Betting Glossary
Last updated: 13 June 2026
This glossary explains common betting terms in plain English. It is designed for readers who want to understand betting markets before reading tips or visiting a bookmaker.
Core Betting Terms
- Odds
- The price offered by a bookmaker for a selection. Odds show how much you could win, but they also imply how likely the market thinks an outcome is.
- Stake
- The amount of money placed on a bet.
- Return
- The total amount paid back if a bet wins, usually including the original stake.
- Accumulator / Acca
- A bet that combines multiple selections. Every selection must win for the accumulator to pay out.
- 1X2
- A three-way match result market. “1” means home win, “X” means draw and “2” means away win.
- BTTS
- Both Teams To Score. A BTTS Yes bet wins if both teams score at least once.
- Over/Under
- A market based on whether the final total is above or below a set number, such as Over 2.5 Goals.
- Double Chance
- A market that covers two of the three 1X2 outcomes, such as home win or draw.
- Draw No Bet
- A market where your stake is usually returned if the match ends in a draw.
- Handicap
- A market that gives one team a virtual advantage or disadvantage before the result is settled.
- Expected Goals (xG)
- A statistical measure estimating the quality of chances created by a team or player.
- Bankroll
- The amount of money set aside for betting. A bankroll should be money you can afford to lose.
- Value
- A selection may be described as value when the available odds appear higher than the estimated chance of the outcome. Value is always uncertain.