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Chalkboard lesson · Betting Slang

What is a backdoor cover in sports betting?

The short answer

Covering the spread with a late, often meaningless score.

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Chalkboard lesson explaining Backdoor Cover with a worked Backdoor Cover example.Play the Backdoor Cover video

Betting slang explained

Knowing the language is step one — knowing the true price is the edge. The Cold Line’s signal desk tracks the no-vig fair number and the closing-line value behind terms like this, before the market moves.

In plain English

Game's basically over but a late touchdown makes the underdog cover. Painful!

What to remember about Backdoor Cover

The definition

Covering the spread with a late, often meaningless score.

In plain English

Game's basically over but a late touchdown makes the underdog cover. Painful!

Example in context

Bills down 35-14 score twice in garbage time to lose 35-28. Bills +10 covers.

Check yourself

Term quiz

Check yourself: Backdoor cover

0/3 answered

1.A backdoor cover is…

2.Philadelphia closed −3.5 and led 27–26 when a blocked field goal was returned as time expired for a 33–26 final. What happened?

3.The same play can be described two ways. How?

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Put the concept to work

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