Sports betting has its own terminologies and in this article, we have explained the common betting terminologies in a way that even a complete betting novice can understand them.

Sports betting is on the rise in Nigeria, with a steady increase in the number of active bettors on an annual basis. However, there is still a long way to go when it comes to betting education among Nigerian bettors.

On a basic level, bettors must understand the meaning of betting terminologies in order to successfully place bets and make informed decisions when they place bets.

In this article, we explain the meaning of popular betting terminologies in a way that will be useful for beginners.

1. 1×2

The most common betting market for practically every sport is “1×2,” or the match winner. It is a 3-way market in some sports, including football, which means there are three possible outcomes for the game: 1 for the home team to win, X for a draw, and 2 for the away team to win. However, it is a two-way market in some sports, such as basketball and tennis, which means there is no possibility for the game to end in a draw. It is either 1 for a home win or 2 for an away win.

2. Both teams to score

Both teams to score is a bet on whether or not both sides in a game will score, and this is also known as BTTS for short. In the BTTS market, there are two options, which are yes or no. If you select “Yes,” you are placing a bet that both teams will score in the game. However, selecting “No” implies you are placing a bet on either just one team to score in the game or no goals being scored by either team.

3. Overs/Unders

Overs and unders are applicable across several betting markets. These markets include goals, bookings, and corners.

For goals, you will find options such as “over 1.5,” “over 2.5,” “under 1.5,” “under 2.5,” etc. Over 1.5 goals simply means two goals or more must be scored in the game for your bet to win, while under 1.5 goals means there must be less than two goals in the game for your bet to win. The higher the number, the more goals are required to be scored in the game for the overs market, while there must be fewer than that number for the unders market.This same principle applies to the overs and unders market for bookings and corners.

4. Double Chance

In the double-chance market, you can bet on two outcomes in one market. 1X denotes a win or a draw for the home team, while X2 denotes a win or a draw for the away team. The final option, “12,” indicates that the home or away team will either win, as a draw means you lose your bet.

5. Handicap

The handicap market is one where one of the two sides is artificially given an advantage and the other a disadvantage. In football, for instance, you may give the perceived weak team a 1 to 3 goal lead; the other team would then need to beat the weak team with a difference that is more than the lead in order to win the bet.

6. Asian handicap

Asian handicap betting involves giving the underdogs or favorites a virtual lead or deficit to balance out the outcome of the game. However, Asian handicaps are different since fractional goals are permitted, eliminating the chance of a draw.

7. Draw No Bet (DNB)

This betting line excludes a draw. For instance, if you bet on a home win in a DNB market, your bet is divided in half; the first half is placed on a home win, and the second half is placed on a draw. If the home team wins, you win the bet; if the game is a draw, you receive a partial refund; and if the away team wins, you lose your stake.

8. Win to Nil

This is a market where you bet on a team to win without conceding a goal. There are two options in this market, which are yes or no. For instance, if you bet on the home team to win to nil:yes, this means that the home team must win the game without conceding a goal. If, on the other hand, you bet on the home team to win nil:no, this means that in order for you to win the bet, the home team must either not win without conceding or not win at all.