Betting on Over/Under: A Comprehensive Guide
*Hey Sports Bettors!* Alex from the in-the-know crew here, and we're diving headfirst into Over/Unders, or "totals" betting - a fan-favorite and wildly popular way to put your sports knowledge to the test!
This betting style is all about making a prediction on whether the final score, points, runs, or goals will total more (over) or less (under) than the projected number set by the sportsbook. It could be the combined total points scored in a football or basketball game, or it could focus on specific events like the number of corners or yellow cards in soccer, or the number of runs in baseball.
Totals can also be specified for certain segments of the game, like the first half or first quarter, or even for individual players' performance - in football or basketball, for example.
As we navigate through this betting guide, we'll walk you through how totals work, some top tips for spotting the best totals, and provide a few examples of bets to illustrate the mechanics of this form of wagering.
So, you don't step blindly into a bet with pointless predictions, let's get the lowdown on totals!
What is an Over/Under bet?
An Over/Under bet is a wager on whether the combined score will surpass (over) or fall short (under) the projected total number given by the sportsbook. If your gut tells you the game will be high-scoring, go the over route, and if you think it'll be a low-scoring affair, go the under route.
These bets are also known as "total bets," and the key to success lies in calling the points scored correctly, without caring about the team's victory.
Main Sports Categories for Over/Under Betting
An exciting aspect of Over/Unders is that each sports category features various totals configurations. Football might be about over/under "goals," while baseball could be about "runs" and "hits," and basketball about "points."
Here are the most popular sports categories for over/unders at top UK bookies. Let's roll with them, shall we?
1. Football (Soccer)
- Goals, Corners, Red/Yellow Cards, and more, are common options for over/under bets in football.
- For example, a match may have an Over/Under line of 2.5 Goals. Bet the over if you believe there will be three or more goals, and the under if you think there will be two or fewer goals.
2. American Football (NFL)
- Over/Under on Total Points
- Let's say a game has an Over/Under line of 45 Points. Bet the over if you think the combined score will be 46 or higher, and bet the under if you think it will be 44 or lower.
3. Basketball
- Over/Under on Total Points
- An NBA game could have an Over/Under line of 220 Points. You bet the over if you think the total score will be 221 or higher, and bet the under if you think it will be 219 or lower.
4. Baseball
- Over/Under on Total Runs
- Baseball totals could have an Over/Under line of 8.5 Runs. Bet the over if you think the total runs scored will be 9 or more, and bet the under if you think it will be 8 or fewer.
5. Tennis
- Over/Under on Games Played in a match.
- For a three-set tennis match, the total could have an Over/Under line of 22.5 Games. Bet the over if you think 23 or more games will be played, and bet the under if you think 22 or fewer games will be played.
6. Hockey
- Over/Under on Total Goals
- An NHL game may have an Over/Under line of 5.5 Goals. Bet the over if you think 6 or more goals will be scored, and bet the under if you think 5 or fewer goals will be scored.
7. eSports
- Over/Under on Total Kills, Total Rounds Won, or Total Maps Played.
- For example, an Overwatch match may have an Over/Under line of 52.5 Kills for a specific hero. Bet the over if you think more than 53 kills will be made, and bet the under if you think 52 or fewer kills will be made.
Totals can vary greatly depending on the match, team performance, recent trends, and other factors, with bookmakers adjusting lines as needed to balance out the betting action and respond to new information[1][2][5].
An Over/Under bet is a prediction on whether the combined score will exceed (over) or fall short (under) the projected total number given by the sportsbook, independent of the teams' victories. Football totals usually focus on goals, but for basketball, it's about points, while baseball bets often involve runs and hits. American football totals center on total points, and in tennis, the focus is on games played in a match. Hockey totals are about the number of goals scored, and for eSports, totals might be related to the number of kills, rounds won, or maps played.
