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What Does it mean? Doc's Sports How-To Sports Betting Library

Be sure to read our Sports Betting Terms Explained.

Kentucky Derby Winner Mine That Bird.


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

In horse racing, when you buy the rack you buy every possible combination of a daily double or similar bet. A daily double is when you have to pick the winners of two races in a row - typically the first two races of the day. So, if there were eight horses in each of the first two races of a card, then to buy the rack you would buy 64 different combinations of bets.

Nick Lodolo Cincinnati Reds


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

I'm sure we've all been in a situation before where we stare at the list of games and think to ourselves "if only I could hit a nice 10 team parlay". Now, depending on the odds of the games you selected or the amount of money actually wagered on the parlay, this bet won't necessarily make you "rich" but it could offer up a very nice four or five-digit return. The problem with hitting a parlay that size is that it's damn near impossible to do.

miner


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

This may be the most scientific part of the sports betting industry and most bettors don't know that this is a thing even that exists. Most bettors continuously look forward and only bet on the upcoming games with very little regard with any prior happenings. The smart bettors know that looking at past games can prove profitable forfuture betting opportunities. This is called "data mining" and while it may not be an easy process, it is important to do every now and then.

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Justin Verlander


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

In today's world, online shopping is all the rave. Sites like eBay and Amazon have taken the world by storm and people do whatever they can to avoid setting foot in a retail store. Unfortunately, there will be times where you receive your order and it's completely wrong or it looks nothing like you saw in the picture. Thankfully, you have the ability to get your money back and try again. To put that situation into sports betting context, let's talk about baseball. Baseball offers a unique bet called "listed pitchers" where your bet only goes live if the listed pitchers start the game. If not, just like Amazon, you will get a refund.

nickel


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

It today's world, the English language has taken a back seat to slang. Whether it be on social media, instant messaging platforms, through text or email, every body is using some sort of slang which saves them the slightest bit of time and makes them sound like a goof. In sports betting, it is no different. There is a short form for pretty much anything you can think of including the currency used to place a bet.

sportsbook


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

Don't over think this one. A wager is just a slightly fancier way of saying the word bet. Nothing more, nothing less. When you wager on something, you are always risking a certain amount of money - or anything else for that matter (i.e. case of beer) - on the outcome of an game or event that hasn't yet happened.

Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

If you're looking for a get-rich quick scheme, you are most certainly reading the wrong article. Betting favorites is not for those who lack patience and enjoy slowly building their bankroll. While betting favorites may ensure a very high winning percentage, the return on your investments will be laughable. Not to mention, betting favorites on the money line makes bankroll management a daunting task since one or two losses in a row could see you lose hundreds of dollars in a short period of time. However, if you are still inclined to bet on the favorites, this article will help you understand what you are getting yourself into.

Equal Sign


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

There are two absolute guarantees in life and while we all know the first one, taxes are probably the one we complain about the most. Everything has a tax (depending your state) and unfortunately there is nothing really that can be done about it. In the sports betting industry, there is a form of tax sportsbooks use called "juice" or "vig". This is to ensure that the sportsbooks turn a profit regardless of the outcome of a particular game. However, sometimes the sportsbooks feel generous enough to offer up a "tax-free" line. This line is known as "even money" and offers up a chance to double your money - no questions asked.

bank teller


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

It doesn't matter whether you are a novice bettor just learning the ropes or a serious bettor who has been in the industry for 20+ years, losing a bet by half a point is the most frustrating way to lose. Depending who you talk to, some say that if your bet loses by half a point, it is the bettors fault for not buying points and moving the line. By buying points, you are helping yourself get the best number possible, especially when you are moving the line through key numbers in football or basketball. Doing this can turn a push or loss into a win more often than you can imagine.

upward arrow


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

To understand what the over is in sports betting we first need to understand totals betting, otherwise commonly known as the over/under. In the most common form of totals betting the linemaker will set a total for the number of points he thinks the two teams in a game will combine to score. You can bet totals in any of the major teams sports in North America. Once you know what the total is for a given game then your job is easy - you have to determine whether the two teams are likely to score more points than the total, or fewer points.

nfl odds


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

Nothing in this world is free. Everything we want costs money to get and now days the actual value of money has decreased which in turn has made products more expensive. Sometimes it's so dramatic that the comparison between today and your parents/grandparent's younger days is unbelievable. We've all heard the famous line (some of you reading this may even tell your kids this from time to time) "back in my day, we could get a pop and a bag of chips for .10 cents". In today's world, .10 cent candies cost more than .10 cents.

Jockey Edgar Prado.


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

To understand what an exacta box is, we have to start by understanding an exacta. That is an exotic bet in which you have to pick the horses that will finish first and second in a race. To win you have to also correctly pick the order in which they will finish. It's one of the simpler exotic bets available to bettors.

chalk board


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

It today's world, the English language has taken a back seat to slang. Whether it be on social media, instant messaging platforms, through text or email, every body is using some sort of slang which saves them the slightest bit of time and makes them sound like a goof. In sports betting, it is no different. There is a short form or synonym for just about any topic you can think of. Sometimes it makes sense and sometimes, like in this article, it really doesn't.

sports betting screen


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

If you hear someone use the phrase "off the board" when discussing sports betting, they are referring to a game or event where the sportsbooks refuse to take any bets. Since many sportsbooks operate under their own set of rules and guidelines, they can take any game or event off the board without a moments notice. As soon as they hear rumblings about certain circumstances that could affect the outcome, they protect their bottom line and pull the game until they know the exact details of what's going on.

arrow


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

It doesn't matter whether you are a novice bettor just learning the ropes or a serious bettor who has been in the industry for 20+ years, losing a bet by half a point is the most frustrating way to lose. Depending who you talk to, some say that if your bet loses by half a point, it is the bettors fault for not buying points and moving the line. By buying points, you are helping yourself get the best number possible, especially when you are moving the line through key numbers in football or basketball. Doing this can turn a push or loss into a win more often than you can imagine.

outlaw


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

If you are reading this to find out what an outlaw line is then you certainly have never been able to bet one. Don't worry - most people haven't. An outlaw line is the earliest available line in sports betting. Linemakers will release it to a select group of sharp bettors that they know and respect before they make the line available to the public. By giving these bettors a sneak peek - and a chance to bet the line early on - the linemakers can be sure that the line they eventually release to the public is as strong as it can be.

Sportsbook Screen


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

Before we had the options of wagering on future bets, parlays, teasers, alternative lines, Asian lines, prop bets and each-way, there was one betting option that reigned supreme. It was the money line bet. From a non-gambling perspective, winning a game in any sports will make a team happy. However, depending on the score, that win may not please bettors. That's because the point spread betting option has taken over as the popular option, leaving the money line far behind. If you are the kind of person who bets on your favorite team each and every game, this is the bet for you.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

Sports betting has grown exponentially over the last 15-20 years with more betting options available now than ever before. I believe that the amount of information available and how easily accessible that information is has a lot to do the boom in sports betting. While the serious bettors still prefer the simple/straightforward kind of bets - money line, point spread, totals - the general public has grown fond of the prop bet opportunities. Prop bets offer up a quick win or loss which feeds right into society's terrible attention span. These bets are also known as exotic bets, which means they are bets that bettors wouldn't ordinarily think to make.

hundred dollar bill


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

It today's world, the English language has taken a back seat to slang. Whether it be on social media, instant messaging platforms, through text or email, every body is using some sort of slang which saves them the slightest bit of time and makes them sound like a goof. In sports betting, it is no different. There is a short form for pretty much anything you can think of including the currency used to place a bet.

Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers.


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

Have you ever found yourself stuck in the middle of two bickering friends, both of whom have a completely different side of story? If you have, I'm sorry, but the right or wrong, fact or fiction details of the problem is usually a grey area and it's up to you to figure out who to believe. In sports betting, there are two sides to every game and it's very easy to determine who the favorite and underdogs is. Generally speaking, favorites and underdogs are separated by a few things like the rosters, current form or home/road splits. In some cases, underdogs can reach "longshot" status over a number of different things.

dice man


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

In my experience betting on sports, not once have I heard someone say that betting on sports is easy. Sure, everyone has their hot streaks where no matter who they bet or what sport they are focused on, they do nothing but cash tickets and let everyone know how hot they are. But with every good streak comes a bad streak.

picture of a sportsbook


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

If you've ever talked with a mechanic and listened to them rhyme off a bunch of car parts, car part functions or car details you know absolutely nothing about, the chances of you actually retaining the information they are giving you is slim to none. You are likely standing their cold-faced, nodding in agreement to pretty much anything they say. The same can be said when a novice better is being given the rundown of the action available for wagering on any given day. They may understand bits and pieces but the amount of info they actually retain is limited.

robin bird


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

I am probably just speaking from experience, but I can also guarantee you that I am not alone in saying the worst feeling in sports betting is losing a massive parlay by one team. That losing team is usually the last team you put in and are just not quite sure about them, but you do it anyways for the potential of a nice juicy payout. If only there was a way to cash in on all the hard work and research that went into picking the other five winning teams. This is a prime example of when you need to know about the round robin bet and how to place one so that your time and effort doesn't go unrewarded.

circle chalk


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

We've all been in a situation before where we've debated with ourselves whether or not we should bet a specific game. The reasons for doing so could range from the uncertainty of a key players health, a travel delay, the weather in an outdoor game or perhaps even the absence of a coach.

sports betting lines


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

We've all been in a situation before where we tried to buy something but the price just wasn't right. There are always two options when facing this issue and they are walking away and finding a lower price somewhere else, or trying to negotiate a bit on the price if possible. In a negotiation, the first person who says a number generally loses. The opening number is always the starting point and you can almost always determine whether or not it will go lower or higher based on what that initial number is. It is no different in sports betting, even if you can't negotiate on the opening number.

sports betting


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

Who could forget the moment right after the Boston Celtics won their 17th NBA Championship when Kevin Garnett dropped one of the most famous lines during a live interview that I can remember in quite some time. The big 6-foot 9-inch power forward was overcome with emotion and caught everyone by surprise when he shouted "anything is possible" three times in a row. That statement couldn't be more accurate.

open hands


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

There are very few things in this world worse than making plans with someone, getting excited about going out and then having them cancel on you at the last possible minute. This happens to everyone and in sports betting the same thing happens but in a different context. Imagine this - you get the rundown of the night's action and find a game that really sticks out to you. You dig a little deeper and start loving the opportunity. You can't contain your excitement and place your bet. You get yourself ready to watch the action unfold only to find out its raining and the game just got cancelled and moved to tomorrow. Your bet is now graded "no action" and you have no idea what that even means. Talk about a major disappointment.

money bags


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

The sports betting term "sharp" is more than just a word to describe a person who refers to themselves as a professional bettor. It is what all rookie bettors aspire to become and it's a sort of philosophy of betting that rookie bettors try to incorporate into their betting mentality. People who are considered "sharps" are typically ghosts in the sense that they make their plays without attracting any attention to themselves.

hot twins


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

In today's world, convenience is king. Being able to do something without having to exert any extra time or energy is how most millennials live their life. However, being a successful handicapper is far from convenient. The amount of time and energy all great handicappers put can't be measured because it never stops. They are always looking for their next move and always looking for the right opportunity to maximize their profit. The "double action" betting option offers some semblance of convenience. This is a great bet if you know you are going to be away from the sportsbook or computer for a time period and can't get your bets in.

hound dog


by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

Sometimes people are lazy. The term "dog" in sports betting is for people who don't want to spend the time and effort required to say the entire word underdog. If you really want to change things up, an underdog can also be referred to as a puppy. Simply, the underdog is the team or individual that is determined - first by linemakers and then by the betting public - to be less likely to win a game.

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