How to make bet slip graphics for your picks
A plain text pick like "Celtics -3.5 (-110) 1u" works, but it disappears in a busy feed. A clean graphic with your brand on it is easier to read, easier to recognize, and harder for someone else to pass off as their own.
This guide covers what to put on a pick graphic, how to lay it out, which tools to use, and the mistakes that make a graphic look untrustworthy.
What goes on a pick graphic
Every graphic should answer the questions a buyer asks before tailing. Keep it to these fields:
| Field | Example | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Your brand | Your name or logo, top corner | People know whose pick it is when it gets shared |
| League and game | NBA · Celtics vs Knicks | Removes any doubt about which game |
| The pick | Celtics -3.5 | The one thing people came for |
| Odds | -110 | Shows the price you took, so members know if it moved |
| Units | 1u | Tells people how confident you are, on your fixed scale |
| Time posted | Posted 1:40 PM ET | Proves the pick went out before the game |
| Free or VIP | FREE PICK | Keeps free and paid picks clearly apart |
Leave out anything else. A short note on why you like the pick belongs in the post text, not on the image.
Layout that reads on a phone
Most people see your graphic on a phone, often as a small preview in the feed. Design for that.
- One pick per graphic. If you have five picks, post five graphics or one clearly separated card. A wall of twelve lines is unreadable at feed size.
- The pick is the biggest text. Team and line first, odds and units second, everything else small.
- High contrast. Light text on a dark background, or dark on light. Avoid text over busy photos.
- Same template every time. Same colors, same font, same position for each field. After a few weeks people recognize your card before they read the name.
- Leave margins. Platforms crop previews differently. Keep the important text away from the edges.
- Use your own design. Don't put sportsbook logos or team logos on the card. Team names in plain text are enough and avoid trademark questions.
Tools you can use
You don't need design software. Pick the option that matches how often you post.
- A free card maker. Our free pick card maker turns a pick into a clean, branded image. Good if you want a consistent card without building a template yourself.
- A general design app. Canva, Figma and similar tools let you build your own template once and then change the text for each pick. More control, but more steps per pick.
- Slides or a spreadsheet. Some sellers build a template in Google Slides or Keynote and export a PNG. It works, though it's slow for a full slate.
- Posting software that makes the card for you. If you post every day to several places, a tool that builds the card from your pick entry saves the most time.
Whichever you choose, save the template so every card looks the same.
Results graphics
A pick card is half the job. Results graphics are what build trust over time.
- Use the same template with a result added: WIN, LOSS, PUSH or VOID, plus units won or lost.
- Post losses the same way you post wins. Same size, same channel, same timing. If losing cards are smaller or missing, people notice.
- Make a daily or weekly summary card. Record for the day, units, and a link to your full record in your bio.
Don't use flashing graphics, "ANOTHER WIN" banners, or piles of emoji. They make the card harder to read and they look like the accounts buyers already distrust.
Alt text
On X, Bluesky and most other platforms you can add a text description to an image. Write what's on the card in one line, for example: "Pick card: Celtics -3.5, -110, 1 unit, posted 1:40 PM ET." The W3C's guidance is that an image carrying information should have a text alternative giving that same information (W3C: Images tutorial). It helps screen-reader users, and it means the pick is still readable if the image fails to load.
Avoid the duplicate-post problem on X
Pick posts look alike. If you post the same text from more than one account, X treats it as spam: its automation rules say you may not post duplicative or substantially similar posts on one account or across accounts you operate (X: Automation rules, read via search excerpt). A branded card with your own line of text above it helps each post look like yours. Run one account per brand.
Also keep sportsbook promo codes and affiliate links off your cards and posts on X. Since February 13, 2026, X's Paid Partnerships policy lists gambling as prohibited for organic paid partnerships, according to industry coverage (Gambling Insider). More on that in our guide to posting picks to X.
Common mistakes
- No time posted. Without it, nobody can tell the pick went out before the game.
- No odds. "Celtics -3.5" without a price hides what you actually took.
- Editing a card after the game. If you fix a typo, say so in a reply. Quietly swapping the image looks like changing the pick.
- Earnings claims on the card. "Turn $100 into $1,000" invites trouble and drives off careful buyers. Stick to units.
- Different templates every week. People stop recognizing your posts.
Let the card build itself
If you'd rather not make a graphic for every pick, SlipRelay is one option. It's posting software for pick sellers. It doesn't sell picks, take bets, or touch your subscribers or payments. You enter a pick once and it posts a branded card to X, Discord (free and VIP channels) and Bluesky, then posts the result when the game ends. Spreads, moneylines and totals grade themselves in the NFL, college football, NBA, WNBA, men's college basketball, MLB and NHL. Props, parlays, soccer and UFC are graded by hand. Plans start at $24/month with a free week. The card maker is free.
Sources
- W3C Web Accessibility Initiative: Images tutorial
- X: Automation rules (read via search excerpts; direct access blocked)
- Gambling Insider: X policy prohibits paid gambling partnerships
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