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Watch and Learn: Must Know Sports Gambling Phrases

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Watch and Learn: Must Know Sports Gambling Phrases

Know the Sports Gambling Lingo

Sports Illustrated's Gambling 101 is a great guide for sports gamblers of all experience levels. Whether you are a seasoned veteran or rookie gambler, the SI Gambling 101 series aims to make you a better bettor. Read the full list of terms here. 

Here are 5 of the most commonly used terms for sports gambling:

It all starts with the book- this is short for bookmaker or sportsbook that posts odds and accepts bets...

 It's also important to know who the favorite is when making a bet- we refer to this as the Chalk.

For example Los Angeles is the chalk side if the Lakers are a -3 point favorite over the Houston Rockets.

Cover is any bet where a favorite wins and the final score exceeds the point spread.

New England winning 32-21 over Miami means the Patriots would cover a -10 point spread. If the Pats win 29-21 they don’t cover the spread and bets are graded as losing wagers.

Odds are the betting lines set by a bookmaker on a variety of events.

Push is when a wager has resulted in a tie. Nothing loss but unfortunately nothing gained.

Check out these other great articles from our Gambling 101 Series:

What is the Moneyline

What is a Parlay

What is a Point Spread

What is a Teaser

Ready to make a bet? Check out some of the prop bets for the upcoming NFL Season.

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