What Does The Over Under Mean In Betting
While not as popular as betting against the point spread in sports gambling, betting the “over/under” isn’t that far behind. Sometimes you may see this as O/U, over-under, over under or simply referred to as “the over” or “the under.”
- In sports betting, over/under means that you are placing a bet on the total number of points/runs/goals in a certain matchup. This type of bet can also be referred to as a total bet. When you make this type of bet, you are simply choosing between two options: over or under.
- The Over Under lines take the primary position when you click on any match regardless of the sport. You will see the odds for Over or Under right beside the money line (outcome) and spread (handicap) odds as these are three core markets in the betting world nowadays. To make a bet, you just need to click on the odds for your desired pick.
What does over under mean in betting?
Some Confusing Situations with Over-Under Betting The number that an over-under is set at can be confusing to beginning bettors. Many might think that when the over-under is 7.5, for example, that this means the fight must last halfway trough the seventh round. 7.5 does not mean halfway through round 7, it means 7.5 completed rounds.
Simply stated, it is the total of the points scored by both teams. While all sports employ an over/under betting option, by far the most money wagered on this bet is in football and basketball. Sports like baseball and hockey offer over/under options, but the vast majority of bets on those sports in based on the established “money line” to pick a winner at a set price.
Unlike a point spread bet in which you are aligning yourself with one team, you’re betting on both teams – either their offenses or the defenses – when betting the over/under. Sports books set over/under scores on games based upon numerous factors.
In the NFL, most over/under scores are set in the low-to-mid 40s.In college football, over/under scores are usually in the high-40 to low 50s – in the Big 12, the land that defense forgot, it can hit the 60s.In the NBA, a typical over/under tends to hover in the 210 range. In college basketball, a standard over/under is between 140 and 155.The hidden factors that come into play in determining a point spread vary by sport, but have common themes. Recent team history is a primary factor that sports books like to exploit. Sports by their nature are a reflective business based on developing trends from previous games (“getting on a roll”) and, if a football team has scored 40-plus points in three straight games, the over/under is going to be higher because sports bettors tend to believe that trends are going to continue. It’s human nature…until they don’t.
If a critical player – a quarterback in football or a dominant scorer in basketball – is out or playing injured, the over/under will drop.
Other factors critical in setting the over/under number include weather (where applicable), an undefinable history between teams (you know Steelers-Ravens games are going to be physical bloodbaths) and injuries that may not jump out to casual fans that mean a lot sports books are all factors that go into creating and setting an over/under line that will draw an even number of fans to both sides of the number.
The key to betting the over/under is to look at a slate of games without knowing what the over/under is and set what you believe it should be based on your knowledge of those two teams. The ones that differ the most from what you think should be are the ones to place your bets on.
One final note that has been a mantra of those who bet the over/under with some consistency – every game is under until it goes over.
If you’re new to sports betting, start with picking and choosing games you’re convinced should go under and get an understanding of how late-game fireworks can botch your plans.
Over-Under Bets in Boxing
by Scotty L of Predictem.com
In an over-under bet, you are merely predicting if a fight will last shorter or longer than the number of rounds posted by the sportsbook. You are not picking the winner. Who wins the fight is irrelevant in over-under betting. Over-under bets are the second most popular boxing wagers next to picking a fighter to win. Here is an example of some odds you would see in an over-under bet:
Nfl Over Under Betting Odds
Mike Tyson vs. Evander Holyfield
Over 7.5 (+135)
Under 7.5 (-155)
In this situation, you are not picking who will win the fight, but rather if the bout will last more or less than 7 and a half rounds. 7.5 rounds will be completed at the 1:30 mark of the eighth round. That is the magic line. If you bet the over, and the bout lasts longer than 1:30 into the eighth round, you win the bet. If you bet the under, the bout must be finished before the 1:30 mark of the eighth round for you to be a winner.
The money line, also used when picking a fighter to win, is used with over-under wagers. Being that the (+) always denotes an underdog and the (-) indicates a favorite, we see that oddsmakers feel this bout will not go 7.5 rounds. If you bet $100 on the over at +135 and win, you will win $135 and receive your bet back for a total of $235. To win on the under, you would need to bet $155 to win $100. If you win, you receive your bet and winnings for a total of $255.
A great place to gamble on the over/under in boxing matches is Bovada Sportsbook.
Over Under Betting Lines
Some Confusing Situations with Over-Under Betting
The number that an over-under is set at can be confusing to beginning bettors. Many might think that when the over-under is 7.5, for example, that this means the fight must last halfway trough the seventh round. 7.5 does not mean halfway through round 7, it means 7.5 completed rounds. In other words, 7.5 rounds are not completed until halfway through round 8.
What if the over-under is set at a round number, like 7 for example, and one of the fighters quits in his corner between the 7th and 8th round? The fight did not go over or under 7 rounds, but it went exactly 7 rounds. In this unfortunate scenario, all bets are losers, one of the reasons bettors prefer betting on over-unders with a half as opposed to a whole round figure.
Over/Under betting can be very profitable if you know which fighters
have stamina and can take a punch and likewise for guys that go out there
and blow out their energy with the mentality that they’re going to knock
the other guy out early or get knocked out themselves. If you’re looking
to bet fights online, you need to make sure that you’re gambling with a
reputable sportsbook. Click our “Sportsbooks” bar up near the very top of
the page and then look at the list of reviews on the left side of that section.
The ones listed near the top of that page are the best, but they’re all
acceptable venues to wager on fights and all can be trusted with your loot.