What does PK mean in betting? pick’em and penalty kick explained
Contents:
- Why PK can have two meanings in sports betting
- PK meaning no. 1: pick’em bets in sports and how do PK lines work for picks and other wagers?
- How a PK betting line works
- Why pick’em does not mean even odds
- Pick’em betting example with a simple match-up
- Soccer Terms- PK what does it mean? pick ‘em and Penalty Kick information here!
- PK no. 2: Penalty kicks in soccer betting.
- What is a penalty kick?
- How penalty kicks affect soccer bets
- Common penalty kick betting markets
- Pick’em vs penalty kick
- How PK pick’em lines work across different sports
- PK in American football
- Pick’em markets in basketball
- PK lines in hockey
- Zero-handicap betting in soccer
- How to read PK correctly on a sportsbook
- Frequently Asked Questions
- What does PK mean in betting: Pick’em and Penalty Kick Explained
- Does PK mean Pick’em or Penalty Kick?
- What does PK mean in soccer betting?
- What is a PK betting line?
- Is PK the same as Asian Handicap zero?
- Is PK the same as Draw No Bet?
PK is a common abbreviation found throughout online sports. For the novice bettor, the meanings that PK can have can get very confusing, especially when it comes to the sports themselves. The term PK has two meanings in online sports, the first being the term pick’em, which is used by most of the online sportsbooks in the world, and the second being the penalty kick found in the world of online soccer. The vast array of different terms and their meanings can make things very confusing for the newbie online sports bettor. This is especially true when it comes to online sports, as there are a large number of different terms that are found throughout the various online sports that can be played for money on the internet. As previously mentioned, it doesn’t matter whether you are a complete newbie to online sportsbooks or if you are a complete and utter veteran to the scene, having as much knowledge as possible of the various terms is always going to help give you the very best chance of winning as much money as possible. This is especially true for those who play online sportsbooks and have a vast array of different sports that can be played for real money. The term PK can have two different meanings in sports, and this article is going to be focusing on both of the terms in which PK is used, starting with the term that is used by the majority of online sportsbooks for a zero-point spread in a number of the sports found in online sports, and then we are going to be moving on to the term for PK in online soccer.
Why PK can have two meanings in sports betting
PK has two different meanings because sports betting terminology often overlaps with on-field rules. In most sportsbooks, PK is exclusively a pricing term referring to a Pick’em line.
There are a lot of scenarios in which PK can mean two things in sports betting, depending on the sport and circumstances at hand. In terms of pricing of lines at sportsbooks all across the country for events of American football, basketball, hockey and baseball, PK refers to a Pick’em line. This means that PK denotes the pricing for a spread of 0 points. The end result is that a Pick’em line in sports is a two-way moneyline event, allowing for both sides to be wagered. In many cases for the rules of play of soccer, PK can refer to penalty kick or a type of free kick. For the odds for matches of soccer listed by sportsbooks, PK simply denotes a zero-goal line handicap for a match and is referred to on occasion by commentators for soccer and in the live sports prop markets as penalty kick.
PK meaning no. 1: pick’em bets in sports and how do PK lines work for picks and other wagers?
A pick’em, or a PK line, is a special kind of line where one team is deemed to be even with the opposing team. Therefore, there is no point spread in place. For the most part, almost every line is a line where one team is a favorite and the other is the underdog, with a spread that the favorite must achieve in order to win the bet. But a pick’em or PK line is just a line where the two teams are even. A classic example of a pick’em is a football game where the point spread for both teams is 0. For example, for a match-up between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills, the spread for both teams would read as: Chiefs PK (-110) versus Bills PK (-110). So, in this example, the Chiefs are even with the Bills, as are the Bills with the Chiefs. Therefore, the Chiefs and the Bills are both considered to be favorites, even though there is no point spread in place. People can put down a moneyline bet on both the Chiefs and the Bills in order to win the match-up straight up.
How a PK betting line works
PK Spread Line – Even Handicap Bets. The term PK Line refers to a 2 way moneyline bet. The PK Line is used by oddsmakers at a sportsbook in order to establish a zero-point spread for a particular contest. In other words, the oddsmaker believes that the two competing teams are evenly matched for the particular contest, and no points will be added to or subtracted from either team’s score in order to determine the winner of the contest. The purpose of a point spread is to establish a handicap between two teams for the purpose of making both outcomes of a wager somewhat even. A PK line does away with a handicap, by removing the point spread from the point-spread column, and two moneyline odds for each team will appear instead. Oddsmakers at sportsbooks use a PK line to establish a pick’em moneyline for two competing teams in a contest.
Settling a pick’em bet is straightforward:
- Winning result: If the team you selected wins the game by any margin, your bet is graded as a win.
- Losing result: The chosen team lost the game. The bet then loses.
- Tie/Draw result: A spread that has been set for a tie will result in a push for both teams. This means that the original bet will be returned to the player.
Why pick’em does not mean even odds
Most sportsbooks offer Pick’em wagers at negative odds such as -110 to -120. This allows a 0 wager on a Pick’em match to return a profit of $100. It also gives the sportsbook a built-in house edge, known as the vigorish or “vig” that is taken from wagers placed on sports.
Pick’em betting example with a simple match-up
Below is a hypothetical scenario of a PK line in an NFL game. In this case, we are using the Kansas City Chiefs versus the Buffalo Bills. As both teams are viewed by the sportsbook to be evenly matched, the point spread for this game would be listed as PK (-110) for both teams. The winning, losing, and push scenarios for a $110 bet on the Chiefs are as follows.
Winning result
For example, in the NFL pick’em example, above, a winning result for a bet picked for the Chiefs to win the game would be a final score of something like 24-20 where the Bills played great but the Chiefs were a little better and you win your bet. You would receive your original bet of $110 back plus your profit of $100 for a total return on investment of $210.
Losing result
The teams play the game and in the end, the Bills win 21-17. The Chiefs lose the game outright and thus the PK bet is a loser. The bettor loses his $110 wager.
Push result
A tie at the end of the game means a “push” for all pick’em bets. All of the bet money plus all of the bet profit is returned to the player’s account.
Soccer Terms- PK what does it mean? pick ‘em and Penalty Kick information here!
Soccer pick’em and penalty kick – What does PK mean in the spread? In soccer betting terms, the PK-spread refers to the so-called handicap or advantage which the sportsbook grants to one team in a soccer match. Most often this is a so-called zero or Asian Handicap zero (AH 0). But the term PK is way more common for Draw No Bet (DNB) bets in soccer. This type of bet, for example, for a match between Team A and Team B reads as follows: Team A PK. This means that the sportsbook grants no draw for Team A in the match and thus it is a so-called “advantage bet” for Team A. Now, if Team A wins the match then the bet for Team A of course also wins. But if Team A even loses the match to Team B then the bet also loses. Yet there is an exception from this rule as explained above for the Draw No Bet bets. That means that if the match between the two teams A and B has ended in a draw after the regular 90 minutes then the stake which was put on the Draw No Bet bet for Team A will be completely refunded to the customer.
See also: What do plus and minus mean in betting? Understanding odds and payouts
PK no. 2: Penalty kicks in soccer betting.
PK is also the abbreviation for the Penalty Kick in soccer, referring to the direct shot awarded to the attacking team after the other team has committed a foul within the defending team’s penalty box. The term PK is more often used in match coverage, live tracking, commentating, as well as casual wagering being offered between individuals as opposed to being specifically listed in sportsbooks’ wagers for individual matches.
What is a penalty kick?
So then what is a Penalty Kick? A penalty kick is basically a free kick, taken from the penalty mark, which is 12 yards from the goalpost, and is awarded to the attacking team after the opposing team has committed a foul, whilst playing defense within their own penalty area. The ball is placed on the penalty mark, and the attacking team chooses a player to take the penalty kick. The penalty taker can kick the ball with either foot, and can use any part of his foot to do so. The goalkeeper is the only opposing team’s player who is allowed to move towards the ball as it is being kicked, in an attempt to block the shot.
How penalty kicks affect soccer bets
A goal that was scored by a Penalty Kick is counted the same as any other goal in soccer betting. A goal that is scored by penalty kick in the Match-Winner market, the Over/Under market for Total Games played by both teams in Regular Time, in Extra Time, and in the Anytime Goal-Scorer market is rated exactly the same as it would have been had the goal been scored in Regular Time. The only time when Penalty Kick kicks matter is after full-time (Regular Time and in Extra Time), where only the shoot-out from the end of a Knockout tournament to decide who the winner of that tournament is is rated. These Shoot-outs are rated in match-up specific markets labeled “to advance”.
Common penalty kick betting markets
The most common type of bet for a penalty kick is proposition betting or a prop for short. A prop is a type of wager placed on a unique event created by the sportsbook that will allow the player to bet on something different than standard match results.
- Will a penalty be awarded in the match? (Yes/No)
- Player to score a penalty.
- Method of victory (e.g. Team A to win on penalties).
- Penalty shootout winner or “To Qualify” markets.
Pick’em vs penalty kick
PK comparison table helps to clarify the definition of PK for regular bets as opposed to penalty kicks.
| Feature | PK (Pick’em) | PK (Penalty Kick) |
| Application | Across multiple sports (NFL, NBA, Soccer) | Exclusive to soccer (and some hockey/rugby rules) |
| Definition Type | A pricing term indicating a zero-point spread | An in-game rules term regarding a foul restart |
| Odds Presentation | Found in the main “Spread” or “Handicap” column | Found in specialized “Prop” or “Method of Victory” markets |
| Tie/Draw Result | Results in a “push” (stake fully refunded) | Irrelevant (penalties are individual game events) |
| Alternative Names | Zero Handicap, Asian Handicap zero, Draw No Bet | PEN, Spot Kick |
How PK pick’em lines work across different sports
The way PK line wagers are graded is based on the specific overtime rules for the sport that you are betting. For example, in football (NFL or NCAAF), PK lines are often posted for what appears to be evenly matched games. In most cases, matches are played until one team wins in the extra periods of overtime. But in the rare case of a regular season NFL game ending in a tie at the end of the regular season, a PK spread results in a push.
PK in American football
NFL: Pick’em lines are frequently posted for football for the entire season. Often, late in the regular season, a Pick’em line will be posted for what looks to be a very even match-up between two very evenly matched teams. It is also worth noting that of all of the sports where regular season games are played, the NFL is the only league where the games can end in a tie. So, if you have a PK spread ticket for an NFL game that ends in a tie, the result on that ticket would be a push and all bets on the ticket would be refunded.
Pick’em markets in basketball
A PK in basketball is graded exactly like a two-way moneyline bet. So, you’re betting on a team to win a game. Since basketball goes to overtime until there is a winner, there are no draws, and thus the only way to put a moneyline bet on is a PK spread.
PK lines in hockey
The majority of Professional and Amateur hockey leagues play their games for 60 minutes. For this reason, most hockey wagered will be graded for ‘regulation time’ only. This means if a customer has placed a bet on a PK line for a particular hockey match, and the match goes to overtime, the customer’s wager will be graded as a push and customer’s money will be returned. Customers must ensure they know the policy of the sportsbook that they are wagering at, prior to placing a wager, to confirm that the sportsbook includes overtime and shootouts in the advertised PK line for the particular hockey match that is to be played.
Zero-handicap betting in soccer
PK soccer lines are referred to as zero-handicap or Pick’em lines. Essentially, they become a Draw No Bet (DNB) market where the customer selected to win the match. The stake is returned to the customer in the event of a draw at full time.
See also: What does Spread mean in Betting? Understanding point Spreads and how to bet them
How to read PK correctly on a sportsbook
When reading out sports bets, it is very important to know what PK means. In most cases ‘PK’ is short for ‘pick’em’ and denotes a ‘zero handicap’ bet. Therefore, ‘PK’ is often listed in the main ‘Spread’ or ‘Run Line’ column of odds for a match, right next to the line of odds for the match. There are, however, occasions when ‘PK’ is used in other columns of odds, like in a soccer prop bet. For instance, a prop bet for a soccer match could be ‘Will the match be decided by a PK?’ The term ‘PK’ in this case is short for ‘penalty kick(s)’ and is kicked from within the penalty box after a foul has been called on the defending team.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does PK mean in betting: Pick’em and Penalty Kick Explained
PK in sports betting generally stands for “Pick ‘em” or “pick to win”. This form of betting typically occurs when two evenly matched opponents engage in a contest. When the point spread is set to zero, it’s referred to as “Pick ‘em” or PK for short. In soccer matches, there is also the possibility of a “Penalty Kick” or PK being awarded to a team within a penalty box when a foul is committed. This occurs when a player intentionally trips up an opponent or other form of unnecessary physical contact to interfere with an opponent’s ability to play the ball.
Does PK mean Pick’em or Penalty Kick?
PK stands for Pick’em when it is displayed in conjunction with the point spread and the odds for the match (i.e. (-110) PK). The two teams are then seen to be even or ‘Pick’em’. Penalty Kick (PK) is another term that is used to refer to a Penalty Kick. A Penalty Kick is a type of free kick in a game of soccer awarded to the opposing team after a foul has been committed by another player within the penalty box.
What does PK mean in soccer betting?
In the world of soccer odds, PK is short for Pick. In this type of wager, the selected team is deemed to have a zero handicap. In other words, the selected team is considered to be even money, and if they win the match then the bet will be a winner. If the match is a draw, then the bet will be a push and the stake for that bet will be returned to the customer.
What is a PK betting line?
A PK line is essentially a point spread of 0. This means that when you place a bet on a PK line, you are placing a bet on the outcome of the match with neither team having an advantage of goals. In essence, you are placing a bet on the match with the term for this type of bet being a pick’em or moneyline bet.
Is PK the same as Asian Handicap zero?
A PK line in soccer betting is equal to an Asian Handicap of 0 (AH 0) and a Draw No Bet (DNB) line. A team selected with a PK line will win the bet if they win the match. If the match-up is a draw, then the stake will be returned to the bettor.
Is PK the same as Draw No Bet?
Soccer PK bets are also equivalent to Draw No Bet (DNB) bets and have the same odds and risk. A DNB bet protects the bankroll of the bettor as it will return the original stake in the event of a draw.
