Over Under Betting – All You Should Know to Benefit from This Wager

What Does ‘Over Under’ Mean in Betting?

Over/under betting is a type of wager where punters bet on the total number of goals, cards, corners, etc. Moreover, as the name (quite literally) implies, bettors try to determine whether the amount will be over or under a specific figure. The most popular type of total bet is the total score of a football match, and you'd usually see it listed in second place, right after the 1X2 wagers. Here is what a typical totals bet looks like:

The classic over-under bet uses a decimal number between two natural ones: 0.5, 1.5, 2.5, etc. This setup guarantees any bet will be either winning or losing. There can't be one and a half goals scored in a game, and unfortunately, hitting the goalpost doesn't count toward the score.

Moreover, the popularity of totals can be tied to the nature of the bet itself. In over-under football betting, people don't bet for or against a team; they bet on a match statistic. While the winner can be hard to predict in some games, the number of goals, cards, or corners could be much easier to foresee, especially during live betting. In such wagers, punters concern themselves more with the overall flow of the match; the relative performance of each team is not that important.

What about Exact Scores in Betting Over-Under?

No explanation of betting on over-under will be complete without looking into some peculiarities of the bet. In some cases, bookmakers don't use decimal numbers to represent the wager. They use whole numbers instead, and this is more common for basketball and American football, but some bookies offer such markets for regular footy as well. There are two scenarios when using a whole number: offering the exact score as an outcome or turning it into a 'push'.

The Event of a Push in Over-Under Goals Betting

Whenever the bookmaker uses a whole number to represent the score and don't assign odds to it, they create the opportunity for a push. Please keep in mind this is a very rare occurrence in football goals betting because bookies actively evade it. However, it happens often in other sports where scores reach double and even triple digits. Still, here is a football example:

As you can see, three goals is a score that is possible in this game, but the bookmaker has not provided any odds for it. In case the match ends in 2:1, the bet will end in a 'push', and all stakes will be returned to punters without any commission charged by the sportsbook.

However, imagine how often the bet would end in a push if we were betting over under three goals in a football match. Bookies won't be making any money on such bets, and neither will punters. They won't be losing money as well. That's why football bookmakers offer these wagers, and punters back them – not losing is sometimes as good as winning.

What about Exact Scores with Defined Odds?

While over and under betting is mostly about win-lose outcomes, some bookmakers spice up the betting odds with the inclusion of exact scores. This is more common for corners, but some bookies offer it in their alternative lines for over-under football betting. Here is a common example with corners:

There is no push in this bet since the exact number of corners is given its own odds. Moreover, when you include an exact score, the odds for the over and under outcomes become less lucrative. However, the exact score usually offers a massive payout. It's just harder to predict.

It’s Time for Some Over-Under Betting Tips

Now that we've explained the basics of totals, we can proceed with some over and under betting tips. While there is no way to guarantee an outcome, the peculiarities of this type of wager offer some advantages in certain situations. In no particular order, here are our top over and under betting tips:

A Strategy Based on Statistics

There are no sure bet strategies when it comes to totals goals, but simply guessing is never praised as an effective approach either. The easiest strategy to employ is researching the previous matches between both teams. While this information may not always be available for international tournaments, the Premier League teams have a steady history of playing two matches per year.

Calculating the average goals per game for each year can provide some good statistical information for punters. They could identify a trend that gives them better chances of winning. However, statistical information alone should always be taken with a grain of salt. New transfers and different management can have a huge impact on a team's performance and make any expectations obsolete.

To Conclude

In sports betting, over-under wagers are easily among the top three most popular choices. Their simplicity attracts a lot of punters, and in the case of football, many fans are more eager to bet on totals than place classic 1X2s. Moreover, using our over under betting strategies and tips can give you a slight edge, and sometimes, this is all it takes to win – a little advantage.

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