Let's dive into the exciting world of sports betting, an arena where luck, skill, strategy, and understanding of the game collide. One of the first steps in becoming a successful sports gambler is familiarizing yourself with the lingo. Whether you're a newcomer looking to place your first bet or a seasoned pro, getting a firm grip on the terminology can elevate your betting game to a whole new level. Here are 50 of the most common terms you'll encounter, all designed to keep you in the know and ahead of the game.

• Against The Spread (ATS): Betting on the outcome of a game taking into account the point spread.
• Arbitrage: Simultaneously placing bets on all possible outcomes of an event at odds that guarantee a profit.
• Backdoor Cover: When a team scores points late in the game to cover the spread unexpectedly.
• Bankroll: The total amount of money a bettor has to place wagers.
• Bookmaker (Bookie): An organization or a person that accepts and pays off bets.
• Chalk: The favored team or player.
• Circled Game: A game where betting limits are lowered, often due to injuries or weather.
• Cover: When a team wins or loses by the necessary number of points to win the bet.
• Dime: A $1000 bet.
• Dog: Short for underdog, the team expected to lose.
• Edge: An advantage. Usually used in reference to the odds or spread.
• Even Money: A bet where the potential winnings are equal to the amount staked.
• Futures Bet: A wager on a game or event that will take place in the future.
• Handicap: The predicted scoring differential between two teams as quoted by a sports book.
• Hedging: Placing bets on the opposite side after you have already placed a wager on one side.
• Juice: Also known as vigorish, the commission taken by the bookmaker.
• Line: The odds or point spread on a game or event.
• Middle: When a line moves, a bettor can try to "middle" a wager and win both sides with minimal risk.
• Money Line: Odds for a game based on $1.00. A "minus" (-) preceding the number indicates the team is a favorite.
• Over/Under: The total number of points expected to be scored in the game by both teams combined.
• Parlay: A single bet that links together two or more wagers; to win the bet, the player must win all the wagers in the parlay.
• Pick 'em: A game where neither team is favored.
• Point Spread: The number of points by which the supposed better team is favored over the underdog.
• Proposition (Prop) Bet: A bet that focuses on the outcome of events within a given game.
• Push: When a result lands on the betting number and all wagers are refunded.
• Sharp: A professional sports gambler who uses vast resources to determine their wagers.
• Square: A casual gambler. The opposite of a sharp.
• Steam: When a line is moving unusually fast. It often happens when many bettors wager on the same side.
• Straight Bet: A single wager on a game or event that will be determined by a point spread, money line or total.
• Teaser: A type of parlay in which the point spread or total of each individual play is adjusted.
• Total: The combined amount of runs, points or goals scored by both teams during the game, including overtime.
• Underdog: The team perceived to be most likely to lose.
• Vigorish (Vig): The commission the bookie earns on losing bets.
• Wager: Another term for bet.
• Yankee: A type of bet consisting of 11 bets involving four selections in different events.
• Action: The amount of money wagered on a specific bet.
• Bad Beat: A loss that appeared to be a win before a late change of events.
• Beard: Someone who places a bet for another person who wishes to remain unknown.
• Buying Points: Paying additional money to move the point spread in a favorable direction.
• Consensus Pick: Derived from the amount wagered on a game, team or player, so as to represent the consensus of the betting public.
• Double Chance: A bet where you win if your team draws or wins.
• Fade: To take the opposite side of another bettor's wager or to accept that bet yourself.
• Grand Salami: Betting on the total number of goals/runs/points scored in all of the games in a specific league on a given day.
• Handle: The total amount of money bet on an event or group of events.
• Limit: The maximum bet taken by a book.
• No Action: A bet in which no money is lost or won and the original bet amount is refunded.
• Off the Board: A game or event that sportsbooks will not allow you to bet on.
• Pleaser: A specialized type of parlay that improves the point spread for the book but pays out more money.
• Scalp: A form of arbitrage where a bettor takes advantage of different spreads offered by different bookmakers to make a profit regardless of the outcome.