Football Betting Glossary
| Updated: November 6, 2025
Bit by bit, wagering on football has become an appealing option for many reasons, the most obvious being that it is not only exhilarating but can also be quite rewarding. In addition, gamblers do not need deep expertise in football betting to enjoy good results, which is undoubtedly good news, especially for total rookies.
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Wagering on football can be a great way to test your knowledge of teams and players while pocketing some winnings. However, one of the most daunting aspects of soccer gambling is the sheer number of terms and phrases that may not make sense, especially if you are a total greenhorn.
Whether you are a recreational bettor or an expert, you should make sure you are familiar with the terms used by football bettors and bookies so you can be confident that your betting session will go off without a hitch.
Bet Types Terminology
Interestingly, most of the jargon and slang used when wagering on soccer relates to the different ways of placing bets. If you are still taking your first steps in football betting, you might be interested to learn that, unlike many other sports, soccer offers gamblers plenty of bet types to choose from. In addition to basic bets, enthusiasts can also use various combined bets that can yield attractive payouts.
- Accumulator Bets– An accumulator bet comprises several selections and pays out only if all individual selections are correct.
- Asian Handicap – A form of soccer betting that originated in Asia, in which the perceived underdog is given additional goals while the perceived favorite has goals deducted. With Asian handicap betting, you cannot bet on a draw. If the match ends in a draw after the handicap is applied, your stake is refunded.
- Banker – A banker is a wager considered a lock.
- Combined Bets – A term used for wagers that contain more than one selection. A prime example is an accumulator or parlay.
- Dime Bet – A soccer bet valued at $1,000.
- Exotic Wagers – A term for non-standard bets, such as proposition bets.
- Forecasts – Wagers on the teams you believe will finish first and second in a competition, in the exact order.
- Future Bets – Wagers placed on events whose outcomes will be decided in the future. For example, betting on the eventual Premier League winner is a future bet.
- Handicap Betting – A form of soccer betting in which a specific number of goals is added to or deducted from each team’s score. Unlike Asian handicap betting, standard handicap betting still lets you wager on a draw.
- Lock – A term for a bet considered almost certain to win.
- Moneyline Bet – A straightforward wager on a single selection: either the team you expect to win or, in some markets, on a draw.
- Over/Under Bet – A bet on whether the total number of goals scored in the match will be over or under a figure set by the bookmaker.
- Parlay Bet – A bet that combines several selections, not necessarily from the same event, and pays out only if every selection is correct.
- Point Spread Betting – The bookmaker allocates a specific number of goals to the underdog and deducts the same number from the favorite. This figure is called the point spread.
- Prop Bets – Another way to refer to proposition bets.
- Proposition Bets – Bets that do not center on the match result. They can involve wagering on the number of corners, the player who will score first or last, the time of the first goal, and so on.
- Special Bets – A term for wagers on events that may not affect the match result. In these bets, you simply predict whether a specific occurrence will or will not happen.
- Totals– A wager on the total number of goals scored during the match. You predict whether the total will be over or under the predetermined line.
- Push – A tied wager in which neither side wins, and stakes are returned.
- Ante Post Betting – Wagers placed before a competition begins.
Odds Terminology
In this section we focus on terms related to odds. You should learn them because odds determine the money you receive from a winning bet. Odds are a key aspect of wagering, not only on football but on any sport. Familiarizing yourself with the following terms will help during your betting sessions.
- Decimal Odds – An odds format expressed as decimals, such as 2.0 or 1.4.
- Even Money – Odds that give you an equal chance to win or lose. Your potential profit equals the amount staked.
- Evens – Another way to refer to even money.
- Fixed Odds – Odds locked in when you place your bet; they remain unchanged for the rest of the event.
- Fractional Odds – An odds format expressed as fractions, such as 1/2 or 2/3.
- Line – A term that refers to the point spread or odds offered on a particular matchup.
- Moneyline Odds – An odds format that shows either how much you can win with a $100 stake or how much you must stake to win $100.
- Odds – Numbers used to calculate the payout from a winning bet. They also help you judge whether a wager offers good value.
- Odds On – Describes odds where the stake required is greater than the profit you stand to win.
- Odds Against – Describes odds where your potential profit exceeds the size of your stake.
- Price – Yet another way of referring to odds.
Bookmakers and Punters Terminology
As you get started with football betting, you should also understand terminology related to bookies and gamblers themselves. Learning these phrases will help during your betting sessions, so keep reading.
- Action – A general term for placing a bet, regardless of type or stake.
- Bettor – Someone who wagers on soccer or any other sport; also called a punter.
- Bookie – Another name for a bookmaker.
- Bookmaker – A person or organization responsible for taking and paying off bets on football or other sporting events.
- Get Down – Another way to describe placing a bet on a soccer match.
- Juice – The commission that bookies charge, also known as vig or vigorish.
- Lay – The action a bookie takes when accepting bets from gamblers.
- Over-round – Another term for the bookmaker’s built-in profit margin.
- Return – The amount of money paid out after a successful bet.
- Stake – The amount of money you decide to wager on a specific event.
- Underdog – The team expected to lose the match.
- Favorite – The team expected to win.
- Bankroll – The total amount of money you have set aside for gambling.
- Chalk – Another term for the favorite.
- Edge – A circumstance that puts someone in a more favorable position.
- Payout – The amount of money you receive after a winning bet.
- Void Bets – If a bet is void, your stake is returned.
- Tipsters – People who offer advice about the most probable outcomes of matches.