Sports Betting Glossary — Terms and Definitions

A guide to betting terminology and how it relates to the SockOdds API.

Alternate lines (alt lines)

Non-standard lines or totals at different prices. In the API, altLines keyed by line with includeAltLines=true.

American odds

The odds string format: negative (−110) is how much to risk to win 100; positive (+150) is what 100 wins.

API key

The authentication token, passed as x-api-key or apiKey.

Arbitrage (arb)

Betting all outcomes at different bookmakers to guarantee profit from odds discrepancies. See the arbitrage calculator.

ATS

Against the spread — a team to cover the line.

Bad beat

Losing a bet in an unlikely way after appearing to have won.

betTypeID

The type of bet: ml, sp, ou, yn, eo, pick, topbat, … See bet types.

Book odds

Consensus across bookmakers including juice: bookOdds, bookSpread, bookOverUnder.

Bookmaker ID

The identifier for each book (sportsbet, tab, pinnacle). See bookmakers.

BTTS

Both teams to score — soccer.

Closing line

The final odds before an event starts. Not snapshotted by the feed; the last lastUpdatedAt price before startsAt is the nearest thing.

CLV

Closing line value — the difference between the odds you got and the closing line.

Consensus line

The median price across bookmakers. See consensus odds.

Cover

Beating the line.

Cursor

A pagination token (nextCursor). See data batches.

Decimal odds

Total return per $1 staked including stake — what Australian books quote. Every bookmaker entry carries decimal.

DNB

Draw no bet.

Deeplink

A URL to the event or bet on the bookmaker: links.bookmakers, links.betslip.

EV

Expected value — the average return per bet over the long term.

Fair odds

Consensus with the vig removed: fairOdds, fairSpread, fairOverUnder.

Favourite

The side expected to win (negative American odds).

Fractional odds

UK format, profit relative to stake (10/11).

Futures

Season-long markets; periodID=season where carried.

Handle

Total money wagered on a market.

Head to head (H2H)

Australian term for the moneyline: betTypeID=ml.

Hedge

Betting the opposite side of an existing bet.

Hook

The half-point in a line (−7.5).

Implied probability

1 / decimal. Both sides sum above 100% because of the vig.

Juice / vig

The bookmaker's margin. Both sides at 1.91 imply ~104.7%.

Lane

A separately priced product of a bookmaker (dabble__pickem, mintbet__sgm_only).

League ID

The league identifier (AFL, NRL, RUGBYLEAGUE_NRLW). See leagues.

Line

Australian term for the spread: betTypeID=sp.

Line movement

Changes to odds or lines over time, visible through lastUpdatedAt and retained events.

Live betting (in-play)

Bets after an event starts. Filter with live=true; prices refresh every ~2 minutes.

Middle

Both sides at different lines so both can win.

Multi

Australian term for a parlay.

Moneyline

A bet on the winner; betTypeID=ml.

Notice

The envelope field present when your plan filtered a response.

Object

The pricing unit: one top-level item in a response (an event, a league, a team). Not per market, not per bookmaker.

oddID

{statID}-{statEntityID}-{periodID}-{betTypeID}-{sideID}. See odds.

Opening line

The first price posted. Not snapshotted by the feed.

O/U

Over/under (total): betTypeID=ou.

Parlay

Multiple selections in one bet; all must win. See the parlay builder.

Period ID

game, 1h, 1q, 1i, reg. See periods.

Pick'em

DFS-style over/under on a player stat — Dabble's pick'em lane.

Positive EV

A bet with positive expected return: a book's implied probability below fair.

Props

Bets on specific outcomes within a game; player props have a playerID in the entity slot.

Push

A result exactly on the line; stake returned.

ROI

Return on investment.

SGM

Same-game multi — correlated legs from one event; priced separately in the SGM lanes.

Sharp money

Bets from professionals; sharp books (Pinnacle) and exchanges anchor fairOdds.

sideID

The side of a bet: home, away, over, under, yes, no, draw.

Stale

info.stale: true — no source write for 45 minutes; prices are last-known.

Stat entity ID

Whose stat: home, away, all, or a playerID. See stat entities.

Stat ID

The statistic (points, disposals, tries). See stats.

Steam move

Sudden movement across many books at once.

Total

See O/U.

Underdog

The side expected to lose (positive American odds).