What is Over and Under in Betting?

Not everyone who bets money on sports likes to bet on the outcome of games. Sometimes, bettors would rather pick the total points scored in a game between two teams, rather than pick the individual teams they think will win a given game.

This is where the over/under in sports betting comes in. This bet only asks the bettor to correctly predict the total number of points that will be scored between the two teams for the entire game. This is also known as a totals bet, and it’s a great way to get a winning bet on a college football game without having to pick the individual winning team.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a high scoring game or a low scoring sports game, you can still get a great betting win with the over under. Let’s take a closer look at what the over under is at sportsbooks and how you can win money betting this way.

The Best Sports Betting Sites with High Odds

If you’re looking for the best sportsbook to place your over under bet, you should check out our site. Our team of experts is constantly scouring the internet for the best sites where sports bettors should place a bet on the over under. We cover all angles of a match, of course, but also help you decide which sportsbooks are good for over under bets depending on many factors.

Most bettors don’t just want great odds. They also want a quick payout and plenty of betting opportunities on outdoor sports, a sporting event such as the Super Bowl and all the major sports that are out there.

Our site presents you with the best sportsbooks where you can place an over under bet, and we encourage bettors to take advantage of the various promotions a sportsbook is running. So, if you want to focus on just the score when placing bets, we’ll present you with the sportsbook that might be best for you.

What is Over/Under Betting?

With over under sports betting, you are only focused on the total number of points between the teams combined in a game. You will be given two choices with this, to place an under bet or an over bet, depending on the betting line that a sportsbook sets.

If you want to wager on the under bet, you will be predicting that the number of points scored will be fewer points than the over under line. If you want to bet on the over, you’ll be wagering that there will be more points scored by the teams than the over under line total number.

Let’s take a look at an example. In a game of Ameircan football, a sportsbook might set the number of points scored at 45.5. In this example, if you wanted to wager on the under bet, you would be predicting that the score between the teams will equal 44 points or fewer. If you want to wager on the over, you’re betting the final combined score between the teams will be 46 or higher.

In this example, you won’t be looking at an individual team’s total number, but rather the combined point total for both teams. So, for example, if the final score was New England 35, Cincinnati 21 in an NFL game, then the final football score would combine to be 56.

This would end up being over the over under line of 45.5 that was set for the game, meaning all the over bets would end up winning money for the bettor who wagered that way on this NFL game.

How Does Over/Under Betting Work with Points Scored?

The over under wager works the same in sports betting no matter which sport you’re betting on. The only difference will be the actual number that is set for the betting total, and what it applies to.

In the earlier example, totals betting on the NFL is higher than, say, European football leagues. In the latter, you will be wagering on whether you believe a team will score fewer or more goals than the certain number the sportsbooks set. And the total goals will certainly be far less than the total points predicted in the NFL like the example above.

In a UFC fight, there are over under bets available, too, but that will have to do with how many rounds the fight will last. In all of these cases, the total bets have to do with whether you believe the wager in question will be more or less than the over under line that was set.

The bet will simply deal with whatever outcomes initially are expected in that particular sport, whether it be football, UFC, ice hockey or the Super Bowl.

How to Read Over/Under Betting Odds?

Odds for the over under are slightly different than other betting lines. There will be separate odds posted for both the over and the under, which will determine how much your bets can win in a given game that involves a given team. In a football match, for example, the American odds for the over under bets might be:

• Over 3.5 (-125)
• Under 3.5 (+130)

In this over under betting example, the sportsbook believes it’s more likely that the over will happen than the under. That’s why there are minus odds for the over and plus odds for the under.

What it means is that if you want to win IRP 100 betting on the over, you would have to be IRP 125. The odds on the under mean if you bet IRP 100 on that, you would win IRP 130 if you were correct.

Minus odds mean you take more of a risk, since you would lose more money on that than the under in this market situation. If you believe there will be more goals scored than the over under line, then you should still place your bet on it, since the odds aren’t too outrageous for this hypothetical match.

If odds are listed as +100, that’s considered what’s called even money. In this instance, you would win back whatever amount you decide to bet on the market. If you bet IRP 50 and win, you’d win IRP 50 back from your bet when the team plays.

What if the Final Score is Exact on the Combined Score?

The example above showed an over under line that had a hypothetical half point. Half points are obviously not something that can happen in a real match or game. They are used by sportsbooks so that there is an exactly outcome of every bet — either a win or a loss.

There are times, though, when the sportsbooks will be OK with using a whole number for the over under line, which could result in the match ending with the exact total as the number of points scored in the game.

Instead, every bet is returned to the player, with no loss. There is no payout of money here, since the final score of the game was exactly the same as the predicted total.

Why Do Totals Change?

Just like any wagering line that’s offered in sports, totals change based on the money that’s being bet on them, and for other reasons. Once a sportsbook sets the initial line on a game, they will monitor how much money is being bet on each side. If a lot of money is coming in on the over and not the under, then they will normally shift the over under line up higher to compensate and vice versa.

This is done to hedge against any information that they may have missed, or if they feel like they have a lot of potential liability on one side versus the other based on the money that is being bet on one side.

Another example of why totals might change is due to an injury or weather. If a major player is predicted or announced to miss a game due to injury, that could affect the final score and, as a result, the totals line. Likewise, if inclement weather is predicted, that could seriously affect the predicted score of a game.

How are Totals Made?

A sportsbook will set the total based on similar information that they use for other wagers. It’s based on past performance, the specific matchup and other factors. The bookmakers will also look at teams that perform better after the half, and the likelihood of whether they might have to deal with overtime. Most totals wagers will include overtime scores in them.

There are also potential opportunities to bet on the over under for the first half or the second half. Keep in mind that this will deal with the total score for that particular half, and not the entire game. This is important to know, as wagering on the different halves can be different than the whole game.

Conclusion

Wagering on the over under is a lot of fun, because you just have to worry about the combined total score of the teams involved in a game or match. You don’t have to try to predict which team might win and how many points or goals they’ll do so by. If you love betting on the over under, check out our site for a full breakdown of all the best operators you can choose to do it with.

And remember, if you think you have a gambling problem, please reach out to the many resources that can help you through it.

Last Updated on 26/12/2022 ago by Devak Mukherjee