Total Over/Under in Betting: What is This?
Lina Almans
09 June 2022
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Betting on sports can be overwhelming with all the options available, but one of the most popular is the Total Over/Under bet.
This type of bet is also known as the O/U (Ov/Un), and it’s a simple way to predict if the total score of a game will be over or under a specific number set by the oddsmakers.
WHAT IS TOTAL OVER/UNDER BETTING?
So, you’ve heard about Total Over/Under betting, but what exactly is it? Well, it’s pretty simple.
It’s a wager on whether the total score or number of a specific event will be above or below the bookmaker’s predicted value.
You can find Over/Under bets for almost every sport out there, and there are loads of options to choose from. For football, you can bet on things like the total number of goals, offsides, corners, yellow cards, and more. In tennis, you can bet on sets, games, and aces, while in hockey, you can bet on the total number of goals and penalty minutes. You get the idea.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Let’s take an example to make it clearer.
If you place an Over 2.5 bet on a football match, you’re betting that both teams will score a total of
more than 2 goals.
Let’s take an example to make it clearer. If you place an Over 2.5 bet on a football match, you’re betting that both teams will score a total of more than 2.5 goals. So, if the final score is 2-1, where a total of 3 goals (2+1) were scored, you’ve won your bet because 3 is greater than 2.5.
Here’s what total Over/Under looks like on BetMGM.
UNDER/OVER BETTING: THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TOTALS
Let’s check out some important things you need to know about over/under betting at different bookies for various sports.
SPORT | BETTING DETAILS |
Football | Bookies calculate the total based on the outcome of the regular time of the game, not including extra time and penalties. |
Basketball | Some bookies factor in possible overtime when calculating the total, while others do not. |
Hockey | Similar to basketball, bookies’ approach to including overtime in the total calculation varies. |
Tennis | In matches with a super tie-break, where the result is recorded as either 1-0 or 0-1, bookies may differ in how they calculate the total. For example, if the final set ends in a score of 11-9, one bookie may count 20 (11+9) games, while another may only count 1 game. |
TOTAL OVER/UNDER IN BETTING: FAQ
WHAT IS TOTAL OVER/UNDER IN BETTING?
Over/Under, sometimes marked as (O/U), is a type of sports betting where you wager on the combined score of both teams. You bet on whether the total score will be over or under the oddsmakers’ predicted score.
HOW DO I PLACE AN OVER/UNDER BET?
Over/Under, sometimes marked as (O/U), is a type of sports betting where you wager on the combined score of both teams. You bet on whether the total score will be over or under the oddsmakers’ predicted score.
WHAT HAPPENS IF THE SCORE IS EXACT?
If the score matches the Over/Under total, the bet is a push and wagers are returned.
DOES OVERTIME COUNT IN OVER/UNDER BETS?
Most Over/Under bets include overtime, except in football unless the sportsbook specifies otherwise.