Why Totals Betting Is a Good Strategy
Many sports bettors say betting on overs/unders is easier than trying to predict the winner of a game and bookmakers tend to agree with that fact. Sportsbooks place smaller betting limits on totals than sides because they are more vulnerable to the totals bettor. The books prefer bettors wager on parlays, teasers, point spreads or the money line.
Overs/unders, more commonly referred as totals, is a betting option for bettors to wager on the over bet or the under bet based on the final score posted number. The winner of a totals bet is determined by adding the final score of both teams. You do not need to specify the two teams playing but announce over only or under only on game rotation number.
If the New York Jets are playing the Miami Dolphins and the posted total is 40, the two teams must score more than 40 points to win an over bet. If the Dolphins win 24-17, you made a winning bet. If the Dolphins were to win 24-14, you lose the over bet with the final combined score of 38 and win the under bet. But, it does not matter who wins or losses. If the final score added up to 40, the bet is called a push or a tie, and your money is returned to you.
Football and basketball totals can be bet before the game or at half-time and in each quarter of a game with a different total number each time.
When betting on football and basketball totals, the bettor risks $11 to win $10, just as they do when making a bet against the point spread. If the bookmaker can get an equal amount of money wagered on the over and the under, he is guaranteed to make money. Most NFL football totals will range between 36 and 52, with an average number right around 42 points. Sometimes, the over bet total for a game of 43 points can be a winning bet by half-time with a 24 to 20 score. The under bet can look good until the fourth quarter when teams find their offense and score a bunch of points from turnovers or pick 6 to ruin your under bet.
If two high scoring teams with poor defenses are playing each other, the total number is around 50 points. On rare occasions, two sound defensive teams playing in poor, cold weather, may see the total dip below 36, but not often. Total bettors look for that soft total posted where the books sense they are vulnerable without much room to move. College football totals will always be higher than the NFL because of the scheduling mis-matches. Total numbers in college games are common between the 55 to 65 point range with larger totals reaching 70 to 75 points on every game day. College scores of 52 to 28 are a common scoreboard posting every Saturday.
Basketball totals work in the same manner as football totals, where the bettor risks $11 to win $10. The totals number is much higher with many more points being scored in a basketball game. The totals can range from 120 for a low scoring NCAA team and well above 200 points for an NBA game depending on the teams playing. An average NBA range is usually between 185 and 225 points.
Baseball and hockey totals are not as popular as the NFL or NBA totals due to a one player game domination with a great pitcher or goalie. They can control the game with a great performance and limit the opposition — unders are usually the better option.
Baseball and hockey totals wagers use the same principal as football and basketball totals, where the bookmaker posts a number and you can bet either over that total or under the total. The one essential difference is the amount of money a bettor must risk in order to win $100. Because scoring in baseball and hockey is so much lower than in football or basketball, the bookmakers are reluctant to change the number of a total and instead will adjust the money odds. If the total number on the Dodgers and the Giants is 9 runs and a bettor places a $500 wager on the over, the bookmaker is unlikely to raise the total to 9.5. Instead, he will make bettors who wager over 9 risk $120 to win $100, which is written as -120. The under bet is even money or +100. Your totals bet can cost more or less depending on your preference. The bookmaker will generally raise the money odds up to -145 before raising the total to the next number at 9.5 runs.
Betting totals is another way to add some excitement to a game and many times will offer more betting value than trying to pick the winner. Many serious bettors concentrate on totals, believing they are easier to win than picking which team is going to cover the spread.
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