An over/under bet is like a moneyline bet and a point spread bet. The over/under is in the straight betting family. This differs from more complex bets like action-reversed bets, parlays, and round-robins.
This post is starting you off small, with just over/under bets. They’re among the most straightforward bets to place, but they also offer a twist in the straight betting landscape.
Over/Under Bets in Football Defined
Over/under bets in football are bets where, instead of betting on a winner outright or a winner to cover the spread, you’re betting on the point total. over/under bets are also called total bets.
Regardless of who wins and who loses, such as in money lines or who covers a specific handicap, as you see in point spreads, the over/under bet is the equivalent to the true/false tests you took in school. The opposing teams will either combine over the points total, or they won’t.
In a way, it’s like a moneyline bet, where your pick either wins or they won’t.
Here’s more information on the over/under bet and how you can become well-versed in this type of betting almost overnight:
An Over/Under Bet in Football Example
The Arizona Cardinals are playing the Houston Texans. You can disregard the (-10.5) beside the Cardinals along with the (-250/+250) beside the teams, too. They’re irrelevant in over/under bets.
However, you need to pay attention to the (47.5) because it shows you the over/under.
Now, it’s important not to bet too early here because the over/under can change two days from the day you first saw it. If you first saw the (47.5) on a Wednesday, it can turn into (51.5) come Saturday.
The game is Sunday at 1 pm Pacific Standard Time, and the teams combine for a final score of 28 to 24, which equals 52 points. This covers both the 47.5 total AND the 51.5 total, assuming you either submitted the bet early or bet the over.
Over/Under Betting Scenarios in Football
Over/under bets in football can be deceptive, and they’re not always as clear-cut as they may seem. For example, you may notice that 2 opposing teams with great defenses but not-so-great offenses may face one another.
The same goes with 2 teams with great offenses. Look at the Kansas City Chiefs and the Arizona Cardinals. Say each team averages 34 points per game, and the over/under sits at 65.5 points. Even though both offenses have the potential, it may fuel you to bet the under instead of the over.
Although the Cardinals score 34 points per game and the Steelers, 19, which equals 53 points, you need to be mindful of how many points the Cardinals and Steelers defenses allow. If the Cardinals have a good defense that allows just 22.1 points per game, and the Steelers still allow 17.5 points, it creates a new narrative.
Even though over/unders are more straightforward, just like the true/false test back in school, they can and will cause you to overthink things.
When to Bet the Over/Under
The best time to bet on the over/under is by following your intuition. But your intuition may tell you to consider other betting options like point spreads and moneylines before you tackle over/unders.
The scenarios laid out above provide a solid blueprint. For one, you need to ask yourself whether a game is worth betting an over/under. Sometimes, when 2 high-powered offenses get together amidst porous defenses, it’s easy to bet the over almost regardless of the number because they’re probably going to encroach.
But what if you get an example that shows one good offense versus one good defense? The over/under becomes murky because the great defense can beat a great offense, or the great offense can supersede the great defense.
In sports betting lingo, you would bet $120 to win $100 and walk away with $220. Or, if you bet the Steelers (+120), you would bet $100 to win $120.
But one team has one of the worst offensive units in football. Despite their top-rated defense, odds are they wouldn’t cover the spread. Especially since, in each season, they had not done so. In this case, it may be better to bet the spread rather than the over/under.
Recapping Over/Under Bets in Football
This is a bet where you don’t choose a winner or loser via a point spread or a moneyline. Instead, you’re picking the outcome of a game based on the total number of points combined scored by both teams.
There are several scenarios, which make betting on the over/under in football deceptive. If you see 2 high-powered offenses play against one another, the over/under naturally sits higher. It will sit lower for 2 high-powered defenses.
Conclusion
Over/under bets in football are great if you’re looking for a basic betting strategy. They don’t take long to become well-versed in since only one of 2 outcomes can occur.
As you can see, the over/under bets in football can be deceptive, and there are other times to choose another form of betting over the other.
