Betting 101

Five minutes here will make you a sharper bettor than most people at the sportsbook.

Glossary

Plus odds (e.g. +165)

The underdog. A $100 bet wins $165 profit. Bigger plus number = bigger payout, less likely to hit.

Minus odds (e.g. -110)

The favorite. You must bet $110 to win $100 profit. Bigger minus number = more likely, smaller payout.

Moneyline

The simplest bet: pick which team wins the game. No points involved.

Spread

Points added or removed. Chiefs -3.5 must win by 4+. Raiders +3.5 win the bet if they win or lose by 3 or less.

Total (Over/Under)

Bet whether both teams' combined score goes over or under a number, like 47.5. Who wins doesn't matter.

Edge

How much better Hard Rock's price is than the true odds. +3% edge means you expect $3 profit per $100 bet over many bets — not on every bet.

EV (expected value)

Your average profit per bet if you made it thousands of times. Positive EV (+EV) bets win money long-term; negative EV bets lose it.

Unit

Your standard bet size, usually 1–2% of your bankroll. Betting in units keeps one bad day from wiping you out.

Parlay

Several bets joined into one. Every leg must win. Pays more, but the book's cut stacks on every leg, so most parlays lose.

Vig (the juice)

The sportsbook's built-in cut. Both sides at -110 means you risk $110 to win $100 — that extra $10 is how the book profits.

Closing-line value (CLV)

Did you get a better price than the final price right before the game started? Beating the close regularly is the best early sign your picks are good — long before wins and losses settle out.

True win chance

How often this bet really wins, using the sharpest sportsbook's odds with their cut removed. It's an estimate, not a promise.

Sharp book

A sportsbook like Pinnacle that takes big bets from pros, so its lines are very accurate.

Fair odds

The price with the vig removed. The "true" price.

Push

A tie on the bet. You get your stake back.

ROI

Profit divided by total amount bet. +3% long-term ROI is excellent.

21+. Gambling problem? Call or text 1-800-GAMBLER. Edge Signals is an analytics tool and is not affiliated with Hard Rock Bet.