One of the hardest things to do when you start betting is understanding the plethora of awkward terms bookmakers and pro bettors use, but reading the football predictions and getting to grips with the guides can be easier than you think. To make things easier for you, check out this glossary so you can get to grips with all the football betting lingo.
Stakes – one of the most frequently used terms. It refers to the amount of money you wager on each game (or how much you stand to lose if you don’t win).
Match bet – the simplest type of football bet. You put a wager on either win, lose, or draw for a particular team or game.
Accumulator – is a type of wager that accumulates a series of bets, hence the name. This is one of the most popular football betting types. However, if you’re a beginner, you should focus your attention on match bets at first.
Handicap – a bet that is offered when a team is a clear favourite. This type of betting was started in Asia and could bring higher profits.
Dog/underdog – as opposed to the handicapped team, this is the team expected to lose.
Half-time/Full-time – a type of bet split into two. Bettors predict the winner of the first half
(first 45 minutes of gameplay), then the whole match winner.
Lock – designates the team that is more likely to win, similar to the handicap term.
Margin – a type of bet in which the bettor selects a team to win or lose by a specific number of points.
Odds-on favourite – another term that is similar to lock or handicap. It designates the team that is most likely to win.
Double chance bets – a type of bet that pays out if the team you chose wins or if the match is a draw.
Scorecast betting – a type of bet in which you wager on a player to score the first goal and predict the correct score of the game.
Wincast betting – similar to scorecast betting, but you predict a certain player to score and the winner of the game.
24-hour rule – this is a rule used by most bookmakers if the game is delayed, postponed, or cancelled. For instance, if the game is set to take place at 5 pm today, but it is postponed to the day after tomorrow, the bet will be cancelled, and you’ll have to bet again. If it is played in the following 24 hours, however, the bet will stand, and you won’t have to bet again.
Draw no bet (DNB) – means that if there is a draw, you get your stake back but no profit. It is not the same as a simple match bet in which you bet your stake on a draw.
Bankroll – the amount of money you have when you start to bet. This should be the amount of money you’re comfortable losing.
Banker – a term used by bookmakers for those bets that are considered a certain win. Most online betting platforms and reputable bookmakers give banker tips to their bettors, so choose your platform wisely when you decide to try your chances.
