Knowledge Base
Glossary
Plain-English definitions for the terminology used across Football Compass.
- Accumulator
- A single bet that combines multiple selections; all must win for the bet to pay out.
- Arbitrage Betting
- Placing bets on all possible outcomes of an event across different bookmakers to guarantee a profit regardless of the result.
- Asian Handicap
- A type of bet that gives a virtual advantage or disadvantage to a team, eliminating the draw as an outcome.
- Bankroll Management
- The practice of setting a budget for betting and only risking a small percentage of that budget on each wager.
- Bet Builder
- A tool that allows you to combine multiple markets from the same match into one custom wager.
- Bookmaker Margin (Vig)
- The built‑in commission a bookmaker includes in the odds, ensuring they profit regardless of the result.
- 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 limiting a loss.
- Closing Line
- The final odds offered just before an event starts; beating the closing line indicates a profitable betting decision.
- Correct Score
- A wager that requires you to predict the exact final score of a match.
- Double Chance
- A wager that covers two of the three possible outcomes (home win/draw, away win/draw, or win for either side) in one bet.
- Draw No Bet
- A bet where you pick a team to win; if the match ends in a draw, your stake is refunded.
- Each-Way Bet
- A two‑part wager where half your stake goes on the selection to win and the other half on it placing (usually top 3).
- Edge
- The statistical advantage a bettor has over the bookmaker’s odds, often expressed as a percentage.
- Free Bet
- A no‑cost wager credited by a bookmaker, usually with terms such as a minimum odds requirement.
- Half-Time/Full-Time
- A bet predicting the result at both half‑time and full‑time, such as Home/Home or Draw/Away.
- Hedge Betting
- Placing a second bet on the opposite outcome to reduce risk or secure a guaranteed profit after an initial wager.
- In-Play Betting
- Placing a wager on a match while it is already in progress, with odds that update in real time.
- Kelly Criterion
- A mathematical formula used to determine the optimal size of a bet based on your edge and the odds offered.
- Lay Betting
- Betting against an outcome to happen, typically used on a betting exchange, where you act as the bookmaker.
- Odds
- The numerical representation of the likelihood of an outcome, determining how much you can win relative to your stake.
- Over/Under
- A wager on whether the total number of goals (or other stats) in a match will be higher or lower than a set line.
- Rollover Requirement
- The number of times you must wager a bonus or deposit amount before you can withdraw any winnings derived from it.
- Stake
- The amount of money you wager on a bet.
- Value Bet
- A bet where the odds offered by the bookmaker are higher than the true probability of the outcome, giving you an expected edge.