The term 'THEY MAY BE HARD TO BEAT' can be broken down into two crossword solutions: ODDS (4 letters) and LONGODDS (8 letters). ODDS refers to the likelihood of something happening, usually expressed as a ratio or fraction. For example, if the ODDS of winning a lottery are 1 in 10, 000, it means that for every 10, 000 tickets sold, one ticket will win the lottery. LONGODDS, on the other hand, refers to an event that is very unlikely to happen. It is often used to describe a situation where the chances of success are slim. For example, if someone says they have longodds of winning a race, it means that they have very little chance of winning.