I have to admit, I’m one of those sports fans who if I don’t know what something means, I have no shame in asking. Except when it comes to things that I should technically “already know”.
- What does 'over under' mean as a sports betting term? 'Over Under' refers to the betting line on the total number of a certain statistic — usually points or goals scored — in a sporting event, with.
- Definition of Over Under Bet. Sportsbook estimates a combined point total. Players bet whether final result will be over or under this number. Total lines can be offered for Game or 1st half. Final point total includes overtime result. Review sportsbook’s estimated point total. Decide if result will be over or under. Sportsbook Juice follows o or u.
- Over/Under betting, or totals betting, is one of the most popular options for sports bettors along with the point spread and moneyline. Total bets are simply based on the number of points scored.
Here is everything you need to know with sports betting odds and lines explained. The simplest and most common type of gambling is on the point spread – that’s the amount one team is favored to. Best Betting Sites Online Betting Guide Over/Under Betting Betting on the over/under goals markets in football is just betting on the number of goals in the match. The most popular of these is the over/under 2.5 goals market as this is the closest to most leagues’ average goals per match.
That is the problem that I continuously run into the problem of when I hear the terms “cover the spread” or “I’ll take the points”. I do what a lot of girls do, shake my head and smile to give off the perception that “yeah she knows what she’s talking about”.
Many girls feel somewhat afraid to ask questions when it comes to sports.
Sports Betting Over Under Rules
Usually they are laughed at for not knowing things that seem very simple to the avid sports fan. Avid fans seem to forget that you could spend dozens of years learning about so many rules, stats and the history of each sport and still not know everything.
But that’s also what makes sports so much fun to watch and learn.
I decided instead of asking someone what “covering the spread” means, I would just take the simple route: When it doubt, Google it. And I’m pretty sure, the search engine won’t be laughing at me!
Read on to find out what a point spread, covering the spread, against the spread and over/under mean….
The “spread” is the difference in points scored by opposing teams in an athletic competition. The spread is also known as “the line” or “morning line”. This provides the basis for wagering : points may be “given” or “taken” to equalize a bet, or bets may be made that the difference will be larger or smaller than the estimate.
In simpler terms its when one team is the favorite over the other… so the spread is how many points the favorite has to beat the underdog by.
The spread is the difference in points between the two teams when the game is over. It’s what oddsmakers come up with to determine the winner and margin of victory of a game.
For example: the Lakers are the favorite over the Spurs by 5 points. So the Lakers must beat the Spurs by 5 points to cover the spread. This is how it will be written out in a Sportsbook
Lakers -5
Spurs +5
Spurs +5
If one team is minus, then the other team is plus of the same number, so really you only need to see one of the numbers, to know the other.
Sports Betting Over Under Analysis
If the line on the Lakers was -5.5 instead of -5, you would have to bet 6 (and have the Lakers win by that much) in order to collect on a bet. If you bet just the -5 then some betting sites would at least give you your money back or a credit towards future use.
A bet where you try to determine which team will cover the spread; not necessarily which team will win. It’s also known as ATS.
Example: Ned bet against the spread that the Patriots (-7) would beat the Eagles. That means the Patriots would have to win by more than 7 points for Ned to win his bet.
Over/Under means the odds-makers picked the most likely total combined score of both teams. For example in an NFL game with the Jaguars vs Dallas the over/under is 37. You can either bet on either “over” or “under”. Over, is if the two scores added up at the end, total to over 37. Under is if when you add them together, they’re less than 37. If the total is 37, it’s a tie, or “push” again.
If your anything like me and math is not your strongest suit, you will have to read that a couple dozen times to fully understand it. It took a while to find a clear answer on these questions but saved a lot of time from pretending to understand and trying not to look confused if someone were to explain this to me in person.
Much like in baseball where the traditionalists complain that the new wave of players are taking over and disrespecting the game, sports betting is slowly becoming geared to the younger generation of players. The demand for quick results and instant gratification have taken the sportsbooks by storm, and sportsbooks have replied by offering up more and more obscure bets. However, one of the simplest forms of betting has remained the same, and that is betting on the 'over/under' for a particular game or event.
How Does the 'Over/Under' Work?
If you hear the phrase 'over/under' being talked about during a sports betting discussion, it is referring to the options available when betting on the total of a specific game. In order to understand how the 'over/under' works, you must first understand what betting on totals entails.
To keep it short and sweet, linemakers set a total for the number of points they think the two teams will combine to score in a particular game. Bettors then have two betting options to choose from - the 'over' or the 'under'. Taking the 'over' means you think that both teams will combine for more than the linemakers posted total, while taking the 'under' is the exact opposite.
The concept is straightforward, but throwing in an example never hurt. Let's say you are looking at a baseball game between the Royals and Indians, and the linemakers set the total at 9.5 runs. If the teams combine for 10 or more runs, any bet on the 'over' would be graded as a winner. If there are nine or fewer runs scored, 'under' bettors would be the ones celebrating a winning bet.
Different Types of 'Over/Under' Bets
What Does Over Under Mean
Almost every single sport available for wagering will have a posted total that you can choose to bet on. In its simplest form, bettors typically choose to wager on the 'over/under' for the entire game. This does not mean that it's the only option available.
Sportsbooks give bettors the opportunity to wager on the 'over/under' for half time totals, team totals, individual performance totals, and future bets. To keep it simple, I will use the Indians and Royals example to explain each of these options.
The five-inning 'over/under' option means you will be wagering on the half time total -- which is generally half of what the full game total is. If you are playing team totals, the Indians may have a team total of 4.5 runs, in which case you would have to choose either 'over/under'.
In terms of individual performance totals, these are mostly related to football and include some of the following; the number of yards thrown by a certain quarterback or the number of rushing yards by a specific running back. And lastly, if you decide to lay a future bet down on the 'over/under', you will likely be betting how many games a particular team will win over the course of the season.
Betting Strategies for the 'Over/Under'
Just like any betting option, you will come across a totals opportunity every once in a while, that is just screaming out at you to bet it. These are the opportunities that you need to capitalize on in order to be a successful handicapper over an extended period of time.
Betting strategies surrounding the total often time revolve around the weather in a particular matchup. In football, if it's snowing or raining profusely, the total could be affected, which is why the 'under' may be worth looking into further. Now, I'm not telling you to bet every game that has snow or rain 'under' the total. I'm telling you to do your research and understand that snow and rain effect all aspects of the game and could take away the part of the game a team has success in (think a pass-happy team playing in a snow storm - probably won't be the greatest result).
In terms of totals betting in baseball, from my experience, I find betting the 'over' in games featuring two end-of-the-rotation type pitchers. Typically, these guys aren't that good and can be hit around more so then the aces of a team. However, it is vital that you do your research before wagering blindly on a total just because two bad pitchers are starting.
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