Over/under betting: What does it mean and how does it work?

Over/under betting is where you predict the number of events that will happen in a match.

This can be anything from the number of goals, points or runs, or as specific as the number of corners and cards. There’s a lot of choice.

Bettors can predict if there will be more or less than the line the bookies have suggested during a match, which could be, for example, + 2.5 goals, - 4.5 corners or + 1.5 cards.

In those examples, the bettor would win if there were more than three goals, four or fewer corners, or more than two cards.

Over/under betting threshold is usually between 0.5 to 8.5 for most markets, but that depends on who you bet with. For example, over under/corners can go as high as +20.

What are the over/under betting markets?

Depending on which bookmaker you use, there's usually a wide variety of over/under markets. Mostly in team sports such as football.

Example markets can include:

Home team goals

Away team goals

Total goals

Home team cards

Away team cards

Total cards

Player shots

Player shots on Target

Home team corners

Away team corners

Total corners

Total fouls

Total shots/Shot on Target

Free kicks

Offsides

Throw ins

Best bets to research for over/under betting

The variety of over/under betting markets opens all a range of flexible betting opportunities for research, which can add to the appeal for the punter.

Keep an eye out for:

Team’s goals scored and goals conceded form

Teams with higher or lower than average card count

Players who are prone to collecting yellow or red cards.

Team head-to-head statistics

Teams with a high or low average corner count 

Player injuries and suspensions which can impact the above

 

Positives of over/under betting

- It’s simple to understand

- There are lots of markets to pick from, allowing bettors to tailor their bet accordingly

- You can ignore match outcomes if you desire. Betting on over/under in the cards and corners markets are very popular forms of predicting the outcomes of a match.

- These are a good addition to bet builders and accas to help enhance odds.

Negatives of over/under betting

- They are generally not great value as a single bet.

 

Over/under betting FAQs

What is over/under betting?

Bet on whether there will be more or less of a certain event during a match

 

Can over/under betting be used in a bet builder?

Yes, over and under betting is usually found in the bookmaker’s bet builder menus.

 

Does over/under work in extra time?

Over/under normally only covers 90 minutes of a football and any additional time in that match. Some bookmakers will offer over/under betting in extra-time but will clearly mark any markets providing those scenarios.

 

Can over/under betting be used in lots of sports?

Football is the most popular over/under betting sport, but it can be used across a number of sports including, cricket, rugby, tennis, US sports and more

 

Why is the over/under number split?

Having 1.5 in the line avoids confusion. You can only score above or below 1.5, but with a single number, such as 1, you could score that exact amount and that would ruin the whole over/under concept. Exact goals is a separate available market.