Over / Unders (Totals) Overview
If you are a bettor that has a tough time selecting the winner of a game, maybe over/under betting is your forte. This type of betting has no barring on who wins the game. What over/under betting does is look at the total amount of points scored in a game. That is what the bettor is betting on.
An over/under bet starts by the sportsbook placing a total amount of points for a particular game. Once the number has been announced, bettors can select whether they want to bet on the over (score more points than the line) or the under (score less points than the line). This is the combined score of both teams. Over/Unders can be used for Baseball, Basketball, Football and even hockey.
For example, let's assume the Super Bowl was about ready to take place. The Las Vegas casino's placed an over/under at 46 points. The job of the bettor is to select which way the game will go.
You can also bet over/unders for each half of a game. For example, with North Carolina and Duke playing in a basketball game, the first half over/under may be set for 72. If you bet the under, and they score 69 points total - you are a winner. If they score 73, you lose. At the half, the over/under will then change for the SECOND HALF only. Let's say they bump the second half over/under to 80.5. You then have a choice either way. Most over/unders are won at -110. What this means, is if you win a bet, and placed $100 down, you would get $190 back. You win $100 for the bet and $90 for winnings.
The over/under can change up until game time, by the amount of money being placed on the bet. The number will change by a half point as large amounts of money come in on a certain side. For example, if the over/under started at 46, and a $1000 bet came in on the over, the number could quite possibly raise to 46.5. Conversely, if the bet was on the under, the number could then lower to 45.5.
For many college basketball games, typically the over/unders will sit anywhere from 130-160. The NBA will feature over unders of anywhere from 180 - 210. In college football, 38 - 63.5 is the norm, while the NFL will see them as low as 34.5 and as high as 58.5 a lot of times. Hockey is typically at 5.5 - 7.5. Baseball, which would be total runs scored, is typically around 7.5 - 10.5.
When you are betting over/unders be sure to check your stats ahead of time. A lot of times teams will score a bunch more at home, or struggle to score on the road. Obviously, know whom you are betting on. If you are betting on two defensive teams, the number will be lower. If there are two powerhouse offensive squads, look for the number to really balloon. Another thing you need to know about over/under bets - OVERTIMES COUNT. Therefore, if you really think a game has potential of going to overtime, you may be more willing to bet the over, since the overtime will surely provide more points. If you are betting a first half over/under, be sure to remember that teams are not desperate to put points on the board. Often times they will take the whole shot clock in basketball or make a long scoring drive in football.
Betting on the total can be a very entertaining way to bet on sports. You don’t have to cheer for a team. You just cheer for or against points. The over is bet on more often, as the general public just loves to cheer for points. Who wants to root for a low scoring game? If it makes me money I will!
