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The total number of points in any sporting event, scored by both teams. Or the total number of points of each team individually. As a sports bettor, you should decide whether the total points that both teams put together will be higher or lower than the total.
Over/Under betting – example
In total (over/under) betting, you bet on the total points scored in a game rather than who wins. Bettors are often faced with the decision of how high to set their betting ‘total’. The basketball odds makers will set a total that bettors must decide whether they think the final score will be UNDER or OVER. Here’s an example of what a game might look like.
LA Lakers Over 210.5, -120 Boston Celtics Under 210,5 +100
In this case, the total is 210.5 points. Your job as a bettor is to bet UNDER 210.5 if you think that the combined score will be 210 or less or to BET OVER if you think the combined score will be 211 or higher.
Imagine the final score of the game is 111-100 for La Lakers – those 211 points are OVER 210.5 so your OVER bets will win. If the game is a defensive battle won by Boston Celtics 105-100, then 205 points are well UNDER 210.5 so you UNDER bet would win.
The -120 value on the OVER 210.5 indicates that OVER is favored in this sportsbook. A simple betting strategy to bet “under” is to put $120 on the game (-$120) and assume there’s a 100% probability of winning. In order to have a $100 profit, you would have to bet at least 4 times per game. Because the UNDER is the underdog position in the book, you risk a little less for the same payout. In this case, you would bet just $100 for the chance to make a $100 profit.
How is the Over/Under determined?
Oddsmakers have many stats and factors to consider when setting the over/under for a game, in addition to basic offensive and defensive stats.
There are several factors that go into determining the odds – game lineups, injuries, coaching strategy, home and away performances, and looking at match schedules.
The amount of money bet on the Over or the Under can also determine the total. Sportsbooks may increase the amount wagered on the Under if more people are betting on the Over. If the “Under” is being more heavily wagered on, sportsbooks may reduce the total number in order to entice those who are putting their cash on the “Over.”
Can you bet over/under per quarter or half-time?
A lot of sportsbooks will offer both first-quarter totals and spreads. Some teams and players have more reliable opening betting trends based on slow starts or big finishes in the past, so this form of betting can provide great potential as well.
In the last couple of years, almost all sportsbooks started offering special over/under betting. These days you can bet over and under on players in different sports. The rules are identical to when you are betting on games.
