What Is Over Under Betting?

Betting on the Over Under, otherwise known as Total betting, is one of the most common bet types in all of sports betting, and is particularly popular when betting on the NBA, NFL, College Football and College Basketball.

Total Betting (Over Under)

Betting the Over Under simply refers to wagering on whether the points total of both teams/players combined will be above or below the sportsbook’s threshold. You are NOT betting on who will win. This concept can also be applied to other sports, such as golf. Let's say for example, you're wondering how do golf odds work, in an Over/Under bet, you might wager on whether a golfer will finish a round under or over a specific score set by the sportsbook, rather than predicting the winner. This makes it a kind of unique way to engage with the game without actually focusing on the outcome of the tournament itself.

Example:

Using an example of how it would look within a NFL betting situation, let’s use the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots. 

If the sportsbook set the total at 53.5 points, you have two options:

  • Bet the Over (54+ points to be scored by New England & Denver)
  • Bet the Under (53 points or under to be scored by both teams).

MORE: What is the Money Line?

Over Under bet types

There are numerous Over Under options to choose from. Some relate to team totals for a whole game, a percentage of the game — half/quarter/period — and player over/under bets.

Feeling a little overwhelmed? Don’t sweat, let’s breakdown different over/under bets for the major sports. On another article, we may also give more answers to the question of how do college football odds work especially the over/under bets.

MORE: What Sports Can I Bet On?

Football

  • QB to have over/under X passing yards
  • RB to have over/under X rushing yards
  • WR to have over/under X rushing yards
  • Team to have over/under X yards 
  • Team to have over/under X passing yards
  • Team to have over/under X rushing yards
  • Team to have over/under X regular season wins
  • Team to score over/under X TDs in first half 
  • Both teams to score over/under X points in second quarter

Basketball

  • Player to score O/U X points 
  • Team to score O/U X points in first half 
  • Both teams to score O/U X points in first quarter
  • Player to have O/U X rebounds 
  • Player to have O/U X assists 
  • Team to have O/U X regular season wins
  • Team to have O/U X postseason wins

NHL

  • Player to score O/U X goals (game/season)
  • Team to have O/U X regular season wins
  • Team to have O/U X shots (game)
  • Goals in Period One O/U 

MLB

  • Team to have O/U X regular season wins
  • Player to have O/U X hits
  • Game to have O/U X hits 
  • Innings to have O/U X hits
  • Innings to have O/U X runs
  • Strikeouts O/U in half/full inning

Soccer

  • Game to have O/U X goals
  • Player to score O/U X goals
  • Team to receive O/U X cards
  • Team to receive O/U X corners 
  • Team to commit O/U X fouls

Tennis

  • Game to have O/U X points 
  • Set to have O/U X games
  • Player to have O/U X aces
  • Player to make O/U X unforced errors
  • Tiebreakers within the match O/U X

MMA

  • Fight to last over/under X rounds 

MORE: What is Spread Betting?

Where to find Over Under Bets?

From the Dimers homepage, use Bet Hub to find your preferred sport. Once there, simply choose the matchup you would like to wager on, maybe any of the MLS best bets.

You’ll be able to see various bets such as moneyline, spread, and, of course, over/under.

Once you decide whether to bet the Over or Under, all you need to do is join one of the best sportsbooks and work your way through the registration process. Just before you deposit some money, consider reviewing the responsible gambling tools. Although there is a whole section focused on helplines and resources, you'll also find that you can add simple limits to your account. In turn, you'll remove any risk of betting beyond your means. Next, it is time to choose your deposit method, enter the deposit value, and consider making use of one of the best betting promotional codes for new bettors.

With betting options like totals [link], prop bets [link] and spread betting [link] all in play it can be hard to know what each bet means and what is best for you. For those who are not so familiar with how to read Vegas odds, understanding the numbers on each type of wager will help you make more informed decisions. 

For a breakdown of how to bet every major sport in America and around the world, check out our guides to sports betting:

Now you know everything there is to Over/Under betting. But you might be wondering, where do sports odds come from? The odds you see on sportsbooks are created by oddsmakers, who take into account a wide range of factors including team performance, player statistics, historical data, and even public betting trends. With this knowledge in hand, join a sportsbook. And always remember to gamble responsibly and keep Dimers.com on hand for your next winner.

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