Unit
What does "unit" mean in sports betting?
A unit is a fixed slice of your bankroll, commonly 1% to 2%, used to size every bet so stakes stay consistent.
Sizing in units instead of dollars keeps one bad day from doing real damage and makes results comparable over time. A standard play is 1 unit, and a stronger play might be 2, but never ten.
Reset the unit on a schedule, such as monthly, rather than after every win or loss. When the bankroll shrinks, the unit shrinks with it.
Example
With a $500 bankroll and a 2% unit, one unit is $10. A two-unit play is $20. Going 20-15 at -110 on one-unit plays is +3.2 units, or about $32.
Related terms
Vig (juice)
The vig, also called juice or the hold, is the commission a sportsbook builds into its prices so it profits no matter which side wins.
Parlay
A parlay combines two or more bets into one ticket. Every leg has to win, and the payout is the odds of each leg multiplied together.
Expected value (EV)
Expected value (EV) is the average amount a bet would win or lose per play if you could make it many times. Positive EV (+EV) means the price is better than the true chance.
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