This page updated 11/17/08 01:42:29

A list of frequently used sports betting terms:

• Agent -- A person who places customers into a book for a commission.
• Back door cover -- When a team usually out of the game scores meaningless points to cover the spread.
• Bad beat -- A game you thought you had won and then lose.
• Beard -- A person who makes bets for someone else; a runner.
• Bookie -- Short for bookmaker or a person who takes bets.
• Chalk -- The favorite.
• Chalkeater -- A person who bets only favorites.
• Circled game -- A game where the betting limits are lowered, usually because of injuries and/or weather.
• Cover -- Win the game by more points than you laid or lose by more points than you had taken; a point-spread win.
• Dime -- In betting terms, $1,000.
• Dog -- The underdog.
• Even money -- A wager on which a side lays no juice or vigorish.
• Exotic -- Any wager other than a straight bet or parlay; a proposition or "prop" bet.
• Exposure -- The maximum amount of money a sports book stands to lose on a game.
• Futures -- Bets made on one day that take place on a later day, maybe months later.
• Getting down -- Placing a bet.
• Handicapper -- A person who studies factors such as statistics, injuries, weather and news to predict the outcome of games.
• Handle -- Total amount of money wagered.
• Hedge -- To reduce amount of action by wagering on the opposite side of a previous bet.
• Hook -- The half point in point spreads; as in 6 1/2, 6 and a hook.
• Juice -- Amount of the commission kept by the house, also called vigorish.
• Lines -- The odds on a game, also referred to as the price.
• Middle -- Betting both sides of a game at different prices with the hope of winning both wagers; for example, if a bettor played Chicago (minus-4) and Los Angeles (plus-6), and Chicago won by 5, the bettor would win both wagers.
• Nickel -- In betting terms, $500.
• Off the board -- A game on which bookmakers are not accepting wagers, generally because of injuries.
• Parlay -- A one-bet ticket written with at least two wagers. All bets must win for the ticket to cash.
• Pick -- A game where neither team is favored, an even game.
• Point spread -- The amount of points that the favorite gives the underdog for betting purposes.
• Push -- A point-spread tie.
• Round robin -- A single ticket comprised of more than one parlay.
• Rundown -- A list of odds on a particular day's games.
• Scamdicapper -- A tout who gives outlandish promises about win percentages and expectations.
• Sharp -- A sophisticated or professional sports bettor.
• Square -- A novice or rookie sports bettor.
• Steam -- When a large amount of money starts to come in on one side of a game and the line moves rapidly.
• Straight bet -- One wager, as opposed to a parlay.
• Sucker bet -- Parlays, teasers or exotics; anything bookmakers use to entice squares to bet more.
• Teaser -- A type of bet where you get to adjust the point spread in your favor.
• Total -- A player bets either over or under the number of points scored in that game.
• Tout -- A person or company that either sells or gives away selections on games.
• Vigorish -- Amount of the commission kept by the house, also called juice.
• Wise guy -- A smart, professional sports bettor, one who plays the "steam" before it becomes "steam."

SOURCE: COVERS.COM