What Does Spread Over Under In Betting

What Does Spread Over Under In Betting

Betting 101: What is Over Under sports betting?

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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.”
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.
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.
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OddsShark Sports Betting Total Number Of Points: What Is OVER/UNDER Betting?
Sports betting, especially when it comes to the NFL , often relies on moneylines and point spreads where you’re wagering on who will win the game outright or against the spread (ATS). Although these are exciting bets to make, sportsbooks also offer OVER/UNDER odds.
Here at Odds Shark, we want you to have options when it comes to betting on sports. Whether you’re looking to bet on the Super Bowl, a regular-season NFL game, college football, the NBA or college basketball, a game total bet provides an interesting wager that involves minimal math that you can do in your head or on your smartphone’s calculator.
OVER/UNDER betting is also called a totals bet. The total in any given sporting event is a combined score of both teams. The total for these games is a number that is set by oddsmakers based on how they envision a game will unfold from a scoring perspective. As a bettor, you would need to select if the total number of points scored by both teams will be OVER or UNDER the set total.
A sports betting OVER/UNDER is a bet where you have to correctly predict the combined score of both teams. You have to pick if the total score will be lower or higher than the number set by oddsmakers – the people at betting sites who set the lines and odds.
For example, let’s take a Philadelphia Eagles vs Dallas Cowboys game with the total set at 48.5 points. As a bettor, you would select the OVER if you believe the game’s final combined score will be 49 points or more. You would select the UNDER if you believe it will be 48 points or less.
At the sportsbook, the odds would be laid out like this:
If you bet $50 on the OVER and the combined score was 56, you would get a payout of $95.45 – your original $50 comes back along with your $45.45 win. Conversely, if the game ended 27-20, that would be a pooled score of 47 points, meaning the game went UNDER. That same $50 bet on the winning UNDER would get you $102.50 – your first $50 plus your winnings of $52.50. Our Odds Calculator will give you an idea of how much you’d win based on the amount wagered.
Generally, totals betting lines are numbers ending with a half-point (.5), but in rare cases oddsmakers set the total as a whole number. A PUSH in sports betting is when a total is a whole number like 48 points and the combined score hits it exactly.
For instance, let’s pretend the Patriots are playing the Saints and the total is set at 48. If the final score is 28-20, that would be considered a PUSH since all points scored equal 48. The sportsbook you wagered with would refund your bet no matter if you selected UNDER or OVER in this matchup.
Some bettors may feel there is a greater advantage betting on totals with a solid number instead of with a .5 as it provides an extra safety net to avoid losing your wager entirely.
If a game goes to OT, it doesn’t change your bet. OVER/UNDER betting is just like any other bet where you are looking at the final score, whether the game ends in regulation or multiple overtimes. Although it’s often said that NFL overtime is an UNDER bettor’s worst enemy but an OVER bettor’s best friend, it’s important to remember that both teams get the chance to touch the ball. So, if the Rams get the ball first and score, the Chargers will get their chance too.
Typically, when a bettor plans to wager on the number of points scored, there are many variables to consider, especially with OVER/UNDER football bets.
Offensive and defensive trends for a given team need to be considered along with injuries, the history of games between the teams, consensus , standings , team reports and the environment. Rain, snow and heat will impact the number of points scored in an outdoor football stadium, whereas it makes no difference what the temperature is outside when you’re betting on basketball. The sky could fall on the Staples Center and it wouldn’t affect the game. But if the sky fell on the Superdome, it’s safe to say that the game would stop.
The betting line for both the OVER and UNDER is typically at -110 or -105 but can be shifted by betting sites to smaller or greater odds depending on certain factors. It’s up to you to weigh those elements and decide if they can impact the game.
You don’t have to be a Las Vegas sharp to make a smart game totals bet. If you keep it locked to Odds Shark, you’ll be such a pro at football betting and basketball wagering thanks to our NBA News , that you’ll be making game totals bets in your sleep.
Odds Shark Staff Thu, Aug 11, 12:26pm
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In sports betting, an over-under bet is a bet on whether a specific statistic for a game will be higher or lower than a quoted value. This type of bet is also known as a total bet.
The most common type of over-under bet is on the combined score of two teams in a match.
The payout on an over-under bet doesn’t just depend on predicting the score correctly. You should also pay attention to the odds (also called the vig or juice) so you know how much that sportsbook will take out of your winnings.
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In sports betting, an over-under bet is a bet on whether a specific statistic for a game will be higher or lower than a pre-agreed value. This type of bet is also known as a total bet.

The most common type of over-under bet is on the combined score of two teams in a match. In this case, a bettor will wager that the total number of points scored in a game will be higher or lower than a set value (normally referred to as “the over-under” for that game). If they are correct, they will win. The bet is called a push if the actual number exactly equals the over-under, in which case all bets are refunded.

Over-under bets go by several names. In the US, it’s common to see this type of bet referred to as a “total,” or abbreviated as O-U. All of these names refer to the same type of bet, though.

In an over-under bet, a sportsbook will predict a number for a given game. Most commonly, this is the total number of points that will be scored. Bettors will then wager that the actual number will be higher or lower than this prediction. With this type of bet, you are not trying to predict the actual score of a match. Instead, you might feel that there will be more points scored than the sportsbook is predicting, or fewer. 1

The best way to understand this is with a simple example. Let’s say the Bills–Chiefs total is 54. This is a high total for the National Football League (NFL), and you might think that the defensive strength of these teams will prevent that many points from being scored. You would therefore place an over-under bet that the score will be lower. Then:

In the rare case that a score is exactly the same as the quoted value, the bet is called a push, and all over-under bets are refunded.

Though this bet is most commonly made with the combined score of the two teams, many other statistics can be used, including:

Over-under bets are popular with people who are new to sports gambling because they work in a simple way. Over-under bets are among the most popular wagering options in sports betting, behind point spreads and moneylines .

Over-under bets can be good for beginners, says Steven Petrella , deputy editor of The Action Network, a sports media company, and in some ways might be better than point spreads or moneylines because they're more intuitive. “All you need to decide is whether or not a game will go over or under a set number of points,” Petrella explains, and this “gives you a rooting interest in all aspects of the game.”

Though over-under bets can relate to a wide variety of statistics, the most popular is the total points scored. If someone refers to “the over-under” in an NFL game, they’re likely referring to the total points scored.

In order to understand how to use over-under bets, it’s instructive to see what they look like from the perspective of a sportsbook. The aim of a sportsbook is to have an equal number of bets on either side of the over-under for a given game. They will therefore post what they think is the most likely value for the over-under.

A lot of math goes into predicting the over-under for a given match, Petrella says, but there are two main factors: “pace (on offense) and efficiency (on both offense and defense).” And, like all odds in sports betting, these predictions will change as a betting pattern emerges. “After a few sportsbooks open up the first version of totals for a given sport on a given day,” Petrella says, “sharp bettors influence the lines with their betting action, and then other sportsbooks copy that number.”

Sportsbooks will also set the vigorish (or vig) for an over-under bet. This is normally set at 10%. Using American odds, this will result in both outcomes initially being quoted at -110 (which means that bettors must risk $110 to win $100). If the amount bet on both outcomes is exactly even, the money wagered by the losers will be paid to the winners, and the sportsbook will keep the 5% profit. However, sometimes there may be an imbalance between the number of bets on over, and the number on under. In this case, the sportsbook will try to even out the numbers. They can use two strategies to do this:

When it comes to paying out, a standard bet on a total is treated just like a point spread. The sportsbook will take its cut, and then pay out to the winners. 2

The payout on an over-under bet doesn’t just depend on predicting the score correctly. You should also pay attention to the odds (also called the vig or juice) so you know how much that sportsbook will take out of your winnings.

Let’s take the fictional example of a Yankees–Red Sox game for which the over-under is initially set at 8 points, and the vigorish at 10%.

This means that you would be betting $1.10 for every $1 you want to win. And you’ll win if you correctly predict that the total points scored will be less or more than 8. This will be displayed as -110 odds. The same ratio holds for all bets, so if you bet $11, you’ll win $10. If you risk $55, you’ll win $50. $110 wins $100.

It can get a little more complicated. In low-scoring sports like hockey, soccer, and baseball, a sportsbook will often adjust the juice before moving the total number. Let’s say our Yankees–Red Sox game has a total of 8.5, but the sportsbook makes its projection closer to 9 than 8.

In that case, a sportsbook may make the over -120 and the under +100 to reflect its projection of how the game will go, forcing anyone who bets the over to risk a little bit more because that outcome is slightly more likely. At -120, you’re risking $1.2 for every $1 you want to win, and at +100, you’re risking $1 for every $1 you want to win. If the Red Sox win 5-3, under bettors win. If they win 6-3, over bettors win. 3

In 2018, the Supreme Court gave U.S. states permission to legalize sports betting if they wish to do so. It is still fully illegal in 17 states, including California, Massachusetts, and Texas. In four other states, there is some form of pending legislation. 4
If the over-under hits on the exact number, that's called a push. There is no winning bet, and all wagers are refunded to bettors no matter whether they took the over or the under. 5
A sportsbook might change the total to keep the number of over and under bets even. But over-under values also vary historically. Just five years ago, for example, NBA betting totals in the 180s were common. But there has not been an NBA total under 190 since 2017. In the 2016-17 season, the average NBA total was just 210.6—almost 10 points less than the 2019-20 season. 2
There’s a lot that goes into making odds like totals, and it of course varies by sport. Bookmakers and bettors use many inputs—including how fast each team plays, offensive and defensive efficiency, weather, and more—to create a total.

Over-under bets, also called total bets, are a wager on whether a statistic from a game will be higher or lower than a quoted value. They are mos
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What Does Spread Over Under In Betting

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