Over/under betting is an incredibly popular option for punters and is accessible across a multitude of sports. Although a simple wager to place, it's still important to know exactly what you're getting into and how the over/under betting market works.
In this in-depth guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know!
Over/Under Betting Guides – ThePuntersPage
ThePuntersPage currently has betting guides on various over/under betting markets. You can access them via the links below.
What Is Over/Under Betting?
An over/under bet, also known as ‘Totals’ betting, is a wager that doesn’t consider the outcome of the game. It’s independent of the result, so instead, you bet on how many times a particular event will occur in a selected game.
Thus, it is the number of points, runs or goals that are paramount, and not the match victor. Punters will have to decide whether they back the particular event to happen more or less than the pre-determined figure conjured up by the bookmaker.
In football, these pre-determined numbers are predictable and typically the same for every game. However, in American sports, these figures are much more flexible, with various factors taken into account.
For example, if you’re betting on a football match, you will always have the choice to bet on the number of goals scored and the pre-determined numbers from the bookies will be over/under 0.5, 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, 4.5, and so on. On the contrary, the points total can quite literally be anything with American sports, and the line changes depending on the bets being placed in the build-up.
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In What Sports Is Over/Under Betting Popular?
Bookmakers will offer over/under markets for any sport in which goals/points/runs are scored – which is the vast majority. However, this market is more popular with certain sports. Here are a few:
Football
Total goals is the most common over/under betting market in football. Bookmakers will offer various reference points, including over/under 1.5 goals, 2.5 goals and 3.5 goals, and you will bet accordingly. If you think a contest between Burnley and Norwich is going to end in a stalemate, then you’d be targeting the under market. The lower the reference point, the better the odds, and vice versa for the over market. However, punters aren’t merely limited to total goals when betting on the over/under market. Bookies also offer such markets for corners and cards.
American Football
In American sports, spread betting is massively popular, although over/under points betting boasts similar popularity. With American football, bookmakers will set the over/under score for the combined points of both teams and punters will bet accordingly. For instance, if bookmakers set the over/under score at 46.0 (this is more commonly referred to as “the line”), 47 combined points or more would be a winning bet, while 45 points or anything under would be a loser. Sometimes, a ‘push’ might occur, which means the line was matched at 46 – the game ends 30-16, for example. In this case, bets will be refunded. Overtime isn’t considered, either. The score at the end of regulation is all that matters. Less popular over/under markets include total touchdowns, total field goals, individual player stats (such as completions, attempts, rushing yards, passing yards) and team points.
Basketball
The principle is similar with basketball. Bookmakers will provide a line and punters will bet on the over/under market as they please. It’s worth noting that this set score is liable to change depending on the bets being made. For example, if the vast majority of bets are being placed on the ‘over’, it’s likely that the bookmaker will slightly increase the line. As well as total points, punters can bet on individual player stats (such as points, rebounds, assists) and team totals. There are fewer over/under options in basketball compared to American football, but it’s still a hugely-favoured market.
Baseball
If you’re making a totals baseball bet, you’ll likely be betting on how many combined runs will be scored by the end of the game. Due to the lower-scoring nature of the sport, the line set by bookmakers is more predictable, although it will fluctuate depending on various factors. These factors include the proficiency of the pitchers and batters, a team’s form, the weather, and home support.
Cricket
Over/under betting in cricket is prominent with punters particularly enjoying to bet in-play. Bookmakers typically provide several different over/under markets to bet on. These include the number of runs/wickets a player accumulates, team runs and total sixes in the innings. The in-play popularity of this market stems from the parameters set every over. You can persistently bet on how many runs will be scored in those six balls. You can even bet on a ball-by-ball basis.
Darts
There is an array of options when it comes to darts. You can bet on a player to win over/under the set parameter of legs or sets. You can also place a wager on the total number of 180s in a match, as well as the number of 180s hit by a particular player. So, if you back Gary Anderson to hit over 6.5 180s in a match against Adrian Lewis and he hits eight, your bet wins. Moreover, another option is betting on what you think a player’s highest checkout will be in the match. The bookmaker will set a ‘line’ and you’ll bet whether it’ll be a higher or lower checkout than that figure.
MMA/Boxing
Over/under betting is slightly different with MMA and boxing in that instead of betting on how many times a selected event will occur, you’re betting on the length of the fight or, more simply, how many rounds the fight will last. For example, if you back a bout between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder to last over 8.5 rounds, your bet will win should the fighters reach the halfway mark in round nine. 8.5 rounds in this instance does not mean 8 ½ rounds, it means 8.5 completed rounds. If the over/under is set at a whole number, let's say 7, and the fight is stopped in the corner between the seventh and eighth rounds, your bet will be a loser. There is no ‘push’.
Comparing the Different Over/Under Betting Markets – Football
The same rules apply for Over Under 2.5 Goals as for Over Under 1.5 Goals, with one obvious difference. Instead of the cut-off being two goals, it is three goals. As for Over Under 3.5 Goals, the cut-off is four.
These three markets tend to have wildly different odds, though. The difference in odds between an Over and Under 1.5 Goals is usually minimal. However, as the cut-off increases, the disparity does as well.
Over/Under Betting – FAQs
No, the result is irrelevant in over/under betting.
Yes. This is a popular option for bettors, and we recommend you try it out!
Totals betting is another word for over/under.
Any over/under bets will only consider what occurs during normal time/regulation.
In cases where the line set by the bookmaker is a whole number, a ‘push’ can occur. This means the points accumulated matches the line. In this case, your bet will be refunded.
Fortunately, TPP has various guides for betting on this market in football. These guides include over/under 1.5 goals, over/under 2.5 goals and over/under 3.5 goals.
ThePuntersPage Final Say
Over/under betting is a hugely popular option for punters as it often takes away the emotion of having to back a winner or loser. For novices, it’s a great way to ease you into the betting world, with this guide showing just how many different options there are with this type of bet.