What is an Over/Under Bet? How to Bet on Point Totals in Sports

An over/under bet is simple. In basic terms, it’s a wager on whether or not the total number of points scored by both teams in a game will be above or below an amount set by oddsmakers.

Let’s dive deeper into how over/under bets work and showcase some real-world examples.

How Do Over/Under Bets Work?

Over/under bets are also called totals. You might see an over/under bet called the “total” at a sportsbook or depicted by “O/U” followed by a number.

Instead of picking the winner of a match, like in spread betting, your goal is to predict whether the combined score of both teams will be over or under the total number of points set by the sportsbook.

For example, if the over/under for a football game is 55.5, there would need to be a total of 56 points scored in the game to hit the over and 55 points or fewer to hit the under.

Over/under bets (along with moneyline bets) can be a good way for beginners to get started with sports betting. Other bet types have more moving parts and require more knowledge about sports betting terms and how to read odds.

What to Keep in Mind When Betting the Over/Under

Betting on point totals is popular in almost every sport, but they are especially common in football and basketball betting, where points are scored in bunches.

Many factors should be considered when deciding to bet an over/under. These include team offensive stats, defensive stats, weather conditions, and player injuries. Specific team matchups are also paramount if you want to bet an over/under smartly.

Does a team have a strong passing game against a weak secondary? This could lead to more explosive plays and a higher point total. Or maybe a team is trotting out a banged-up quarterback against a defense that likes to cause havoc in the backfield? Something like this could lead to a lower-scoring game.

How Do Odds for Over/Under Bets Work?

When placing an over/under bet, you’ll quickly notice that sportsbooks normally (but not always) set the odds at -110. That means you would have to wager $110 in order to win $100.

This margin, normally 10%, is called “vigorish”—”vig” for short, or “juice.” Basically, it's the cut sports betting sites take on each bet, i.e., how they make money.

What is the Payout for an Over/Under Bet?

Figuring out the payout for an over/under wager isn't hard. Let's take a look at an example below to get a better understanding of how to calculate your winnings from a total bet:

As you can see from the over/under example above, the odds for betting the over and under in this game differ (-115 and -105). This usually occurs when one side of an over/under is receiving a disproportionate amount of wagers. Sportsbooks sometimes alter the odds (rather than the point total) to encourage more bets on one side until there is more parity. Sportsbooks want wagers on an outcome to be close to 50-50 because they make money on the vig.

In the example above, if you bet $115 on the over and it hits, your payout would be $100. If you successfully bet $105 on the under, you would receive $100 in profit.

Over/Under bets are always listed in negative odds (-) rather than positive odds (+). Negative American odds (-110, for example) show how much you need to bet in order to receive $100, making payouts easy to calculate.

How Do Bookmakers Determine the Over/Under?

Sportsbooks use oddsmakers and power rating models to set over/under odds and lines. Oddsmakers are experienced sports betting professionals who consider every bit of information they can get, often including insider info. Then, they make a prediction based on all of the variables they have.

The total can change leading up to a game and often does based on betting behavior. Oddsmakers may also adjust the point total for a game based on new information, such as injuries, or when the majority are betting on one side. For example, if most bettors are betting the over, they could change the point total.

Alternatively, they can balance out disproportionate betting by offering better or worse odds on both sides of the over/under. For example, if many people are betting the over, they can change the over from -110 to -115 and the under from -110 to -105.

Sportsbooks want each betting side to be equal because when they are, one side essentially pays the other side, and the sportsbook simply keeps the percentage from the vig.

What is a Push in Over/Under Betting?

Let's say a sportsbook sets an over/under total at 48 points in a game between the LA Rams and Arizona Cardinals. What happens if the final score is 34-14 in favor of the Rams, equalling the exact point total? This is called a “push”. Every wager involving the over/under is refunded when this happens, and there is no winning bet.

Typically, sportsbooks avoid this by setting the over-under as not a whole number. For example, a football game might be set at 46.5 points, a baseball game at 4.5 runs, and a basketball game at 120.5 points. That way, the total must be either over or under the number set by oddsmakers, preventing a push.

How Do Over/Under Bets Work in Live Betting?

You can place over/under bets during a live game. For example, say you are watching an MLB game, and a pitcher is dialed in and looks unhittable. You might want to bet the under. Or maybe you are watching a soccer match that is wide open with chances aplenty. This might be a good opportunity to bet the over.

Live betting on the over/under lets you decide on the fly based on real-time in-game dynamics.

Over/Under Betting Final Takeaways

Over/under bets are a common type of straight bet. They are beginner-friendly and offer a way for seasoned bettors to bet on games based on matchups that could determine how high or low a final score might be. They’re available for just about any team sport a sportsbook offers but are most common in football and basketball betting.

To conclude, here are a few key takeaways to remember about over/under bets:

• Over/under bets are when you bet on the combined number of points scored in a game.
• Sportsbooks often set the over/under total as a decimal (e.g., 55.5 points) to make betting easier and prevent pushes.
• Over/under bets are also called totals.
• Sportsbook odds include the house’s cut, which is called “vig” or “juice.”
• The most common odds are -110, which means if you wager $110, you’ll receive $100 if your bet wins.

Note: Not everyone has access to betting online with sports due to legal availability or other factors. Players in most states can wager online with their state lottery. For example, users in Michigan can use the MI iLottery Promo Code to get a signup bonus for their state lottery.