed profit or reduce exposure.

I

Implied Probability
The bookmaker's odds converted into a probability. For decimal odds: 1 ÷ odds × 100 = implied %. Odds of 2.00 imply a 50% probability.
In-Play (Live) Betting
Betting on a market while the event is still in progress. Odds update in real time based on the state of play.

J

Juice / Vig / Vigorish
The bookmaker's built-in margin on a market. On a 50/50 market priced at 1.91/1.91 (implied 52.36% + 52.36% = 104.72%), the vig is 4.72%.

K

Kelly Criterion
A formula that computes the optimal stake based on your estimated edge and current bankroll. Full Kelly is aggressive; most professionals use a fractional variant (¼ or ½ Kelly).

L

Lay Bet
On an exchange, a bet against a selection winning — you profit if the selection loses. Opposite of a back bet.
Longshot
A selection at very long odds, considered unlikely to win. High reward, low probability.

M

Martingale
A staking system that doubles the stake after every loss so a single win recoups all previous losses. Mathematically flawed against a house edge and blows the bankroll on a long losing streak.
Moneyline / 1X2
A straight bet on which team wins (or the draw, in 3-way sports). "1" = home, "X" = draw, "2" = away.

O

Over / Under
A total-goals (or -points) market. "Over 2.5" wins if the combined score exceeds 2.5 goals. Whole-number lines can push (stake returned).

P

Parlay
US term for an accumulator. See Accumulator.
Pick
A tipster's recommended selection, published with a specific market, side and odds.
Pinnacle
A low-margin bookmaker widely used as a market-efficient reference price. Rarely limits winning accounts, which makes it a strong sharp signal.
Point Spread
US-style handicap where a favorite gives points to the underdog. Cover the spread = winning by more than the handicap.
Push
A tie on a whole-number line where stakes are returned. On Over 2.5 there is no push; on Over 3.0 there is if the match ends 1-2, 3-0, etc.

R

Rollover
A promotional requirement forcing a deposit or bonus to be wagered a fixed number of times before withdrawal. Common in welcome bonuses.
ROI (Return on Investment)
Total profit divided by total staked, expressed as a percentage. A tipster's single most important long-run metric — win rate alone hides odds distribution.

S

Sharp Bookmaker
A bookmaker that welcomes winning bettors and adjusts lines based on incoming money. Their closing line is a market-efficient probability estimate.
Sharp / Sharps
Professional bettors whose money moves lines because they consistently beat the closing line.
Soft Bookmaker
A bookmaker that limits or bans winners and profits from recreational bettors. Prices lag the sharp market; often the source of the best odds for a value bettor.
Stake
The amount of money wagered on a single bet.
Steam / Steam Move
A sudden, sharp price change on a market caused by a wave of informed money on one side. Following steam late usually gives up the value.
System Bet
A combination bet made up of multiple smaller accumulators (e.g. a "3/5" pays out on any 3 of 5 selections winning). Softens the all-or-nothing risk of a straight acca.

T

Tissue Price
A forecast price on a market before it opens, produced by the operator's modelling team.
True Odds
The odds that reflect the real probability of an outcome, with no bookmaker margin. Value = book odds > true odds.

U

Underdog
The selection considered less likely to win, priced at higher odds than the favorite.
Unit
A standardised stake size, usually 1% of a bankroll. Tipster records are reported in units to be comparable across bankroll sizes.

V

Value Bet
A bet whose odds pay more than the true probability of the outcome implies. Value is where long-term profit comes from — not from picking winners.

W

Wagering Requirement
The number of times a bonus must be rolled over in real bets before winnings can be withdrawn.
Wise Guy
A well-informed bettor whose action bookmakers use to sharpen their prices.

Y

Yield
Another name for ROI — total profit divided by total staked.

Term missing or wrong? Email hello@example.com and we'll add or fix it.