Action Betting Term Meaning

When betting on sports, you will hear a variety of terminology and expressions that are specific to this industry. Some of these terms can also have multiple meanings, such as the word ‘action’.

The most common usage of ‘action’ as a betting term is to mean: having a bet, of any kind, on an event. Put simply; you have money on the game or a specific part of it.

It could be that you have backed the match winner, covered the spread, chosen a player-related betting market or any of the other numerous bets available on a match/event.

‘Action’ is often used as part of the idiomatic expressions, ‘get in on the action’ which means: to participate in a plan to make money, and ‘a piece of the action’ with the meaning: a part of the profits from an activity.

Therefore, if someone says, ‘I got action on the Boston Celtics beating Golden State Warriors in the NBA.’ This tells you the person has bet on the Celtics winning. 

From a bookmaker’s perspective, it can use this betting term to highlight popular markets, with a statement such as, ‘We’ve had plenty of action on Tiger Woods winning the Masters.’ Alternatively, the bookie will sometimes close a market due to a ‘lack of action’.

A second meaning for betting term ‘action’ comes from baseball betting. It involves the named pre-match starting pitchers, who as all experienced baseball bettors know are essential in assessing the value of the bookmaker’s odds.

When betting before the game on which team will win, there are a couple of options available to choose from:

The first is ‘Listed Pitchers’. Here you are betting on a side to win but only if the starting pitcher is the same player as that which is listed by the bookmaker. Betting on listed pitchers can be profitable. For instance, Blake Snell of the Tampa Bay Rays had 21 wins in the 2018 season and only 5 losses, so you can see the importance right there.

However, if for some reason, perhaps illness or a warm-up injury, the listed pitcher does not start, the bet is deemed void and you get your stake back in full. So, you have no action in the game.

The second option is an ‘action’ bet. This means you are now betting on the teams regardless of the starting pitchers. There may, in some instances, be a slight variation in the odds but not by much. 

Knowledge of the team’s pitcher rotation is essential. If the listed pitcher doesn’t start, knowing who is the most likely replacement will help to determine if the market has enough value for you to accept the odds the bookmaker is offering for the action bet.