Betting Glossary: 20 Terms You Must Know Before Your First Bet 2026

Odds show how much you win relative to your stake — decimal odds of 2.00 double your money if the bet wins.

The favorite is the side expected to win with lower odds; the underdog is expected to lose and pays more.

A moneyline pick backs the outright winner with no handicap — team A, team B, or the draw where offered.

The spread adds virtual goals to level teams: a -1.5 favorite must win by two or more goals.

A handicap with no draws — stakes split across quarter lines or refunded on a half-line push, cutting risk.

You bet the total goals or points stay Over or Under a line, for example Over 2.5 goals.

A yes/no bet on whether each team scores at least once, regardless of the final result.

You pick a winner and get your stake back if the match ends level — lower odds, lower risk.

One bet combining several selections — every leg must win and the odds multiply for a bigger payout.

Settle a bet before the event ends for an offered amount — lock a profit or cut a loss mid-game.

The amount of money you risk on a single bet.

The total money you set aside for betting — never use funds you need for living costs.

A bet where true probability is higher than the odds imply — positive expected value over time.

Betting while the event runs, with odds that move every second — see our live betting guide.

How many times you must bet bonus funds before withdrawing them — for example 5x the bonus.

A token that stakes for you — if it wins you keep the profit, if it loses you lose nothing.

A signup code entered at registration to unlock bonuses such as deposit matches.

Predicting the exact final score, for example 2-1 — high odds because it is hard to call.

A bet on the result at both half time and full time with separate outcomes like home/away.

Placing a bet on the opposite outcome after odds move to guarantee profit or limit the loss.