Betting 101
Glossary
Every term this site actually uses, explained plainly with real numbers — not filler. If a page mentions "fair line" or "CLV," it links here.
American vs. Decimal Odds
Two ways to display the same price — American uses plus/minus, decimal shows total payout per $1.
Closing Line Value (CLV)
Whether the price you got was better than the closing line — the sharpest number in betting.
Devig (De-vigging)
The math that strips a book's built-in profit margin out of its odds, leaving the true implied probability.
Expected Value (EV) & Sharp Score
What a bet is worth on average per dollar staked — and our 0–100 rescaling of it, Sharp Score.
Fair Line
The true, no-vig price of a bet — what the odds would be without the book's profit margin built in.
Favorite & Underdog
The favorite is expected to win (negative odds); the underdog is expected to lose (positive odds).
Implied Probability
The win probability baked into a betting price — every odds number is a probability in disguise.
Line Movement & Steam
How a betting line changes from open to close — and "steam," a sudden, sharp move.
Line Shopping
Checking multiple books and betting at whichever offers the best price — the simplest real edge in betting.
Moneyline
The simplest bet — just pick who wins, no point spread involved.
Push
A tie — the bet is graded as neither a win nor a loss, and your stake is simply refunded.
Sharp vs. Square (Public Money)
Sharp money is professional, well-informed action; square (public) money is casual bettors piling onto popular teams.
Vig (Juice / Vigorish)
The cut a sportsbook builds into its odds so it profits regardless of who wins.