Knowledge Base
Glossary
Plain-English definitions for the terminology used across Coach's Corner.
- Arbitrage
- Arbitrage, or arbing, exploits differing odds across bookmakers to guarantee a risk‑free profit.
- Asian Handicap
- An Asian handicap splits the handicap into two half-goal or quarter-goal lines, reducing the chance of a draw outcome.
- Bankroll
- Your bankroll is the total money you have set aside for betting.
- Bet builder
- A bet builder lets you combine several markets from the same match into a single custom wager.
- Betting exchange
- A betting exchange is a platform where bettors can back or lay outcomes directly against each other.
- Cash out
- Cash out allows you to settle a bet before the event ends, locking in a profit or limiting a loss.
- Double chance
- Double chance lets you cover two of the three possible match results in one wager, lowering your risk.
- Dutching
- Dutching distributes your stake across multiple outcomes so you lock in a profit regardless of which one wins.
- Futures
- Futures are bets placed on outcomes that will be decided far in the future, like who wins the tournament.
- Half-time/full-time
- Half-time/full-time asks you to predict both the result at half-time and the final result of the match.
- Handicap
- A handicap gives one team a virtual advantage or disadvantage to level the playing field for betting purposes.
- In-play betting
- In-play betting lets you place bets on a match after it has already started, with odds that update as the game unfolds.
- Kelly Criterion
- The Kelly Criterion is a formula that calculates the optimal size of a bet based on your perceived edge.
- Lay bet
- A lay bet is a wager that a specific outcome will not happen, essentially acting as the bookmaker on an exchange.
- Moneyline
- A moneyline bet is a straight wager on which team will win the match, regardless of the score margin.
- Odds
- Odds indicate how likely an outcome is to happen and how much you can win if your bet wins.
- Over/Under
- An over/under bet predicts whether the total number of goals in a match will be higher or lower than a set number.
- Parlay
- A parlay combines two or more selections into a single bet; all picks must win for you to receive a payout.
- Payout
- A payout is the total amount you receive when a bet wins, including your original stake.
- Prop bet
- A prop bet focuses on a specific event within a match, such as which player scores first.
- Spread
- The spread is a points margin that the favorite must cover for a bet on them to win.
- Stake
- The stake is the amount of money you risk on a bet.
- Unit
- A unit is a standard portion of your bankroll used to size bets consistently.
- Value bet
- A value bet occurs when the odds a sportsbook offers are higher than the true probability of the outcome.
- Vig
- The vig, also called juice, is the commission a sportsbook charges for taking your bet.