Knowledge Base
Glossary
Plain-English definitions for the terminology used across World Cup Hub.
- Accumulator
- Another term for a parlay, where multiple selections are combined into one bet that requires all selections to win.
- American odds
- Odds expressed as a positive or negative number, where a positive figure indicates the profit on a $100 stake and a negative figure shows how much you must wager to win $100.
- Asian Handicap
- A handicap system that eliminates the draw option and gives a fractional or whole goal advantage or disadvantage to each team, popular in Asian markets.
- Bankroll
- The total amount of money you have set aside for betting, used to manage stakes and avoid spending beyond your means.
- Both Teams To Score (BTTS)
- A market where you bet on whether both teams will score at least one goal during the match.
- Cash out
- A feature that lets you settle a bet before the event ends, locking in a profit or minimizing a loss based on the current score.
- Correct score
- A bet that predicts the exact final score of a match, offering higher odds due to its difficulty.
- Decimal odds
- A format that displays the total return per unit wagered, calculated by multiplying the stake by the decimal number.
- Double chance
- A bet that covers two of the three possible outcomes (win, draw, loss) in a single match, increasing your chance of winning.
- Fractional odds
- A traditional UK odds format that shows the profit relative to the stake, expressed as a fraction (e.g., 5/1 means you win five units for each one wagered).
- Futures
- A bet placed on an event that will be decided in the future, such as which team will win the World Cup before the tournament starts.
- Half-time bet
- A wager placed on the outcome of the first half of a match only, with its own set of odds.
- In-play betting
- Placing a bet after the match has started, with odds that update in real time as the game progresses.
- Juice (vig)
- The commission that the sportsbook charges for taking a bet, typically built into the odds so that the total implied probabilities exceed 100%.
- Moneyline
- A bet on which team will win the match outright, with odds expressed as a positive or negative number.
- Odds
- The numerical expression of the likelihood of an outcome, also indicating how much you can win relative to your stake.
- Over/Under
- A wager on whether the total number of goals scored in a match will be higher (over) or lower (under) a line set by the sportsbook.
- Parlay
- A single bet that links two or more individual wagers, all of which must win for the parlay to pay out, offering higher odds but greater risk.
- Payout
- The total amount you receive when a bet wins, including your original stake plus any profit.
- Prop bet
- A side wager on a specific occurrence within a match, like which player scores first or how many yellow cards are given.
- Single bet
- A straightforward wager on a single outcome, as opposed to a multi‑selection bet.
- Spread
- A point handicap set by the oddsmaker to level the playing field, requiring the favorite to win by a certain margin or the underdog to lose by less than that margin.
- Stake
- The amount of money you risk on a single bet.
- Value bet
- A wager where the odds offered by the sportsbook are higher than the true probability of the outcome, suggesting a positive expected value.