What Does Over Mean In Sports Betting and Wagering?

by Doc's Sports - 10/11/2014

To understand what the over is in sports betting we first need to understand totals betting, otherwise commonly known as the over/under. In the most common form of totals betting the linemaker will set a total for the number of points he thinks the two teams in a game will combine to score. You can bet totals in any of the major teams sports in North America. Once you know what the total is for a given game then your job is easy - you have to determine whether the two teams are likely to score more points than the total, or fewer points. If you think that the teams are going to combine to score more points than the total then you are betting the over. The opposite, of course, betting the under.

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The concept is straightforward, but it doesn’t hurt to throw in an example. Let’s say that the total in a game between the Bears and the Colts is 43. If the final score was 35-21 then the teams combined for 56 points and the over was the winning bet. If the score was 21-17, though, then the game total is 38 and the under was the winning bet. If the teams combined to score exactly 43 points then the game would be a push and bettors on both sides would get their money back.

You don’t have to stick just to full game totals if you want to bet the over. There are also partial game totals available. In football, for example, there will be a total for the first half posted before the game, and a total for the second half posted at halftime. You also have plenty of opportunities to bet the over in proposition and futures bets. You can bet over/under on how individual stats for players on a game or a season - like how many yards a quarterback will throw for, or how many home runs a slugger will hit. You can bet on season win totals - the number of games a team is going to win over the course of a season. Totals betting is very common and widespread - and can potentially be lucrative if you pick your spots.

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Pick:	KANSAS CITY CHIEFS -5.5
Start:	December 15, 2024 @ 1:00 PM
Expert:	Doc's Sports

Analysis:

Free Play from Doc’s Sports. Take #465 Kansas City Chiefs -5.5 over Cleveland Browns (1p.m., Sunday, December 15 CBS) The Chiefs keep winning games and sooner or later one of those wins will come by a comfortable margin. I look for that to be this Sunday against a Browns team that is just playing out the string. Cleveland currently sits at 3- 10 and will enter this game having lost 4 of their last 5 games. Their only win came against Pittsburgh in a snow game on a short week. All 4 of those losses by the Browns have come over the posted number for this game. Kansas City is better on both sides of the football, and I just do not see the Browns offense keeping pace. Do not miss out on Doc’s Sports Weekend card featuring top plays in basketball, football, and hockey. We will feature our World-Famous Nonconference Game of the Year in College Basketball on Saturday. This game has won 13 of the 15 years it has been in existence and it is a must have for any big game hunter. Read More Read Less

What Does Over Mean In Sports Betting and Wagering?

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