The Totals betting or simply the over/under bets is the betting industry’s innovative method when it comes to betting freely and flexibly in the market. It is simple which makes it attractive for the novice betters in the market, but the veterans also use this method to gain a bang for their buck. This kind of betting strategy enables the bet-maker to place their bet on the natural flow of the game, rather than the outcome.
This totals betting guide will focus solely on the totals betting strategy and some of the important points that need to be kept in mind while doing it.
Tips from Experts on totals betting
Let us take a look at the points concerning the totals betting through some expert opinions,
Over/Under Totals Betting Guide
The over/under bet is a wager that will enable the bet-placer to bet on the flow of the game rather than the result of the game. It is completely independent of the outcome and it does not matter who wins the game. You will be getting the opportunity to either bet over or under a specified number of points that the sportsbook has placed on a particular name, which is what forms the basic outline of this wager.
For instance, there is a game between Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers and the sportsbook has predicted that the final score would be 13-24 for the Cowboys. Meaning that the total points scored between the teams is 37 points. The sportsbook will enable you to make the bet that would either be over 37 points or under 37 points. If you choose to place the bet over 37 points, and both teams in the game make 40 points in total, it does not matter who wins the game, you win your bet.
If both the teams score the exact 37 points in the game, then there is neither a win nor loss for you, and whatever amount that you placed during the bet will be returned to you. This is how the over/under totals betting works and many of the expert betters and novice betters win and lose using this. A line will be set by the sportsbook for a particular game, and you need to choose whether you want to stay over the line, or under the line. It is as simple as that, and this mechanism works on multiple other sports and not just limited to American football.
Calculating Over/Under (Totals) Bets Payouts
One of the beautiful things when it comes to the totals betting strategy is not only is it simple to comprehend, but the payout calculations are also simple. These payout practices differ based on the high-scoring and the low-scoring games. We will be dividing this into the same categories and explaining this,
- High-Scoring Games – The high-scoring games mainly including basketball, NFL, etc and these sports are of high intensity along with an increased number of points as well from both sides. The points usually range from double to triple digits and when you place an over/under bet, the rate at which you are paid would exactly be the same every time with no evident differences. The high-scoring games payout is usually at -110 meaning if you place a bet of $10, then for the correct bet, you will receive $9.09. If you take either the over or the under bet, the payout would be the same, and these odds are rarely shifted when it comes to high-scoring games.
- Low-Scoring Games – The low-scoring games mainly include hockey, baseball, and professional soccer are of high intensity as well, but the score margin mainly ranges to single digits from both sides. It is difficult for the sportsbook to move the lines without making any changes, for instance, you cannot change the total by half a goal, because that would cause the odds to change a lot. The sportsbook will leave the totals as it is and shift the payouts on each of the opposing sides.
Benefits of Using Over/Under (Totals) Bets
The totals betting strategy also consists of great benefits. Let us take a look at two of the benefits that are important and should be known by everyone,
- Betting on Game flow instead of the result – As you are aware, this is the most evident benefit which adds flexibility to this kind of betting mechanism. Without this advantage, you would not have the freedom to place bets on any given point in the game. Without having the flexibility to make these bets, what is the use of having a prediction on how the game will proceed? You will share the outcome with your friends, and earn a few brownie points, but that is of no use since it is not getting you any payout. Since the sportsbook is giving you that flexibility to bet, it is an additional advantage and a good thing.
- Entertainment Betting Opportunity – If there are two teams in the game and you don’t like both of them and you wish whether there was a way that you would choose to not root for both of them. The converse can also happen, which is you want to root for both of your favorite teams in the game. The totals betting option will give you this opportunity to make it happen. If you don’t like the teams that are playing currently, you can put the under bet. If you like the teams that are performing right now, then you can place the over bet. It is not exactly a strategy about profit, but it is a strategy that has close ties when it comes to the entertainment standpoint.
Over/Under (Totals) Bets Strategies
The above points have mainly covered the understanding when it comes to the totals betting guide. Let us now take a closer look at some of the over/under bets strategies that can be used.
- Defense standpoint – If you are a fan of the offensive and forget about the defensive part of the game, then your betting strategy will go for a toss. It happens when you want the game to be high-scoring and completely overlook this point. You must look at the teams that are playing currently and look into this point, and their performances when they are on the defensive. It is good to look into the offensive, but it is equally important to look into the defensive point of things as well.
- Weather conditions in the game – Another important factor of the game is the weather. Suppose, if you have placed an over bet on the game to be played and you are now looking at an overcast sky and looking at only a limited time of play. It means, that your bet has been a complete failure since you did not factor in the weather.
- Understanding the Coach’s history and his performance – Coaches also play a vital role in the betting process. They decide if the game should proceed more offensively or defensively. You can gain this understanding by looking into the team’s previous games, what strategies he applies during the start, the middle, and the end of the game. Based on these points, you can map out the direction the play is heading towards.
Conclusion
The totals betting strategy is easy to understand but it takes a lot of factors when it comes to applying it to an actual game. You could face problems, losses before you start winning the actual leg of the game. It is not just the application, but also the preparation that you have made to make a complete and foolproof over/under bet.
