What is Over/Under Betting: Complete Guide to Understanding Over and Under Bets

In the world of sports betting, one of the most popular types of wagers is the over/under bet.

But what exactly does "over-under" mean in betting? Simply put, it involves betting on the amount of things that will happen in a game, be this goals, corners, fouls and much more.

The Basics of Over/Under Betting

To kick off our journey into over/under betting punters need to understand what a ‘line’ is.

A ‘line’ is simply a total set by the bookmaker. This can be something like 2.5 goals, 9.5 corners, 3.5 fouls or something similar.

In over/under betting players simply need to predict whether there will be more or less than the line set by the bookmakers, giving us the over/under respectively.

For instance, in a football game, if a bookmaker sets the goals line at 2.5, a bettor has two options.

They can bet 'over' if they believe the combined score of both teams will be three or more.

Alternatively, they can bet 'under' if they think the combined score will be two or less.

In essence, the beauty of over/under bets lies in their simplicity. They allow bettors to focus on the game's intricacies, rather than figuring out which team will win or lose.

This adds an enjoyable layer of strategy to sports betting, beyond the mere, and often difficult to predict, result.

Over/Under Markets

There are truly loads of different over/under markets out there now, as the method of betting has readily grown in popularity.

These can vary by bookmaker but here are some of the main ones players can usually find:

• Goals
• Corners
• Cards
• Player Shots/Shots on Target
• Some bookmakers however extend this much further to:
• Team Corners
• Total Fouls
• Total Shots/Shot on Target
• Free Kicks/Goal Kicks
• Offsides
• Throw Ins

The bigger, more established sportsbooks will often offer the widest set of over/under markets for users to play on, however virtually all of them will have some form of it on offer.

Real-Life Examples of Over/Under Bets

To get a clear grasp on over/under bets, let's look at some real-life examples.

Imagine a football game between Arsenal and Manchester City.

The bookmaker might have set a line of 2.5 for Erling Haaland shots on target.

This means the bettors must predict if the total shots on target had by Haaland will be more or less than 2.5.

If players believe he will have three or in the match, they would place an 'over' bet.

Conversely, if we anticipate him to struggle to hit the target, we would opt for an 'under' bet. Say that he ends the clash with just two to his name, the 'under' bets triumph.

Let's consider another ‘over/under’ market for the same game.

The bookmakers may set the corner line at 9.5. This means they believe there will be around 9 or 10 corners in the match.

If punters believe there will be 10 or more corners, they opt for the over. If they think there will be nine or fewer they take them under.

The match will then play out and the number of corners earned by both sides is totted up.

Should this be more than 10 or more the over will of course win.

Should this be less than 9 or less the under will be victorious.

Over/Under can appear a touch complicated on the surface, particularly with the decimal places used by bookmakers to denote the line.

However, it is as simple as just predicting how many goals, corners, shots, fouls or cards there may be in a game.

Team Over/Unders

What we covered above were match over/under, whereby players are betting on how many things will occur over the course of 90 minutes.

Team over/under simply means how many occurrences a single team will earn, instead of both sides combined in the match.

The same rules apply. Ie the amount of goals, cards or corners will be earnt, it just applies to one team.

So a bet on ‘Manchester City Over 2.5 Goals’, means City will have to score three or more goals.

Likewise a bet on ‘Arsenal Under 4.5 Cards’, means Arsenal needs to earn four or fewer cards in a match.

The team over/under opens up a whole new range of possibilities for bettors, and are perfect for these lopsided games where one team is likely to dominate.

Punters can get involved with this match, only needing to worry about one side for their bets, instead of two.

Pros and Cons of Over Under Betting

Over/under bets are possibly one of the most entertaining and changeable wagers that can be placed on any sport, but they prove particularly handy when it comes to football betting.

One of the most advantageous facets of these sorts of bets is that most bookmakers now allow players to vary the line when betting. So instead of them only offering over 2.5 goals or over 9.5 corners, bettors can choose the one that suits them best.

This only serves to further open up the betting possibilities, instead of pigeonholing them into just one possible outcome.

Beyond that, the bet is incredibly easy to track and stay on top of no matter what. Especially with so many sportsbooks now offering live stats updates, players can track their bets no matter what.

Helping not only to gauge if the bet will land or not, but also if the cash out could be valuable to bettors.

Beyond all of this, over/under bets can prove extremely valuable when added into single-game bet builders, helping to increase the price of the wager as a whole.

With the variable lines included, players can add an over/under to sweeten the deal, with the odds of this not needing to be massively high.

This brings us handily to the only real drawback surrounding them, this being that if placed as a single bet, the line needs to be rather outlandish, and as such has a lower probability of coming in.

Something like over 4.5 goals or under 5.5 corners, things that seem unlikely in any game, but not impossible.

Over/under bets truly open up a tonne of opportunities for bettors, and can serve to make football betting all that more interesting and potentially valuable.

Over/Under Betting FAQs

What is over/under betting?

Over/under betting is simply where punters attempt to predict if there will be more or less than a certain number of things in a match.

Bookmakers will set a line, be this 2.5 goals, 9.5 corners and the like. Players will then get to pick if there will be more or less than this amount by a single side or across the whole match.

What is over/under 1.5 in betting?

All this means is that the bookmaker has set the line at 1.5. Therefore the over would win if there are two or more of these things. The under would win if there is one or less.

Does Over/Under count in extra time?

No, over/under bets will normally only cover the full 90 minutes of a football game.

Some bookmakers may offer players the ability for their bets to go into extra time, but this will usually be located under a different market. This may be called something like ‘Over/Under Goals including ET.

How to bet the under in a match?

Betting an under on a match is remarkably easy. Just head over to the betting site of your choice, find their football markets and choose the over/under market.

Once done, simply choose the under option, add it to your betslip and place the bet. These can be placed as singles, as part of an accumulator or even a bet builder.