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What does Over/Under mean in betting: Example, how does it work

The world of betting is filled with a variety of bets where you can wager your bets not only on the win, draw or loss of the team. One of the most popular outcomes for betting is considered to be a total bet, although many bettors undeservedly overlook it. In this article, we intend to tell you about the meaning of total bets, analyze a real example and learn the secret tips for successful betting with Total Over/Under.

Total Over/Under meaning in betting

Total is the quantitative value of any event in a sports match set by the BO. In total betting, any and all countable units in the match will do: goals, points, sets, penalty cards, fouls, corners, free kicks, etc. When wagering the total bet, the bettor is to guess the total number of a certain event happening during the game.

You can wager bets on "Total Over" or "Total Under", the bookies indicate these outcomes with the "TO" and "TU" abbreviations, respectively. The total bet may also be wagered not only for the entire event, but also for specific time periods: halves, periods, quarters, sets, games, 5-minute periods, etc.

"Total Over" or the "TO" bet here means a bet wagered on the quantitative outcome of a certain event exceeding the selected result. Let's take the number of goals in a football match and the total bet of "TO 2.5". This outcome implies that 3 or more goals are to be scored in the match.

Betting on "Total Under" or "TU" implies that the final result of the selected event must not exceed the aforementioned value. Let's take the "TU 10.5" bet wagered for the number of games in the 1st set of a tennis match. The "Total Under" bet will be considered getting hit in case 10 or fewer games are played in the set.

So, we understand what is over/under in betting - let’s move on to the bet examples. 

Total Over/Under bet Example

The concept of "Total" bet is best of all explained with real examples. We've selected 3 "TO/TU" bets for real events in different sports.

An example of total bet in football (soccer)

For our experiment, let's take the "PSG" - "Juventus" match of the group stage of the Champions League. Let's assume that the event ended with 3 goals, so we are now interested in 2 bets: "TO 2.5" with 1.46 rate and "TU 4" with 1.37 rate. Let's wager $100 on these 2 bets.

Over/Under bets

 

After the final whistle, the scoreboard showed a score of 2-1, so now it's time to calculate our profits. On the first bet has won $146 for us ($46 of net profit), since both teams scored a total of 3 goals (3 > 2.5). The second bet won a net winnings of $37. As a result, we've made a profit of $83 USD with two bets.

An example of total bet in hockey

Let's take the NHL regular season match between "Anaheim" and "St. Louis". We've expected the visitors scoring high, so we wagered a $100 bet on "ITO2 5" at 2.65 rate.

As a result, the event ended with a 3:6 score in favor of "St. Louis" and our bet had hit (the net winnings amounted to $165). If the Blues had scored only 5 goals, then we'd have expected a draw no bet case, and with 4 or less, we'd lose our bet.

Over/Under betting in hockey

 

An example of a total bet in basketball

To illustrate the total in basketball betting, let's analyze one example: let's look at the first match of the semi-finals of the NBA playoffs of the 2021/2022 season, "Miami Heat" - "Boston Celtics". A high-scoring duel was clearly expected there, so we wagered a bet on "TO210.5" with a 2.4 rate.

Over/Under bets in basketball

 

The basketball match ended with a 118-107 score, exceeding all expectations. As a result, the bet had won us $140 of net winnings. It would not hit only if both teams scored a total of 210 or less points.

How to bet on the over/under

The newbies in the world of betting may think that the Total Over/Under betting strategy is very primitive because you only need to guess the number of goals/points/sets, etc. In reality, everything is much more complicated - the total betting can result in lots of losses. In order not to drain the stake, you must follow some specific rules when betting on TO/TU.

  1. Analyze the performance statistics of the teams: analysis of statistical information can help to find patterns in team results.
  2. Separate home matches from away matches: most clubs perform much better and more powerfully in front of their home audience, this fact must not be ignored.
  3. Compare club performance: up the analysis to correctly assess the scoring potential of opponent teams.
  4. Perform case studies: always analyze the team strategy in games with opponents similar to their next ones.
  5. Don't focus on the previous match too much: fitness level and recent results are important, but don't focus solely on the last played match.
  6. Calculate passes, not goals/points: in the long run, don't bet based solely on the average result, because 1-2 matches (maybe even more) can always fall "out of common rule".

List of possible bets and their meaning

It's time to analyze and explain the real values of total bets. Let's start with the half lines:

Over 1.5: This bet means that 2 or more goals are expected in the match.

Under 1.5: The value of the event means 0 or 1 goals are to be scored in the match.

Over 2.5: In this case, it is assumed that 3 or more goals are to be scored in the match.

Under 2.5: This value indicates 2 or fewer goals per match are expected.

Over 3.5: This bet means having at least 4 or more points in a game.

Under 3.5: In this case, for the bet to hit, you need to score no more than 3 goals in the match.

Over 4.5: This bet implies that 5 or more goals are to be scored in a match.

Under 4.5: For this outcome to successfully hit, you'll need from 0 to 4 goals inclusive in the match.

In the case of an even line, everything is quite simple, so let's take two examples of the Total Under/Over bets:

Over 2: This bet will hit if there are 3 or more goals. With 2 goals scored in the match, the bet will get a draw no bet (this is a main difference between over 1.5 and over 2 bets), and 0 or 1 goal will mean a loss of the bet.

Under 2: In this case, you will need less than 2 goals (0 or 1) to win, but exactly 2 goals will also get a draw no bet. 3 or more goals per the event will mean a loss.

And the last type of bet on the total betting is the quarter line (Asian total). It's a little more complicated, but also easy to explain:

Over 2.25: Namely, this bet hides 2 other bets inside, each of them with half of the stake wagered: "TO 2" and "TO 2.5". A full hit for the bet will be if 3 or more goals are scored in the match. If there are 2 goals, half of the wagered amount will get a draw no bet, and the other half will be lost. If there are 1 or fewer goals scored in the match, then a loss will be total.

Under 2.25: This bet hides the "TU 2" and "TU 2.5" bets inside. It means, we'll have a full win with 0 or 1 goal, but with 2 goals, only half of the bet wagered will be considered won, the remaining half will simply be returned to our stake as draw no bet. 3 or more goals in a match mean losing the bet.

Over 2.75: For a full win with a bet of "TO 2.75”, we'll need 4 or more goals scored in the match, and with 2 or less goals, we will lose. If exactly 3 goals are scored in the game, then half of the bet will be returned as draw no bet, and the second half will be considered having hit.

Under 2.75: In this case, we will win with 2 or less goals, and with 4 or more goals, we will lose completely. In the case of 3 goals scored in an event, only half of the wagered amount will return to the stake as draw no bet, the rest will be considered lost.

What Happens if the Over-Under Is Exact?

While betting using the total strategy, often, you may face a situation when the number of goals matches the exact score of the bet (for example: you wager the TO2 bet, and exactly 2 goals are scored in the match). In this case, the bettors are to get a draw no bet case. It is also interesting that the "sign" of the total does not affect the rule in any way: the stake will be returned to all bettors - to those who wagered a TO bet and those who wagered a TU one alike.

How does an overtime game impact over/under bets?

You can wager the total bets not only on the regular time, but also on the extra time. However, you must accurately choose your bet, because basically the bookies set their total rates without taking into account overtimes. For Over/Under bets, in the event of an extra time, they often add "overtimes included" in the rules.

When betting Total Over/Under bets for the entire match, all goals will count, including those scored in the extra time. Also you need to remember that the penalty shootouts are not included in this type of bets.

Over/Under in Live Betting

Lots of betting newbies falsely assume that betting on totals is possible only in pre-match mode. In fact, total bets are much more often used in lives, because there the bettor may be able to catch a good rate and pick the right moment to bet. Lots of bettors build their total strategies on live betting.

The main essence of the article

In the world of betting, the totals are in charge of the statistical outcome of the match. You can choose anything at all: goals, points, games, sets, corners, free kicks, shots on target, penalty cards, send-offs and many more.

There are only 2 types of totals: Total Over and Total Under. To means an outcome where you need to beat the quantitative indicators set by the BO. TU, on the other hand, means the exact opposite - an outcome where the indicators in the match must not exceed the score set by the BO.

You can bet on the total both in pre-match and live modes. Usually, the bookies accept overtime bets only for the main time of the match, however, in certain cases, you can bet on the entire match, including overtime.

When wagering the total bets, one should carefully analyze the statistical indicators of both teams, comparing them with each other.

BetBurger – the best surebet service

The total betting strategy can aggregate a good income, but it cannot be profitable in the long run. If you want to receive a stable income from betting on an ongoing basis, take a closer look at the BetBurger surebet and value bet scanner app.

With this software, you will always find a value bet or a high-percent surebet in your favorite bookmakers, because the scanner analyzes the lines by more than 200 most popular bookmakers in 40+ sports. BetBurger is the best surebet service finely attuned to your needs.

Artur Polianskyi
For today Artur has 12 years of betting experience, and he kindly shares his knowledge with the readers of our blog. In his articles, you will find many useful tips for different strategies and learn more about all types of bets.
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