15 Popular Sportsbook Terms you should know. Learn the meaning of Odds, Moneyline, Handicap, O/U Totals, Parley bets, and more to begin sports betting at W88.
Sports betting is one of the most prominent ways of entertainment in India. If you wish to join in on the fun, there are two important aspects of sports betting you should know. The first one is to join reputable and safe online betting sites like W88 Bharat, and the second aspect is to learn the sports betting terms. In this article, we will help you with the latter by explaining 15 sportsbook terms for beginners with simple examples. These terms are important to understand and once you know them you already know about 70% of information on sports betting online.
1. Betting Odds
The first thing you will notice when you open up any sportsbook are many numbers under the betting options. These numbers are known as betting odds and they help you understand which bet could give you good payouts, more likely to win, etc. There are many odds format that you can find in the sportsbook but the below ones are the most common:
i. Decimal odds:
Decimal odds means that odds are provided in the decimal format. The decimal betting odds is multiplied with the betting stake to provide potential returns on wins. Example: If the betting odds are 2.50 and stake is ₹100, then the payouts would be ₹250 since Betting odds x Stakes = Payouts.
ii. Fractional odds:
These odds are provided in the fractional format in the sportsbook but are less common these days. Example: If the odds are 3/2, and betting stake is ₹100 then you win 3/2 fraction of 100, which is ₹150 profits.
iii. American odds:
Also known as Moneyline odds, these odds are rare in India and used internationally wherein you know how much to wager to get a certain amount in return. Example: If the odds are +150 then you must wager ₹100 to win ₹150 profit if your team wins.
2. Moneyline
The Moneyline betting option are easiest to understand since all you must do is wager to predict which team will win in the sportsbook. Here you get to bet on team 1 win or team 2 win, and if the match allows a draw there is also a third option which is the tie bet.
Example: For Indian vs Pakistan matches, you either bet on India’s win or Pakistan’s win in the sportsbook.
3. Spread / Handicap
Handicap or Spread betting in Sportsbook is just like the moneyline bet except here you get to predict the winner based on alternate results. For handicap bets the favourite team is given a handicap and the underdogs are given a headstart at the beginning of the match. So, when the match results arrive, the handicap scores are calculated to provide alternate results.
Example: If Arsenal is the underdog then they will be given additional scores before the match while Tottenham would get a handicap, so if the Handicap is -2, then Arsenal would get +2 extra scores while Tottenham would get -2 scores at the beginning of the match.
4. Over/Under (O/U)
The next one of the most common sportsbook terms is the Over/Under or O/U betting option. These bets lets you predict the total score of both teams or one team during the half times, sets, or even full time. Moreover, for sports like tennis, boxing, etc. this betting option is provided to predict the total number of sets played between rounds.
Example: Over 170.5 runs in a cricket match means that you must predict that both teams combined runs should be 171 or more. Whereas Under 170.5 would let you predict that the total runs are 170 or less.
5. Parlay / Accumulator
The next one most common sportsbook terms is known as Parley or Accumulator bets which is mostly used by pro bettors in sportsbooks. These bets lets you tie more than one betting option in a single bet to increase the odds. So this bet will only win if all the other bets tied together must win. So, even if one of the bets loses, the whole parlay loses, but if all of them win the payout is much higher than betting separately.
Example: If you bet on India to win in cricket, Barcelona to win in football, and any tennis player to win in tennis all in one parlay, then all three must win for your parlay bet to win in the sportsbook.
6. Prop / Proposition Bet
Proposition bets or Prop bets are another one of the popular sportsbook terms you should know. These are betting options in sportsbook that let you predict events inside the game rather than the final result. These events can be related to player performance, specific match incidents, or smaller milestones that happen during play. They are popular because they make the game more engaging and fun.
Example: Betting on a player to score 50+ runs in cricket or betting on who will score the first goal in a football match.
7. Futures / Outrights
Next on the sportsbook terms list is Futures or Outrights which are long-term betting options where you place bets on a team or player to win a tournament, league, or championship. These bets are made weeks, months, or even years before the actual event concludes. The odds are higher because of the difficulty in predicting far ahead.
Example: Betting on India to win the Cricket World Cup 2027 or betting on Real Madrid to win the La Liga season.
8. Live Betting / In-Play
Live betting or In-play betting is one of the sportsbook terms allows you to place wagers while the match is happening. The odds change constantly depending on what is happening in the game at that exact time. This option is very exciting because you can make predictions based on the live action.
Example: Betting on the next wicket to fall in a cricket match or betting on who will score the next goal in football.
9. Juice / Vig (Vigorish)
Juice or Vig is one of the rare sportsbook terms you will hear as a beginner but you should know about. It is the commission that the sportsbook takes on every bet just like House Edge for Live Casinos. It is built into the odds so that the sportsbook makes money no matter what the outcome of the match is. Bettors should always be aware of the vig since it affects payouts.
Example: In odds of -110 you must risk ₹110 to win ₹100, and the extra ₹10 is the sportsbook’s vig.
10. Push
A Push is one of the sportsbook terms that happens when the match result is exactly equal to the line set by the sportsbook. In this case, the bet neither wins nor loses, and the original stake is refunded. Pushes are common in spread or total bets.
Example: If the handicap given is -3 and the team wins by exactly 3, the bet is a push or void and you get your money back.
11. Line Movement
Line movement refers to the change in betting odds or spreads after they are first released by the sportsbook. These changes happen due to betting activity, injuries, team news, or other updates. Understanding line movement can help bettors spot value before the odds shift too far.
Example: A football team opens as -2.5 favorites, but after heavy betting their line moves to -3.5.
12. Units / Bankroll – Units
Another important sportsbook terms you should know is what Units are. These are a standard way to measure the size of your bets without talking about actual money. Most bettors divide their bankroll into units to manage risk and keep consistent bet sizes. Using units helps track profit and loss more easily.
Example: If your bankroll is ₹1000 and you decide 1 unit is ₹10, then a 2-unit bet means ₹20.
13. ATS (Against The Spread)
ATS stands for “Against The Spread” which means betting on whether a team will cover the spread rather than just winning the game. This is commonly used in sports like football and basketball where spreads are common. Bettors often track team performance ATS to see how often they beat the odds.
Example: If the Lakers are -6.5 and they win by 10 points, then they covered the spread and won ATS.
14. Cash Out
Cash Out is a sportsbook feature that allows bettors to settle their bets before the event is finished. It gives you a chance to lock in some profit if your bet is winning or minimize losses if things are going badly. The amount you get depends on the current live odds.
Example: If you bet on India to win and they are in a strong position halfway through, you can cash out early for guaranteed profit.
15. Bonus / Rollover Requirement
Sportsbooks often give bonuses to attract players, but these bonuses come with rollover requirements. A rollover means you must bet a certain multiple of the bonus amount before you can withdraw winnings. Bettors should always check the terms before using a bonus. This is one of the sportsbook terms that is extremely helpful for beginners.
Example: W88 India offers its members with a 200% up to ₹15,000 welcome bonus on the first deposit, which you must rollover 15 times in the W88 sportsbooks
Conclusion
These were the 15 Sportsbook Terms Explained for beginners with simple examples. It is best for you to understand these terms thoroughly to begin betting on sportsbooks online. So go ahead and join the reputable betting site W88 India to access their easy-to-use sportsbooks and start betting on your favourites today. To learn more about these terms in depth with betting guides and strategies, keep visiting our website.
