Over Under Betting Guide – Totals Explained
Welcome to our complete guide to over under betting. This type of line enables bettors to wager on whether a total in a sports event will be over or under a certain stated amount.
We’re going to explain exactly how this type of bet works and how it applies to different sports.
What is Over Under in Betting?
Let’s start off by exploring the over under meaning. With this type of bet, a total is stated, based around some kind of sporting statistic.
Sports bettors can then wager on whether the result will be over or under that amount.
It’s one of the pillars of prop betting and can be implied to the statistics of an individual player, a team, or the games as a hole.
We’re going to give you an over/under bet example below, that will show you exactly how this type of wager works.
How Does Over Under Work?
To keep things simple, let’s give you an example from hockey, which is one of the most low-scoring sports around.
The game is between the Buffalo Sabres and Columbus Blue Jackets. We are looking at the totals market, which is based upon the combined score of the two teams.
As you can see, oddsmakers set the line at 6.5. We are betting on whether there will be over 6.5 goals in this hockey game, or under 6.5 goals.
So, if there is a total of six goals or less, then unders will be the winner. Should the Sabres and Blue Jackets collectively score more than seven goals or more, then over 6.5 goals wins.
That’s essentially over under explained. It can be adapted for different sports and statistics, but the core premise remains the same.
A number for a sporting stat is stated and you bet on whether the total will be over or under that amount.
How to Read Over Under Odds
We can use the example above to examine over/under odds. Here what the betting odds for this totals market looks like.
- Over 6.5: +112
- Under 6.5: -128
We can see that under 6.5 goals is the favorite at -128. A minus sign before the figure always indicates a favorite.
The figure shows how much you have to bet to win $100. In this instance you need to place a $128 bet to potentially win $100.
Over 6.5 goals is the underdog at +112. A plus sign before the odds, indicates an underdog.
The figure shows how much you could win from a $100 bet. So in this instance, a $100 bet would potentially see you win $112. Hopefully you are now understanding over under odds.
As is the case with this example, the line is set so that the odds are relatively close, though with alternate totals and props markets, you can get a strong favorite and a big underdog.
How to Bet Over Under
Now that you have had the concept of over under betting explained, you may be ready to place such a bet yourself.
Here is a step-by-step guide to placing an over under bet.
- Choose a Betting Site – Take a look at our recommended offshore online sportsbooks. Choose the one that works best for you and then click through to the relevant website.
- Register Your Account – In order to sign up with any online sports betting site, you will have to register some details. There will be a prominent tab marked Sign Up, Join Now or something similar. Click on it, add your personal details and register your account.
- Make a Deposit – Regardless of what types of bets that you want to place, you will need money in your betting account. Whether its UFC picks or something else, go to the banking or cashier section of the site, choose a deposit method, enter your details, decide on how much money you wish to deposit and confirm the transaction.
- Place Your Bet – With money in your account you are ready to enjoy some over under sports betting. Take a look at the different sports and events, to find an over unders market that interests you, click on the odds, choose a stake and then confirm your bet
Over Under Betting Totals in Major Sports
Over/under betting is flexible enough to be a popular type of wager across many different sports. This includes all major sports enjoyed by US fans.
It is why our AI sports picks often include totals. Let’s examine how this type of betting market applies to the major leagues and American sports.
NFL & College Football
Bettors are awash with opportunities for betting over under in football. There is the regular totals market for the combined scores for the two teams.
You can also bet on the individual team totals for points scored. Our NFL picks look at both closely and more besides.
Then there are totals markets for the amount of touchdowns, field goals and a host of other over under lines based around the stats in football games.
Whether you’re betting on the NFL or our college football picks, you’ll also find a host of over under markets focused on team and individual player performances.
NBA & College Basketball
Basketball is a sport synonymous with player props and a large number utilize the possibilities of over under totals. That is reflected in the NBA picks our AI systems provide.
You can bet on how many points a player will score, the number of assists, three-point shots or rebounds they will record, along with a host of other options, based around their performance.
You’ll find that basketball games also offer over under lines focused on statistics across the contest as a whole, or the performance of a single team, which can be interesting in a sport that often features a large margin of victory.
While the NBA represents the pinnacle of this sport, betting on college basketball totals is also hugely popular.
MLB
Another of the most statistically rich team sports is baseball. Totals are based on the amount of accumulative runs scored, with all sorts of alternate lines and markets based around individual innings available.
Betting over under on the number of home runs, is another popular wager. Then there are player props, such as how many hits a batter might get, or how many strikeouts a pitcher will record.
With each of the 30 MLB teams playing 162 games, there are 4,860 regular season games in total, before the playoffs and the World Series.
So, the possibilities of landing an over under payout are numerous when it comes to baseball. View our MLB picks for recommended predictions from AI algorithms.
NHL
Hockey is another sport with a lot of opportunities for under over betting. The NHL season has 1,312 games, building up to the playoffs and Stanley Cup.
As we showed you earlier with our example, total goals betting is available, with lots of alternate lines and period-specific markets. These are source material for some of the NHL picks here on BetIdeas.
You can also bet on total goals for individual hockey players on an over under basis, along with how many shots a player will make, or how many saves a goalie will record, amongst many different examples.
Other Bet Types
You should fully understand o/u meaning by now. If you’d like to gain a similar understanding of alternative types of wagers for tennis and other sports, take a look at some of the markets that we regularly give picks for here at BetIdeas.
- Moneyline Bet
- Spread Betting
- Prop Bets
- Parlay Bets
- Futures Betting
FAQs
What does over under mean in betting?
With over under betting a number is given for a sporting statistic, such as what will be the total points score in a football game. You can bet on whether the actual total will be over or under that figure.
What does total mean in betting?
Totals betting is when you wager on the total number for a certain type of sporting statistic. So for example, you could bet on the total points scored by both teams in a basketball match. On average betting totals tend to be amongst the most popular lines at any sportsbook.
How do over under bets work?
A figure is stated for a certain stat from a sporting event. You then bet on whether the actual number, will be over or under that amount. So, you could, for example, wager on whether there will be over or under 6.5 goals in a hockey game.
What does 0.5 mean in betting?
A bet involving the figure 0.5 tends to refer to a sporting statistic and whether the actual result will be over or under that total. So, if you bet on over or under 0.5 goals in a soccer game, zero goals would see under 0.5 goals win. If there was one or more goals, then there would be over 0.5 goals meaning that would be the winning bet.
What does over/under mean in football?
Over under wagers can be applied to many statistical elements of a football contest. You can bet on over under a total number of points, over the whole game or a certain period. This type of market can also be applied to total touchdowns, running yards, blocks and a wide range of other options.
Does over under include overtime?
Over under lines include overtime for team sports such as football, basketball and hockey. Our soccer picks provide an example of a sport in which an overtime period does not count towards over under.
What happens if you tie the over/under?
Generally, over unders lines are set with a half point total, which means that there can’t be ties. Say there is a soccer game where you are betting on over or under 0.5 goals. If one or more goals is scored, overs is the winner. If zero goals are scores, then the winner is under 0.5 goals meaning that there can’t be a tie.
What does over 1.5 passing touchdowns mean?
With this over under betting NFL market, you are betting on whether there will be over 1.5 passing touchdowns in a football game, or under that amount. A passing touchdown is when a quarterback makes a pass to a receiver that results in a touchdown.