Over under betting is the perfect way to mix things up when placing your bets. Also known as total bets, over under betting is most commonly applied in football but can be found in several sports.
The principle is pretty straightforward: The punter bets on whether the total number of something is over or under the line set by the bookmaker. The punter does not need to predict the exact number, just whether the total number finishes over or under.
| Team | % | Matches | Over 2.5 | Fixture | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1  Tottenham | 79.0% | 38 | 30 | Leicester (A) | |
2  Bournemouth | 71.0% | 38 | 27 | Nottm Forest (A) | |
3  Newcastle | 71.0% | 38 | 27 | Southampton (H) | |
4  Aston Villa | 71.0% | 38 | 27 | West Ham (A) | |
5  Chelsea | 71.0% | 38 | 27 | Man City (H) |
Often in over under betting the totals come at 0.5 intervals. This ensures the bet produces a result and avoids tied bets. Rather than predict the match result - which is widely considered more difficult – the punter places a bet on a host of different events. The most popular market is predicting the total goals in a match and whether the match will yield under or over a given total set by the bookmakers.
The most popular goal margin from a bookmaker is often set at 2.5 goals. This means that if two or fewer goals are scored, it would be under 2.5 and if three or more goals are scored, it would be over 2.5. The punter doesn’t have to predict the exact number of goals, just whether it will be over or under.
Why choose this method of betting? It adds an extra dimension to what could be a one-sided contest where one team are strong favourites to win and therefore the bookmakers offer underwhelming odds. In this case, the punter could opt for a high-scoring affair with improved odds.
It tends to also be easier to predict on whether a game is likely to be a low or high-scoring affair than to predict the match result. However, the biggest bonus of over under betting is that regardless of the winner – even if the underdog is triumphant – it doesn’t matter. All that matters are the amount of goals scored.
But totals goals is not the only market for over under betting. Bookmakers offer the over under betting on a whole host of markets, including total corners, total number of cards and more – and that’s just in football.
Despite intervals of 0.5 being commonly used, Over/Under goal markets can be seen using whole numbers. When total goals for a match is displayed using whole numbers, the rules vary for pay-outs. For example, if the total number of goals in a match is greater or less than the market total, bets will be paid out as standard. However, if the total number of goals scored in the match is equal the number stipulated, bets will be refunded.
These are better known as ‘full ball’ or ‘on the line’ markets. The difference here compared to the standard 0.5 intervals is that you get your money back if the game finishes exactly on the line. However, lower odds are offered.
The beauty of over under betting is the sheer number of bets available to the punter – and that’s not just in football. Bookmakers offer over under bets on a batsman’s innings in cricket, a golfer’s round or a snooker player’s break. In tennis, this could be based on the number of games/sets won.
But there’s more! Bookmakers provide the chance to up the ante on over under bets by intertwining them with other markets, such as: Match result and BTTS (Both Teams to Score). Over under betting can also be limited to the first or second half of a match.
The combinations are endless - and this is the beauty of over under betting. Whether you want to add a little more to a single match-up with the amount of goals or build up a large Accumulator Bet with a number of different totals, over under betting allows you to do so. It is the pick’n’mix of sports betting.
