Gambling Over Under
Totals wagers are more commonly referred to as an Over/Under bet. The name of the wager is interchangeable and both are used in sportsbooks and in the media. A totals bet is one of the easiest and most popular bets to make in the sportsbook. The only more popular bet is picking winners. Betting totals are available for most major professional sports such as football, basketball, baseball, and hockey.
In most cases, when wagering on a total the bettor is simply choosing whether the total number of points scored by both teams will be over or under the listed total of points to be scored. That’s it. The winner and loser of the game don’t matter in a totals bet. The only thing that matters with this kind of bet is the number of points (runs, goals, etc.) scored.
Betting on the over/under point total of a game is quite popular when making a sports wager. Bettors tend to really like betting on over/under because they don't really have a rooting issue for one team or the other, but rather offense or defense. Over/Under trends — In the 53 Super Bowl games that have had totals, the Over is 27-25-1 (51.9 percent). The last two have gone Under, the first time for back-to-back Under results since four.
Before a game begins betting over or under the total points scored is usually a -110 wager. Bettors will wager $110 to win $100 for a pre-game totals bet. If bettors wager a lot more on one side of the total, the moneyline might change before the actual point total moves. At a certain point, the sportsbook will reset the total and the moneyline will move back to -110.
Here’s an example from the upcoming Chiefs vs. Buccaneers Super Bowl game.
The over/under, or total, for this game is points. Bettors who wager on the Over need the total score to go over that number to win their bet. Anything under that number would be a winner for Under bettors.
If a bettor wagered on a total of 44 and the final score added up to exactly 44 points (24-20, for example) the bet would be a “push” and bets would be refunded.
Like all kinds of sports betting options, totals bets have expanded. Betting a total is no longer only available for pre-game bets. There may be totals available for partial games (quarters or periods), individual teams, and during in-play and live wagering. A partial game total might be a wager on how many points will be scored in a certain time period. Meanwhile, in-play bets could just be an adjusted total for the entire game.
ALSO READ: 5 Fun Super Bowl prop bets to consider wagering on
Over/under bets
Even though Totals and Over/Under may be used interchangeably for scoring, there’s another way to make Over/Under bets. An Over/Under bet can also be a proposition bet where there’s a wager made on a specific occurrence. A boxing match is a good example since scoring isn’t quite the same as the major sports:
Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor
The fight will last 9.5 rounds
- Over (-110)
- Under (-110)
Floyd Mayweather defeated Conor McGregor by technical knockout in the 10th round and over bettors won this wager. Had either fighter won the match earlier the under would have cashed since the result would have happened in the ninth round or sooner.
Today there are Over/Under bets available for a number of sports beyond the major North American sports. Fights often have how many rounds will be complete while auto racing might have the number of laps finished by a driver. The possibilities for Over/Under wagers are prop bets are seemingly only limited by the imagination. Sportsbook operators continue to expand their betting menu with unique bets that include new Totals and Over/Under options.
Best sites to make an over/under bet
It’s a great time of year for sports fans. The NFL Playoffs are in full swing, college football’s bowl season just concluded with the National Championship, basketball is on every night and the NHL returns to play later this week. After a long-awaited hiatus during the spring and summer, the calendar has returned to full strength and that means a euphoria for sports bettors. There are endless games to wager on each and every day of the week, which led me to my new favorite bet— the Under. I know this is not a very popular opinion. Most people would prefer to root for points and see teams trade buckets or touchdowns back and forth. But there’s something soothing about betting the under and it’s a numerical advantage. Hear me out.
Gambling Over Under
I’ve been known to throw a sizable wager around in my day and BetMGM made that even easier when I signed up using their insane 100% first deposit match. For every dollar you deposit, BetMGM doubles it up to $500 in free bets, which allowed me to hammer my Unders with house money. Just use promo code BROBIBLE at sign up and opt-in!
Once the bets are locked and the game begins, the clock is always in your favor. It’s a blast. I will show you the perfect example. The Over/Under between Indiana and Wisconsin basketball was set at 129 on BetMGM and I knew that there was no better opportunity for big stops and strong defense than a classic Big Ten matchup. I was right. It was 29-24 at halftime and I was feeling great about where I stood. With 20 minutes left on the clock, I had to bring my bet home. Each team could score 38 points in the second half for the Under to hit and we were right on track.
You ever bet an under before? I have… pic.twitter.com/B8WDSU2T2U
Betting Over Under
— BrilliantlyDumb (@RobbyBerger) January 8, 2021
Look at how much fun I’m having. There are 11 minutes left in the game and I’ve never been more invested in two teams taking the air out of the ball and working the clock. I always feel like I am behind when I bet the ‘over,’ and nobody likes that feeling because time always wins. With the Under, I can feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins with every second that ticks down. It’s electric.
The Badgers took a 57-56 lead with two minutes and 45 seconds remaining which was right on pace. But that’s when things got interesting. Both teams traded baskets and the Hoosiers went ahead with 38 seconds left. 120 points on the board. For the Under to fail seemed impossible.
Nine points in less than a minute isn’t unheard of, but neither team was able to find confident looks and both sides were playing strong defense. And the clock is always on your side. The Under was mine and all I needed was one stop.
Wisconsin took a timeout and got the ball at half court. The inbounds play was perfection, and much to my dismay, D’Mitrik Trice hit a jumper with 22 seconds left to tie it at 61-61. Indiana missed its buzzer-beater attempt and the game went to overtime at 122 total points. Had Trice missed, the Under hit. Had the Hoosiers made a shot, the Under hit. If the Badgers fouled, a free throw would have hit the Under. Such a bad beat.
How Does Gambling Work
It was a winning bet in regulation but overtime (and double OT) took the final total to 153 for the loss. Either way, I stand by betting the Under. It was a wild journey until the end and I was on the right side of the evening until the final moments. And I’ll be damned if I didn’t love every second.
Beyond just having a good time, betting the Under grants a 3-4% mathematical advantage in your favor just by virtue of being a contrarian. It’s fun to be different and it pays out too. I know this might be a hot take within the sports betting sphere, but give it a try. There’s a beauty to the forbidden under bet.
If you’re looking to get on the trend, there’s no better time than the present. All new BetMGM customers can receive a 100% match on your first deposit up to $500. The more money you put in, the more money you get back to wager on the Under. Sounds like a pretty awesome deal.
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