One of the most popular betting options that is available at leading online sports betting providers, is the Totals or Over / Under bet. You’ll find this interesting and simple betting option available over a variety of sports markets including soccer (football), American football, rugby and a number of other popular ball-orientated sports.
Unlike more complex bets such as accumulators or system bets, the Over Under Goals bet is simple and easy to use. This makes it an ideal betting option for novice sports bettors looking for an easy single bet on the total points scored at the end of a match.
Over/Under bets are very easy to understand and you will find them readily available across hundreds of contests where the number of points scored is taken into consideration. Before the contest begins, the bookmaker will post a default total or “points line”, and you simply need to predict whether you think the final score (the total) is above or below that line.
The Over Under betting strategy is a simple and easy system that you can use with confidence over a wide variety of ball-orientated sports. Technically part of the 2 Way bet family, Over / Under bets, as the name implies, works on predicting a score line that is either:
1) Over the total number of points posted by the bookmaker
2) Under the total number of points posted by the bookmaker
Since the Over/Under or Total bet is classed as a 2-way bet, you will always have an even or 50-50 shot at winning your bet. That, combined with the relative simplicity of the bet itself, is one of the main reasons for its enduring popularity.
With the Over / Under bet, who actually wins the match or game is not important, since you are not making an outright winner bet. All you are doing here is deciding how much the score will be over or under the line given by the betting site. This makes it a much more flexible betting option for bettors that are not so sure of the teams playing, or don’t want to back one or the other team to win.
The most common example of an over/under bet that you’ll encounter at most sports betting sites is the -110 line. Essentially, what this means is that you will need to bet $/€/£110 in order to win $/€/£100.
Next, the sportsbook will set the total for the game. This means that the scores from both teams are added together, giving you the total that you will need to either predict over or under for a win.
Let’s take a look at a hypothetical American football game:
The bookmaker sets the total at 165.5
The Over/Under bet is then offered thus:
Team A score at the end of the game = 84
Team B score at the end of the game = 87
Total points scored = 171
Since the final total score is more than the line posted by the betting provider, all bettors who put money on the Over result win.
Total bets or Over/Under bets, are available across a wide range of sports including soccer, hockey, American football, rugby, and even MMA/UFC matches. It all depends on what the bookmaker is willing to put up for an over / under bet. The following illustrates a few considerations with over/under bets in popular sports.
Expanding your betting options is always a great way to keep your betting interesting and moving in a positive direction as far as your bankroll is concerned. If you are still quite new to online sports betting, but wish to move up from the basic single bet, the Over/Under bet is a great option. You still get the 50/50 chance of winning your bet, but with better odds prospects than the single bet or the basic 2-way bet provide.