Before a game begins betting over or under the total points scored is usually a -110 wager. Bettors will wager $110 to win $100 for a pre-game totals bet. If bettors wager a lot more on one side of the total, the moneyline might change before the actual point total moves. At a certain point, the sportsbook will reset the total and the moneyline.

Betting on the over/under point total of a game is quite popular when making a sports wager. Bettors tend to really like betting on over/under because they don't really have a rooting issue for one team or the other, but rather offense or defense. It is one of the main ways to make a wager for any given match up and the over/under point's total can be found along with other game lines including the points spread + the moneyline (payout for a straight up win).

Below we talk about the different sports and explain how how to read sports betting odds when it comes to dealing with the over/under total wager option.

How Does The Over/Under Betting Line Work?

The over/under is a simple wager where the bettor decides whether the final score of a specific game will be over or under a published number. The number represents the sum total of points scored by both teams. Thus, you either bet on the over or the under. Over/under bets are great when you have a strong idea of how the fight is going to go. Sometimes this bet is placed in conjunction with picking a winner and sometimes it is not. If you think a fighter is going to come out and destroy the other guy in the first round, you can bet that fighter to win and take the under. Over-under An over-under or over/under bet is a wager in which a sportsbook will predict a number for a statistic in a given game, and bettors wager that the actual number in the game will be either higher or lower than that number. For example, in Super Bowl XXXIX, most Las Vegas casinos set the over-under for the score of the game at 46.0.

When two teams are set to match up, oddsmakers will research both teams, their history, trends, previous meetings and a variety of other factors. After doing all their work an over/under point total will be released for the combined score of the game in questions. From that point, it is on the bettor to decide whether he/she thinks that score (total) will be 'over' or 'under' the oddsmakers' prediction. Simply pick the right side to get paid!

Over Under Odds

Now, this can be points in football games, goals in hockey and soccer, runs in baseball... Ok you, get the idea, but you should know the concept of betting over or under comes into play when making team based prop wagers and individual player props. Instead of using points or score as the deciding number, prop-based over/unders will use all sorts of stats from the total number of turnovers in a given period of time, to the total number of rushing yards for a player.

When Can The Over/Under Be Wagered On?

The over/under total for a game is one of the staples over the game lines installed for every matchup. Bettors will have numerous chances to bet on the game total before the game, but even after game gets underway there will be other chances as well.

Game totals are installed with the point spread and moneyline, and typically there is plenty of time to check them out and get a bet in prior to the start of the game. But after the game starts, there can be different over/under totals installed for the game in increments. For example a football game with four quarters can have an over/under point total for each. Bettors could conceivably wagers on a total for every quarter or half in a matchup. That presents plenty of bets that can be made.

Live betting also comes into play. At different points in the game a live wager could reform a game total either higher or lower, with an adjusted payout. This is similar to an in-play betting line as well, with adjusted totals for in-progress matchups.

Betting On The Over/Under Totals For An Individual Team

Another type of over/under total bet is for the two teams involved in the game. This is considered to be a prop bet though and at most online sportsbooks will be in the team props, and not a part of the game lines. Those are reserved for the combined game total. Still, teams will be set with different over/under totals, which will closely relate to the game total on the game line plus the point spread. There are several variables that come into the formation of this betting line.

Understanding Payouts When Betting On The Over / Under

The payouts for an over/under total wager fluctuate but generally stay around even payouts for both sides of the bet. The times when the payout for an over/under will not be equal are usually when:

1. One side of the wager is being bet on more than the other, however sportsbook operators will generally adjust the actual total to balance the wager instead of changing the payouts.
2. The payouts typically tend to swing more when the total score cannot be changed because the wager is based on a low-scoring sport like NHL, MLB, soccer, etc... When this occurs there can be sizable differences in payout

Take The Under

Example: Over/Under Total Points For Game - Over # Points (-105) / Under # Points (-125)

The numbers inside the parentheses indicate the payout. -105 shows this side of the wager pays $.95 for every $1 wagered versus -125 which pays $.80 for every $1 wagered. This basically shows the percentage paid to the house when the bet is won which is also known as 'juice'. If there are no numbers shown in parentheses both sides pay equally; usually -110.

Examples Of Total Wagers

NFL Over/Under

• Dallas Cowboys vs. NY Giants: 44.5 o/u

Here in this example we have the Cowboys taking on the Giants. Oddsmakers have set the over/under point total for the two teams combined at 44.5 points. There are two options to take on this line. The over total, and the under total. For the over total to win this line, both teams would need to combine for at least 45 points. For the under total, 44 points or less scored and that side of the line wins. Get an explanation of NFL betting odds here.

College Football Over/Under + Total Wagers

• Georgia Bulldogs vs. Tennessee Volunteers : 46.5 o/u

This Southeastern Conference showdown between Georgia and Tennessee has been installed with a game total of 46.5 points. This the total total number of points installed for the combined score in the game. The wager is made on the actual total going above or below this mark. For the over to win here, 47 points or more is needed between the Bulldogs and Volunteers. For the under to win, it's 46 points or fewer. Learn how to read college football betting odds here.

NBA Total Wagers + Over/Under Betting Lines

• Miami Heat vs. Atlanta Hawks : 202.5 o/u

Flipping the total to be accurate for betting on NBA lines, the mark for this over/under total example has been set at 202.5 points. This is the combined point total for both teams in the matchup. The wager is made on the actual total from the game going over or under the installed line. Here, 203 points or more is needed for the over to win. On the flip side, 202 points or fewer and the under wins. There is no chance for a push with the half point in play.

Bovada Sportsbook - Best Sports Betting Site For Betting On The Over / Under

Betting Over Under Meaning

This is where Bovada shows its cards as the best site for many players to choose from. The Over/Under here on this site are clearly the best ones out there for players to pick. The scores are so close that when players do a little research, it is very easy to pick either the over or the under to bet on Bovada.

With different games and high scoring games in different sports, the over/under on Bovada is based on the success of the teams earlier in the season. This means that this over/under can change often so placing over/under bets on Bovada can be the most profitable especially when it comes to parlaying bets!

SportsBetting's Sportsbook - Lots Of Betting Odds When Betting The Over / Under

Here is where betting odds on the over/under are just in favor of all players with an account with SportsBetting. This sportsbook is here for the players so that means that the odds that you will find are there for players to want to wager on. The better the over/under is, the more players will continue to sign up for Sportsbetting.ag accounts.

When you have an Over/Under set so high with two teams known for high scoring offenses, this means this that betting over could be very easy to do. In fact, when knowing that two teams like the Baltimore Ravens and The Kansas City Chiefs who are known for their high-powered offenses play each other, there is no doubt that the game will explode with points and SportsBetting has the Over/Under set up for players to win.

BetOnline Sportsbook - Best Sportsbook Bonuses And Promotions

BetOnline is just the site that has the best over/under totals and there is no doubt about it. These totals are favored for players to profit when picking these bets at the right time. Picking the Over/Under on a lot of games can be challenging if players don’t do any extra research on these teams. Here on BetOnline from past results, there are plenty players that cash big betting on the Over/Under total.

When it comes to creating the over/under total, these points are based on how a team has recently played and also the availability of the the best players on their team. The reason that you will get the best Over/Under total from Betonline is because as soon as any news comes out regarding a team, the Over/Under total is updated. Accuracy of the total is very much to winning huge and BetOnline makes sure to be as accurate as possible.

MyBookie Sportsbook - Players Often Play Over/Under Bets On MyBookie

There is no reason for players to not want to bet on the Over/Under totals here on MyBookie. The totals are always set up based on the teams that are playing no matter if one team is a lot better than the other. This means that even if a team is very good at scoring and the other one isn’t, there is a good chance this Over/Under will be based on the high scoring team.

The way that this is great for MyBookie player is very simple. This Over/Under total could really be affected when teams are going back and forth. The points scored can really increase if Team A , who is not known for scoring a lot, is trying to stick around and possibly pull off the upset. Paying close attention to both teams is important when placing Over/Under bets and once you have done your research, cashing on MyBookie shouldn’t be an issue at all!

As a fan, you don’t care if your team wins by a point or 100. A win is a win, though that 100-point win would be a little easier on the nerves.

In sports betting, how much a team wins by is usually all that matters.

The most popular way to bet for the two most popular sports, basketball and football, is with the point spread, also known as the “side.” Most baseball, hockey and soccer bets are on the moneyline, which is betting on a team to win straight up with adjusted odds. Football and basketball have moneyline bets available too, but most people will take the point spread.

The concept can be a bit confusing if you’ve never dabbled in sports betting before.

Why bet with the point spread?

The point spread was created to attract more action on a game. When the San Francisco 49ers are expected to blow out the Arizona Cardinals, it’s not enticing to lay $300 to win $100 on a moneyline. But when the 49ers are 11-point favorites and each side is -110 odds? That’s much easier.

In that example, the 49ers are spotting the Cardinals 11 points before the game starts, at least for bettors. The 49ers have to win by 12 or more points to cover the spread. If the Cardinals win or lose by 10 or less, that side wins the bet. If the game lands on 11, like a 21-10 49ers win, it’s a push and all bets are refunded. If you see a -11 that means that team is favored, and +11 means you’re taking the underdog.

Nothing sharpens your math skills better than trying to figure out how big your lead as a bettor is if you have a 22.5-point basketball underdog that is losing 90-72.

The problem with the point spread can be when a team — which really doesn’t care that you bet the favorite at -11 — has a 14-point lead but gives up a meaningless score at the end to win by only seven points. They’re still happy with the win. You, as a bettor, are not.

Point spreads lead to bad beats

The most infamous example of a bad beat with the point spread probably came in the 2004 Final Four at the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

Duke was a 2.5-point underdog against UConn. The Huskies rallied late and took a 79-75 lead on a free throw with 3.2 seconds left. The game itself was over; Duke couldn’t score twice in a few seconds. But Duke guard Chris Duhon pulled up for a running 3-pointer just over the half-court line and banked it in at the buzzer. Duke lost 79-78, but bettors who had Duke and 2.5 points won. March Madness is a huge event for bettors, and reports at the time estimated that Duhon’s “meaningless” shot resulted in a $30 or $40 million swing in Nevada. UConn players celebrated at the final buzzer. UConn bettors doubled over in pain. That’s the difference between betting the moneyline and the point spread.

Baseball and hockey have point spreads too, the “run line” in baseball and “puck line” in hockey. It’s generally 1.5 with odds adjusting accordingly. Taking a big baseball favorite at -1.5 runs can make the odds more palatable. Of course, betting the New York Yankees at -1.5 to bring down the odds from -190 to -110 isn’t too fun when they win 4-3 and you don’t cash a bet.

Betting on the point spread is the most common way to wager on sports. And the first time you take a favorite that wins the game but doesn’t cover the spread, you’ll understand every bettor’s heartbreak.