How Does Over Under Betting Work? - Betting Types Explained - November 2025

What is Over/Under Betting?

Over/Under betting is used on football markets, such as a game’s total corners, goals, cards, or shots, with bettors wagering whether the total will finish over or under a pre-agreed line. 

The line varies depending on the market, but is typically set at the total expected for the match or market.

Several bookmakers include numerous over/under line options per market. For example, bettors may choose between over/under 0.5, 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, and 4.5 match goals on prominent sites.

The betting option is also available for dozens of popular sports, including rugby, basketball, and cricket.

Over/under wagers can be lucrative, but bettors must know what they’re doing to secure consistent returns.

Our guide offers tips on when to use over/under markets and how bettors can maximise their chances of success.

Understand Over/Under Markets with Real Examples

Over/under betting is simpler than it initially seems. There are tons of simple markets to place over/under bets on in the Premier League and other football competitions.

Among the most popular are cards. A team filled with aggressive ball-winners might concede several cards within a given 90 minutes.

Gambling on the exact number of cards they’ll accumulate can be problematic. In contrast, betting over or under a line gives more flexibility and better chances of winning.

Arsenal are no strangers to the referee’s notebook. A bettor could wager that the Gunners will pick up over 3.5 cards in a London derby against Tottenham.

If Arteta’s team receives 4 or more cards, the bet wins. However, if the team receives 3 or fewer cards, the wager fails.

Nonetheless, 4 cards, even in a tightly contested derby match, would be a considerable total. Premier League teams average around 2.35 cards per game.

So, betting on Brentford to receive over 2.5 cards against Everton is a more winnable selection.

Since all cards – and goals, corners, and shots – are awarded as whole numbers, bets always resolve as over or under the line.

Over Under Stats Premier League 2025/26 - Overs markets offering value

Just over 50% of games in the Premier League this season have seen three or more goals scored, with this occurring in 54 games up until this point. 

25 games have seen over 3.5 goals land whilst somewhat surprisingly just over 10% of games have seen five or more goals scored.

Five teams have seen over 2.5 land in seven of their games so far, including the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea, whilst Sunderland and Arsenal are the worst for this market with just three of their games seeing this bet land.

In terms of 3.5 goals markets, two teams stand out amongst the rest for overs with Brentford and Bournemouth seeing at least four goals in half of their games, whilst Sunderland are the only team not to see this occur in any of their outings.

Burnley and Liverpool have seen a third of their games go over 4.5 goals, with only five sides seeing this happen more than once this term.

Different Types of Over/Under Bets Explained

Britain's most prolific bookmakers offer dozens of ways for bettors to get involved with over/under betting. The betting option can be a single selection, added to an accumulator, or featured as part of a bet builder.

Single Over/Under Bets

There are two types of single over/under football match bets users can place: match props and player props.

Match-prop bets refer to the total amount of cards, goals, corners, etc, a team or fixture accumulates. For example, Aston Villa to score over 2.5 goals or Bournemouth Vs Brighton to have over 3.5 goals.

Player-prop markets are slightly different. Bettors wager on the total number an individual player will accumulate in the match. For example, Erling Haaland to score over 1.5 goals or Bukayo Saka to take over 4.5 shots in a game.

Bet Builder Over/Under Bets

When bettors have a bold and specific view on how a fixture may unfold, they can combine player and match-prop over/under selections together with a bet builder.

Bet builders are same-game multi-leg wagers. Most bookmakers stipulate that between 2–8 legs are added to create a bet builder.

A bettor could combine Arsenal to score over 2.5 goals, Bukayo Saka to take over 4.5 shots, and Tottenham to receive over 3.5 cards in a North London derby. For the bet builder to pay out, each selection must win.

Bet builders can be lucrative. The odds of each selection are multiplied to create a considerable overall value.

Over/Under Accumulator

Alternatively, bettors can combine multiple over/under selections from different fixtures with an accumulator.

An accumulator could feature Liverpool to score over 3.5 goals against Chelsea, Manchester United to receive under 2.5 cards against Sunderland, and Brennan Johnson to score over 0.5 goals.

Even though each selection is from a different fixture and on different market selections, accumulators still multiply the odds of each pick to offer a larger total.

Since all three legs must win to secure a payout, the multi-leg wager is substantially more challenging than a single over/under bet.

Over/Under Betting Strategies

Over/under betting is not a speculative, luck-based market; those who consistently succeed on the popular market selection typically use a combination of proven strategies.

Place Over/Under Bet Builders that are Compatible

Teams that take more shots on target receive more corners. Likewise, teams with lower possession stats concede more fouls and corners.

It is counterproductive to bet on a team or player to have a high shot count but a low corner total. Since the two metrics are usually correlated, adding both to a bet builder is strategic.

Experienced bettors research numerous outcomes that influence the likelihood of another event.

Research on Premier League fixtures indicates a correlation between high possession shares and shot, goal, and corner shares. This is just one of several ways data can highlight patterns in over/under betting.

Research Expected Over/Under Totals for a League and Team

The number of goals, corners, cards, and shots a team accumulates is not standardised. In Serie A, there are fewer goals per game than in the Premier League; in League 2, there are more cards brandished than in the Championship.

Basing an over/under betting decision on intuition or stats relating to broader football trends is counterintuitive.

For bettors to maximise their chances of success, they must first research the general trends within the market on the league or competition they’re betting on.

Once an understanding of the league’s patterns is gained, smart bettors should research the team or teams they wish to back to see how they compare to the league’s standards.

When betting on an over/under total for a game, bettors should consider league-wide and team-specific trends in their chosen market.

How does Over Under Betting Work FAQs

What is over/under betting?

It’s a wager predicting if a match statistic, like goals or cards, will exceed or stay below a set line.

What types of over/under bets exist?

You can place single bets, combine selections in bet builders, or add multiple fixtures in accumulators.

How can I make smarter over/under bets?

Study league and team trends, and choose correlated stats for better-informed selections.