An over-under bet, often referred to as the total, is one of the most popular, and conveniently, one of the simplest ways to bet on sports. Over-under wagers provide bettors the chance to place action on a game that isn’t directly tied to a specific team winning. Instead, you can cheer for (or against, if you’re on the under!) points.
Below we’ve assembled a complete guide to sports betting totals that includes everything you need to know about the over-under.
What is an over-under bet?
With an over-under wager you are taking a stance on the total number of points that will be scored in a specific game or contest. Hard Rock Bet will set the line, and bettors can choose whether they want to bet the over (more points will be scored than the set line), or the under (fewer points will be scored than the set line).
The most common over-under bets involve the total combined score of both teams in a game. For example, the over-under for a football game could be set at 47 points. Bettors then predict whether the final combined score of the two teams is over or under 47 points. However, that’s not the only way to bet totals.
The versatility of over-under bets extends beyond total combined scores. Hard Rock Bet offers over-under wagers on a variety of different statistics and game states. You can bet on individual points or goals scored, predict the over-under on rebounds in a basketball matchup or touchdowns scored in a football game. In each case Hard Rock Bet establishes the forecasted total. Bettors speculate on whether reality exceeds or falls short of that predefined benchmark.
Possible outcomes of an over-under bet
There are three potential outcomes for an over-under wager. While the first two are pretty self explanatory, the third, a push – is certainly worthy of discussion. Let’s break them all down:
The over hits
When the statistic in question surpasses the line set by Hard Rock Bet, the “over” wins. Bettors who backed the over will cash winning tickets. For example, the over-under for an NBA game is set at 227.5 and the game ends 120-110. That’s 230 combined points, cash the over.
The under hits
When the statistic being wagered on fails to top the line set by Hard Rock Bet, the “under” wins. Anyone who placed a bet on the under will have won their bet and will receive the predetermined payout. Returning to the example of an NBA game with 227.5 points, if the score ends 115-109, that’s just 226 points and the under wins.
Push
In any circumstance where Hard Rock Bet doesn’t add a half point to the line, it’s possible for an over-under wager to end in a push. For example, if the points total for an NFL game is set at exactly 48 points and the game ends 27-21, exactly 48 points, then neither the over or the under hits. In the event that the total lands squarely on the accepted line, the wager amount will be refunded and the bet is scored as a push.
To avoid a push, sportsbooks will commonly add a half point to their total line. Going back to the example of an NFL game with a 48 point total – if we amend that to 48.5, either the over or under are guaranteed to hit since it isn’t possible to score a half point.
How to bet an over-under
Let’s go over the ins and outs of how to place an over-under bet on Hard Rock Bet.
Log-in to your Hard Rock Bet account through the website or sports betting app.
Find the sport, and ultimately the game you want to bet on. Once you’ve landed on the game you’ll see the standard six pack of betting options. This includes both sides of the spread, total, and winner (AKA the moneyline). The line for the over-under is displayed in the middle.
Click the top option, marked with an “O”, if you want to take the over, or choose the lower option, marked with a “U”, if you want to bet the under.
Place your bet on the over-under. After selecting a bet it will populate in your betslip. Enter the amount you want to wager and place the bet.
Pricing on totals bets: How much do you win?
The amount of money you will receive on an over-under bet depends on the accepted odds, and the amount of money you choose to wager.
While the line for the actual over-under is one thing (ex. Over 43 points), it’s also important to pay attention to the actual pricing of the bet, which will dictate the potential payout.
For example, if the over is offered at -110, it means for every $110 you wager, if you win, you would return $100 in profit. If you bet smaller, an $11 wager would return $10 profit, or a $1.10 wager would yield a $1 profit, etc.
Reading a betslip for an over-under
Let’s look at an example below, breaking down the various aspects of an over-under ticket.
The total
The total for this NFL bet is clearly stated on the slip at 43 points, and that this particular bet is for Over 43. In order for this over bet to win, the game must end with 44 or more points.
The price
The accepted price of the wager is located below in the top right corner: -110. With odds of -110 it means that for every $110 bet, an even $100 will be returned. With over-under bets the price is commonly at, or close to -110 on both sides… but occasionally alternative prices will be offered like -115 on one side and -105 on the other.
The payout
Finally, at the bottom of the betslip you can clearly see the chosen wager amount and the total payout. Notably, the payout, in the event of a successful wager, includes the original stake plus the profit from the bet. Therefore, if the game goes over 43 points, the bet is a winner, and $210 ($110 wager + $100 profit) is included in the payout.
Different types of over-under bets
Betting on the total number of points, goals, runs, etc., for an entire game is among the most common ways to engage with this style of betting, though it should be mentioned that there are many, many ways to engage with betting totals. Popular variations include:
Individual team totals: Instead of betting on the game total, you can bet on the total for one specific team.
Half/quarter totals: Think teams start slow? Bet the first half under. Envisioning a flurry of scoring down the stretch? Bet the over on the second half. Generally speaking you can bet the over-under for any specific time period of a game… this includes individual halves, quarters, periods, etc.
Props: Prop bets are typically offered in an over-under format. Will a quarterback through for over or under 250.5 yards? Will a point guard notch over or under 3.5 assists?
Futures: Season long over-unders, like win totals, are a big draw for many different sports, but especially for betting on football. It’s a big deal each year when sportsbooks like Hard Rock Bet release their pre-season win totals for each sport and bettors can assess and make season-long futures bets on whether teams go over, or under their projected totals.
Live betting: The over-under is also an option for live betting. As each game plays out Hard Rock Bet will update the line for the over-under in real time, reflecting the action that’s already taken place.
FAQ about over-under wagers
Let’s dig into some of the most frequently asked questions related to betting on totals.
An over-under will settle as a push, with wagers refunded, if the total of the game exactly matches the line that was bet. For example, if the total for a football game is 41 points and the game ends with a score of 27-14, exactly 41 points, the wager would be returned as a push. As a result, over-unders are commonly set with half points in the lines. For example, 47.5 points. If there is a half point then there is no outcome that will result in a draw/push as it’s not possible to score half points. The total number of points will either be greater or less than the posted line.
Generally speaking when betting totals overtime is viewed as an extension of the game. Any points scored in overtime will count towards the over-under, unless specifically stated otherwise. For example, an elimination soccer game might specify that the wager is for 90 minutes + stoppage time, excluding extra time and penalties.
It means in order for this wager to win, the game must end with 49 or fewer points (anything under 49 will do!). This is a good example of what a typical under line might look like for a football game.
A half point incorporated into an over-under wager is very common. It simply means there will be no push. Since it’s not possible for a team to score half points, if a total is set at 45.5 it means that either the unders will win if 45 or fewer points are scored, or the overs will win if 46 or more points are scored. With a half point in the total it is impossible for the bet to push.
Yes, these are two different ways to refer to the same type of bet. If you’re betting the over-under you are also betting on the point total, and vice versa.
Yes, absolutely. This is one of the most popular ways to engage with an over-under. When betting player props an individual players statistical line will be set by Hard Rock Bet and the task becomes whether you think they will go over, or under. This could be whether a player scores a goal in soccer, receiving yards for a football game, strikeouts for an MLB pitcher, or rebounds in a game of basketball. When you bring in props there are tons of possibilities for betting over-unders.
Yes! While betting the over-under for a full game is common, you can also bet on the points total for more specific periods of a game. For example, you can bet on the total first half goals in a soccer game, or the fourth quarter points in a basketball game, or the total number of runs in the 7th inning of a baseball game. There’s a lot of flexibility here.
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