“Dark horse”

Definition

A team nobody’s backing that quietly goes a lot deeper than anyone expected. Careful though, this isn’t your no-hoper getting battered every game. That’s an underdog. A dark horse is the side flying under the radar with a real chance of going far.

Origin

This one came from the racetrack. In 1800’s England, a “dark horse” was a runner the gamblers knew nothing about, impossible to price and quick to empty your wallet.

Used in a sentence

“Don’t sleep on Morocco. Proper dark horses. Nobody gave them a prayer in 2022 and they only went and reached the semifinals, the first African nation ever to do it. Write them off at your own peril.”