Definition of OTB

What does the term "OTB" mean in the world of sports betting? What is the definition of the term "OTB"?

In sports betting, OTB is short for "off the board".

When an event is said to be "off the board", that means that the sports book is not currently accepting bets on the event.

In most cases, an event is "off the board" for one of two reasons:

1) The opening line hasn't been released as of yet

2) Something has happened that has dramatically altered the potential outcome of the event and the sports book needs to put out a fresh line





For instance - let's say that the New England Patriots are playing host to the Pittsburgh Steelers in a key regular season game. The Patriots open as 5.5 favourites.

During practice that week, Tom Brady strains his hamstring and is declared out for the game. Tom Brady missing the game will obviously dramatically change the potential outcome of the game - in fact, the Steelers will likely now be favourites, as Brady is an extremely important player.

In this case, the line for the Steelers/Patriots game will be "off the board" until the sports book can release a new line.

In other cases, a game is off the board because the sports book simply hasn't posted the line as of yet.

For instance, if the NFC Championship comes to a close and the Super Bowl match-up is set, the line will be "off the board" until the sports book can figure out where the opening line should be set at.

If you are reading this, there is a good chance that something has taken place that has forced your favourite sports book to pull the old line, such as an injury to a key player.