Glossary of Football Statistical Terms and Abbreviatons

ATS: Against the point spread
ATT-YDS: Attempts, either rushing or passing, followed by yards
Covers: Teams’ point differential for a game was better than point spread
CMP-ATT: Pass completions followed by passes attempted
Favorite: The team the is projected to win by the posted point spread
FL: Final line – the last posted point spread
FL-INT: Fumbles lost followed by interceptions
FT: Final total – the combined final score of both teams
H-R-T: Home – Road – Tie
Home Dog: The home team is expected to lose by the posted point spread
Home Favourite: The home team is expected to win by the posted point spread
Line: Also known as “spread”, or point spread - a projected point differential in a game
O/U: Over or Under – The projected total points scored in the game
OL: Opening line – The first posted point spread
OT: Opening total – The first posted projected total points scored in the game
O-U-P: Over – Under – Push
Over: Composite score greater than the posted game total
P: Pick em’, or even spread – Projected point differential is zero
PCT: Percentage of passes completed
PF/PA: Points for / points against
PL-YDS: Total plays followed by yards gained
PPG: Points per game
Point Spread: a projected point differential in a game
Push: A composite score or point differential equal to the posted total or spread
Road Dog: The road team is expected to lose by the posted point spread
Road Favourite: The road team is expected to win by the posted point spread
SMART MONEY: Point spread moves by large amounts of wagers on one team/total
Spread: Posted point differential projection between two teams in a given game
SU: Straight up – the outcome without taking into account the point spread
TO/DIFF: Turnovers per game followed by offensive/ defensive differential
Tot. : Total points scored in the game by both teams
Under: Composite scores less than the posted game total
YDS: Yards
YPA: Yards per passing attempt
YPP: Yards per play attempt
YPR: Yards per rushing attempt

NFL Football Betting Glossary

10 Cent Line - The money line difference (10 cents) between what a bettor would lay with the favorite or take back with the underdog; see Dime Line
20 Cent Line - The money line difference (20 cents) between what a bettor would lay with the favorite or take back with the underdog
Across The Board - A method of wagering on a horse to win, place and show
Action - A wager of any kind
Bad Beat - Tough Loss
Beard - Messenger bettor
Buck - $100
Chalk - Favorite
Circled Game - Game where action is limited due to uncertainties about weather, injuries, etc.
Cover - Win by more than the pointspread
Dead Heat - When two horses finish in a tie
Dime - $1000
Dime Line - Slang used to designate the 10 cent money line. The money line difference (10 cents) between what a bettor would lay with the favorite or take back with the underdog; see 10 Cent Line.
Dog - Underdog
Dollar - $100
Edge - Advantage
Even Money - A wager on which neither side lays any odds or vigorish
Exotic Bet - Action other than a straight bet or parlay
Exposure - The amount of money one actually stands to lose on a game or race
Favorite - The contestant in any given contest that is considered the most talented, or has the best chance to win the contest
Firing - Betting a lot. A player who is "firing" is wagering large sums
Futures - Wagers made, or lines/odds posted on an event or outcome taking place some time in the future, e.g. betting during the season on the SuperBowl winner.
Get Down - Make a bet
Halftime Line - A line on only the first half, or only the second half scoring of a football or basketball game
Handicapper - One who studies sports and predicts outcomes
Hedge - Bet the opposite of your original wager in order to reduce the amount of exposure you have on a game
Hook - Half point in pointspreads
Hot Tip - Information the bookmaker is not yet privy to
Juice - Bookmaker's commission, most often refers to the 11 to 10 football bettors lay on straight wagers. Also known as vigorish.
Lay The Points - A wager on a favorite in a pointspread contest
Lay The Price - A wager on a favorite in a moneyline contest
Limit - Maximum bet accepted by the house before the price will be changed
Line - The moneyline, odds, or pointspread of any given contest
Lock - Easy Winner
Longshot - Large underdog
Middle - To win both sides of a game. For example, if you bet the underdog +3 1/2 and the favorite -2 1/2 and the favorite wins by 3, you've middled the book. The book has been middled.
Moneyline - The amount you must bet to win 100 or the amount you win if you bet 100
Off The Board - Game where no bets are being accepted
Over/Under - A bet on whether the combined total of the points/goals scored by the two teams will exceed or be less than a specified number
Overlay - When the odds on a proposition are in favor of the bettor rather than the house
Parlay - A bet with two or more teams where all the teams must win for the bettor to be successful
Past Post - To make a bet after an event has started
Penny Line - A money line that is adjusted in increments of a penny, or one cent at a time
Pick or Pick'em - A game where neither team is favored
Player - Bettor, gambler
Pointspread - The handicap, or head start, which the favorite gives to the underdog for betting purposes
Press - To bet a larger amount than usual
Price - The moneyline odds on the favorite of a given match
Puppy - Underdog
Push - A tie between the bettor and the bookmaker that is the result of the score of an event falling exactly on the pointspread number, or the total points number
Rundown - Line update
Runner - Messenger bettor; see beard
Scratch - Withdraw; cancel
Sharp - Wise guy
Side - To win one side and tie the other. For example, if you lay -2 1/2 and take 3 on the same game and the favorite wins by 3 you have sided the book. The book has been sided.
Side Bet/Side Wager - A wager on a particular team, or side, to win a contest
Soft Line - A wagering line that is not current with the true posted line. A line that has been adjusted or moved as a result of action and does not reflect the true line as posted.
Spread - An abbreviated form of pointspread
Square - An unsophisticated player
Straight Bet - A single wager on a selected side or over/under
Take A Price - A wager on the underdog in a moneyline contest
Take The Points - A wager on the underdog in a pointspread contest
Teaser - A bet on 2 or more teams where the line on each team is adjusted in the favor of the bettor. Like a Parlay, all selections must be correct for the teaser to win
Total - The line on a given contest, representing the combined number of points/goals scored by the two teams; see over/under
Tout Service - A business that sells opinions on sporting events
Underdog - The contestant in any given contest that is considered the least talented, or has the least chance to win the contest
Underlay - When the odds on a proposition are in favor of the house
Value - An overlay
Vigorish - Bookmaker's commission, most often refers to the 11 to 10 football
bettors lay on straight wagers. Also known as juice.

Wise Guy - Established and successful sports bettor

Football Statistical Terms Football Betting Terms

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