Sportsbook Guide: Over Under Betting Meaning

Over Under Betting Meaning

As a player, you must be curious about an over under betting meaning. It is a bet on whether a specific statistic for a game will be lower or higher than a pre-agreed value. This betting type is also known as a total bet. 

After we explain about handicap betting in the previous article, we will also help you with over and under betting types. By the end of this post, we hope you can get a better chance of winning. 

Over Under Betting Meaning in Sportsbook

The over under betting meaning is a set of odds in which you bet on whether the combined score will add up to more or less that the projected total number set by the bookmaker. 

If you are sure there will be more points scored than the projected total, you will bet the over. On the other hand, if you are sure there will be fewer points scored than the projected total, then you will bet the under. 

Over or under betting (or known as totals betting) is one of the most popular options for sports players along with the point spread and moneyline. In addition, total bets are simply based on the number of points scored, without any link to the result of the game. 

Over under betting is found in almost all sports, including college football, NFL, NBA, MLB, and NCAA basketball. 

How to Determine Over Under?

In over under betting meaning, bookmakers will set the odds by using the computers to project the results of games. The part of that includes projecting the score. Odds will move according to where the money is, however, you can often see a correlation in the spread and the total for this reason. 

For instance, in the Baltimore-Miami Week 10 game, the Ravens were selected by 7.5 with the total set at 46.5. It means the bookmakers had likely projected the outcome to be in the range of 27 – 20 for Ravens. 

Thinking of it can help you to decide how to bet. Perhaps, you thought the Ravens could beat that total against Miami’s defense, or that the Dolphins would not be able to get to 20 points as their quarterback situation was a mess. In the first situation, you will want to take over. In the second, you will want to the under. 

Furthermore, you can also cross-check the overall total with the team totals. Luckily, in the Ravens-Dolphins game, the totals were 27.5 for Baltimore and 17.5 for the Dolphins. 

That only adds up to 45 – 1.5 points less than the total for the game itself. Although it is marginal, winning money is frequently as of the marginal results, and discrepancy like that can give you a slight edge if you play it correctly. 

How the Total Odds Made?

To give you more idea about over under betting meaning, let’s take a look at how the total odds made. The bookmakers set odds by using computers to project the results of games. Part of that includes projecting the score. As we mentioned above, the odds will move based on where the money is, however, you can often see a correlation in the spread and the total for this season. 

This frequently varies from sport to sport, with the average betting totals for some of the major sports in the last completed season. 

The Payout on Over Under Bet

In over under betting meaning, mostly have a vig of -110 on both of them, or also known as a flat rate. It means that for every MYR 100 you wish to win you must bet $110 – or a payout of MYR 0.91 for every MYR 1 bet. 

Sometimes, bookmakers will adjust the vig on the over under to entice more money to be bet on one side. If a book has taken a lot of money on the over 53 (-110) and little money on the under 53 (-110), then they might change the vig to over 53 (-115) under 53 (-105).

It will give the under a better payout (MYR 0.95 for every MYT 1 bet on under compared to MYR 0.87 on every MYR 1 bet on over), it induces action on the under, balancing the money bet on either side of the over and under, and will ensure a winning for the bookmakers regardless of the outcomes. 

What will Happen if an Over Under is Exact?

For the expansion of over under betting meaning, if this betting type hits on the exact number, that is called “push”. There will be no winning bet, and all bets are refunded to players no matter whether they took the over or the under in the game. 

Why Do Totals Change in Over and Under Betting?

In over under betting meaning, a bookmaker may change the total to keep the number of over and under the bets even. However, over-under values also vary historically. For instance, in the 2010s, NBA betting totals in the 180s were common.

But there also has not been an NBA total under 190 since 2017. Meanwhile in the 2016-17 season, the average NBA total was just 210.6, almost 10 points less than the 2019-20 season.  

Final Words

In conclusion of over under betting meaning, it is a bet on whether a statistic from a game will be higher or lower than a quoted value (called total bets). They are most commonly used in relation to the number of points scored in sports events.

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