Over/Under Betting

One of the most popular types of betting in the world is over/under betting, also known as total bets.

Compared to moneyline betting, this type is more flexible because it gives you a chance to earn money independently of the winner of a duel or match. Simple and tempting, this strategy can be a serious lure for losing large amounts of money to those beginners who are not analytical and thorough.

On the other hand, experienced bookmakers around the world earn a lot from this type of betting and belong to a selected group that can boast of earning a living from betting.

In the following paragraphs, we will introduce you to all the advantages and disadvantages of this method of betting, as well as advanced strategies that you need to master in order to be as successful as possible.

Basics of Over/Under betting

In this type of betting, you bet on the total number of goals, points, sets or rounds of a particular sporting event. This means that the final outcome is not important for a winning bet – it is only important how many points or goals there are in total.

If you are still partially confused, take a look at the following example:

Let’s consider a basketball game between Real Madrid and Barcelona. The first thing a bookmaker will try to do is predict who will win and what the outcome will be.

Let's assume that they predict that Real Madrid will win and that the final result will be 82:75, which means that the bookmaker expects 157 points in this match. Accordingly, they will set odds on over and under this number of points and you will be able to choose one of these two bets.

Once you place a bet, the result is no longer important to you. If you choose under, Real Madrid can defeat Barcelona with 140:16 – that is not your concern. Absolutely every result which does not exceed 157 points in total means you win.

We assume you are wondering, what if the total is exactly 157? It depends on the bookmaker, but today the margins are mostly set to decimals of, for example, 157.5 points, so such cases are very rare.

Setting and changing margins

Bookmakers set margins to make it as difficult as possible for bettors to win. As for over/under betting, they generally set the same odds on over and under 1.85-1.9, instead of 2, and so bookmakers provide themselves with a secure income from each match.

What many players are interested in is how do bookmakers encourage players to bet on both over and under if the odds are identical? Instead of discouraging players with certain margins, they will adjust them so as to attract many players to place their bets.

Let's say that high-scoring teams meet in a certain match, and it is obvious that this clash will be efficient. Bookmakers will move the margin by a few points, in an attempt to persuade the bettors to change their bet from over to under. If they fail at first, they will do so until they reach their goal.

They do the same when the situation is reversed – when low-scoring teams meet. Bookmakers will lower the margin as much as necessary to force players to change their decision, but not to endanger themselves.

The main advantage of the Over/Under betting

Over/under betting is an ideal type of betting when you are sure that you can predict whether a match will be efficient or not. You don't know who will win, but you know the style of play of both teams well, and you believe that they will score a lot of points. Place a certain amount of money on over and enjoy the match. 

Nowadays, a huge number of advanced statistics are available and they follow every segment of the game. If you are familiar with this matter, you can predict more easily whether the teams will be more or less efficient in a certain match.

We hope that we have removed any doubts you might have when it comes to the basics of this type of betting. In the next article, we will deal with advanced betting strategies of over/under betting.