Chalk in sports betting refers to the betting favorite, and more often a heavy favorite.
It can linguistically take many forms:
- "It was a chalky NFL Sunday"
- "You only bet chalk, you coward"
- "The chalk cleaned up in the first round of the NCAA Tournament"
Why Do We Call it Chalk?
The term chalk originates from the days when horse tracks didn't have computerized screens or tickers. They had to write odds on a chalkboard.
Bettors took favorites more often (in that era and today), so those odds got more frequent updates on the board.
Eventually, the horse's name that kept drawing action was covered in chalk dust.
Examples of Chalk Bets
As we've stated, chalk bets are wagers placed by sports bettors on heavy favorites. Chalk bettors are going for the safe choice on paper.
For example, wagering on the No. 1 team in the AFC in an NFL game that it is the favorite would be considered chalk. Another instance of an NFL chalk bet is selecting the team that's projected to win the Super Bowl.
When you create parlays with only chalk bets, you're paying a much higher house edge while not getting as large of a potential payout.
On the flip side, choosing the underdog for straight bets and parlays instead of betting chalk can increase your value.
The NBA in particular is filled with countless examples of underdog teams upsetting favorites. A couple in the last decade include the Trail Blazers over the Nuggets in 2023 (+19.5) and Nets over the Bucks in 2020 (+18.5).
Paying homage to the moniker, Underdog Sports is one of the newest sports betting platforms and is currently available in North Carolina.
The March Madness bracket frequently sees favored teams failing to fulfill moneyline bets and other wagers.
Next in Betting Education 101: Backdoor Cover
