Chalkboard lesson · Betting Slang

What is a long shot in sports betting?

The short answer

A team or bet that probably loses but pays a lot when it wins: a big underdog at a long price.

Watch the lesson

Buster Douglas lands a punch on Mike Tyson in Tokyo, 1990, with the headline "37 to 1, +3700. The long shot won." — The Cold Line lesson: what is a long shot?

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

A name nobody expects to win, hanging at a huge plus number. A team at +1200 wins $1,200 on $100 if it pulls it off.

What to remember about Long shot

The definition

A team or bet that probably loses but pays a lot when it wins: a big underdog at a long price.

In plain English

A name nobody expects to win, hanging at a huge plus number. A team at +1200 wins $1,200 on $100 if it pulls it off.

Example in context

Picking a 17% team in a survivor pool is a long shot: most weeks you're out, but if it wins while the favorite loses, half the field goes out and you move way ahead.

Questions about Long shot

What is a long shot in sports betting?: A team or bet that probably loses but pays a lot when it wins: a big underdog at a long price.
What does long shot mean in plain English?: A name nobody expects to win, hanging at a huge plus number. A team at +1200 wins $1,200 on $100 if it pulls it off.
Can you give an example of long shot?: Picking a 17% team in a survivor pool is a long shot: most weeks you're out, but if it wins while the favorite loses, half the field goes out and you move way ahead.

Check yourself

Term quiz

Check yourself: Long shot

0/3 answered

1.A longshot is…

2.A team at +1200 is a longshot. What does $100 win if they pull it off?

3.Why is a huge plus number not automatic value?

Keep learning

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