Earlier in this video series we talked about betting on a specific team in a game with moneyline and spread bets.
But what if you don’t want to pick a side? Then, betting the total – also known as over/under – might be the perfect bet for you.
The “total” is the bookmaker’s projected number of points scored in a game. Your job as a bettor is to predict whether there will be more or less points scored than that projection.
When you see the over/under listed, the same number is listed twice
- O, for Over
- U, for Under
For example, let’s say the Brooklyn Nets and Miami Heat are playing. The bookmakers have decided that the total is 219.5.
In this scenario, if you bet the Over, the Heat and Nets must combine to score 220 points or more. If you bet the Under, the Heat and Nets must score 219 points or less.
If you bet the Under, and the Heat win 109-100 or if the Nets win 109-100- you win! That’s because the total amount of points scored was 209 points.
Most over/under bets will have standard odds of -110, meaning that you’d need to wager $110 to make $100.
For you hockey fans out there, there is a variation of a totals bet in the NHL called the Grand Salami. Most totals bets in the NHL are 5.5 (over/under), so sportsbooks will usually multiply 5.5 against the number of games in the NHL that night.
If there were two games being played that night, the grand salami would be 11. If the two games result in a 3-1 score and a 2-2 score, the Under would be the successful bet.
Now that you know what the moneyline, spread, and the over/under bets are, it’s time to try your newly find skills at a sportsbook.
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