Glossary
Betting & bankroll glossary
The vocabulary of tracking your action, defined in plain English. From ROI and EV to vig, variance, and closing line value.
Metrics
ROI (Return on Investment)
Net profit divided by total amount staked — the truest measure of betting performance.
Yield
The betting term for ROI: profit as a percentage of total stakes.
Win Rate
The percentage of bets that win — which, on its own, can be misleading.
Expected Value (EV)
The average result of a bet if you could place it infinitely many times.
Edge
Your advantage over the market — the gap between true odds and the odds offered.
Closing Line Value (CLV)
How your odds compare to the final line — the best predictor of long-term profit.
Break-Even Rate
The win rate you need, at given odds, just to avoid losing money.
Bankroll
Markets
Closing Line
The final odds offered before an event begins.
Vig (Vigorish)
The commission a sportsbook builds into its odds.
Hold
The percentage a sportsbook expects to keep from all money wagered on a market.
Handle
The total amount of money wagered on an event or market.
Implied Probability
The probability of an outcome implied by its odds.
Arbitrage
Betting all outcomes across books to lock in a guaranteed profit.
Bet types
Moneyline
A straight bet on which side wins, priced with American odds.
Point Spread
A margin the favorite must exceed for a bet on them to win.
Totals (Over/Under)
A bet on whether the combined score is over or under a set number.
Parlay
A single bet combining multiple selections — all must win to pay out.
Hedge
Betting the opposite side to lock in profit or cut a potential loss.
Push
A tie against the line — your stake is refunded.
Know your real number.
Be first to turn scattered bets into one honest, finance-grade ledger.
