Over/under bets, aka totals bets, are among the most widespread types of wagers and an integral feature of every sportsbook’s portfolio. You can place a totals bet on nearly every sport, including major leagues and niche sporting events.
Maryland-based sportsbooks will post over/under lines for team sports. For example, you’ll find this type of wager with:
You’ll also find variations of the over/under bets in individual sports such as golf, tennis, MMA betting, and more.
For the most part, bettors like totals because of their simplicity. Outside of moneylines, totals are one of the easiest bets to place at Maryland sportsbooks. This wager is suitable for casual bettors and pros alike.
Compare over/under odds at Maryland online sportsbooks
Check out our live over/under odds at Maryland online sportsbooks. Use the drop-down menu to navigate between over/under, moneyline odds, and point spreads or between sports. Click on any odds to launch the sportsbook and start your new betting account.
What is an over/under bet?
An over/under is a wager on whether the numerical total will be above or below a line that a sportsbook has set before the game. For instance, the line can be for the total combined score by both teams in a game.
What sets totals betting apart from many other wagers is the bet isn’t on which team wins.
The odds for both over and under outcomes will usually be at or right around -110. This means that you’re likely to receive the same payout regardless of the side you pick. It also means that neither bet pays back the amount that you originally wagered. This is because the sportsbooks take a cut from each bet. These commissions are called vig or juice, and usually stand at about 10%.
Most over/under bets will appear as a decimal number ending in .5 to avoid a tie or, in sports betting parlance, a “push.”
In recent years, several variations of over/under bets have emerged. For example, some bets focus on the total score over a certain time period (quarters, halves, innings). You can also bet on the number of points one team or player will score in a matchup.
The grand salami is a spinoff of an over/under bet that allows you to wager on the cumulative total goals or runs for all the games on a single day. This bet is exclusive to hockey and baseball games.
The odds for the player and team props are also listed in an over/under format. They’re available for all the major statistical categories, including points, assists, rebounds, touchdowns, runs, hits, and strikeouts.
Why are they called totals bets?
Over/under bets are also known as totals. The terms are interchangeable, as they represent the same type of wager. It’s only natural that the betting community would also refer to them as totals because the bet involves predicting the total score.
Top reasons to bet on totals
The biggest appeal of over/under in sports betting is simplicity. This wager is one of the easiest to grasp and that you can place at Maryland online sportsbooks.
What’s more, with over/under wagers, you don’t have to consider as many factors in your pregame research as you would for most other sports bet types. It all comes down to predicting the game’s flow patterns accurately. More often than not, looking at the seasonal scoring averages and previous encounters alone will do the trick.
Bettors usually opt for totals when they believe they can predict the game’s outcome but are on the fence as to which side will win the contest and by how much. Betting on totals also comes in handy when you’re not rooting for a particular team or when you favor both teams equally.
If you’re expecting to see virtuoso offensive performances from both sides, pick the over bet. And in those cases when two defensive-oriented teams face-off, it may be a good idea to consider the under bet.
Betting over/under in the NFL
Totals are one of the most popular markets on the NFL odds menu, arguably second only to point spread bets.
Totals are one of the three core bets and appear in every sportsbook’s main betting menu. Here’s how the odds chart for a typical NFL game looks. For explanatory purposes, we’ll use the Super Bowl LII matchup between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles.
| Spread | Moneyline | Total Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| New England Patriots | +2.5 -110 | +112 | Over 51.5. -108 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | -2.5 -110 | -136 | Under 51.5 -113 |
Since there is a minus sign in front of the odds, that indicates the amount of money you would have to bet to win $100. As you can see, the odds for the over and under outcomes were fairly similar.
The final score of this game was 41-33 in favor of the Eagles. Those who bet on the over won the following:
- $100 for a $113 bet: $213
- $88 for a $100 bet:$188
- $44 for a $50 bet: $94
- $8.80 for a $10 bet: $18.80
- $4.40 for a $5 bet: $9.40
Betting over/under in the NBA
Game totals are among the most popular betting options in the NBA, alongside player props and spreads. To show you the ropes of over/under bets in the NBA, we’ll use a hypothetical Los Angeles Lakers–Sacramento Kings matchup you might see at PointsBet Sportsbook Maryland:
| Spread | Moneyline | Total Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento Kings | +12.5 -110 | +250 | Over 232.5 -110 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | -12.5. -110 | -223 | Under 232.5 -110 |
In this case, the “vig,” and therefore, the payouts, are identical for both the over and under bets.
Looking at the moneyline and spread discrepancy, the books are predicting a fairly lopsided game. In such instances, it’s best to go with the under because coaches tend to pull starters during garbage time and bring in bench players. Since few of these players are prolific scorers, the game could end up under the total line.
Here are the potential payouts for some standard bet amounts:
- Bet $110: Collect a profit of $100 for a total return of $210.
- Bet $100: Collect a profit of $90.91 for a total return of $190.91.
- Bet $50: Collect a profit of $45.45 for a total return of $95.45.
- Bet $5: Collect a profit of $4.55 for a total return of $9.55.
Betting over/unders in MLB
Totals are not as prevalent in MLB games as in other major sports and are often overshadowed by run line bets, money line bets, and futures betting. Nonetheless, they present a solid option with in-depth insight into the game flow.
We’ll illustrate how MLB totals work through an imaginary first-round playoff matchup between the Baltimore Orioles and the Tampa Bay Rays.
| Run Line | Moneyline | Total Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Orioles | +1.5. -137 | +220 | Over 7 -105 |
| Tampa Bay Rays | -1.5. +145 | -170 | Under 7 -115 |
The books are predicting a relatively low-scoring game, which may come as a bit of surprise, depending on the pitching matchup. Another factor to consider for MLB totals predictions is the ballpark where the game is taking place, and Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg tends to favor pitchers.
An interesting aspect of this odds chart is that the over/under line falls on a whole number. So, this means that a “push,” or a tie, is possible, and you’ll get your stake refunded if the Orioles and Rays combine to score exactly seven runs.
Here’s how much you could get paid on various over/under bets if the game didn’t result in a tie:
- $105 on the over: $205 in total, profit of $100
- $105 on the under: $196.35 in total, profit of $91.35
- $115 on the over: $224.25 in total, profit of $124.25
- $115 on the under: $215 in total, profit of $100
- $100 on the over: $195 in total, profit of $95
- $100 on the under: $187 in total, profit of $87
- $50 on the over: $97.5 in total, profit of $47.5
- $50 on the under: $93.5 in total, profit of $43.5
Live betting on totals
In-game totals betting works the same way as pregame bets; however, the only difference is that you’re betting on a contest that’s already underway. Consequently, you’ll notice the frequent movement of the line and odds, reflecting the action in the game. That means that you have to react swiftly if you don’t want to miss out on the odds you like.
Sportsbooks usually release new totals before each time period — quarter, half, inning, etc. You can benefit if you’re able to predict the momentum swings successfully. For instance, when a team gets off to a slow start, the books will lower the total scoring threshold to reflect this. But if your research and instincts tell you that the scoring will pick up later, you could bet the over and take advantage of the reduced lines.
Betting over/under on individual sports
Over/under betting is also a big part of individual sports, such as boxing, UFC, golf, and tennis. In fighting sports, you’re betting on the number of rounds the bout will last rather than the combined score. At Caesars Sportsbook in Maryland, a typical boxing over/under might look like this:
Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder
- Over 10.5 rounds (-110)
- Under 10.5 rounds (-110)
If you believe that the fight will end with an early knockout or a TKO, you should go with the under wager. In case you predict a slugfest, you may want to consider picking the over side. The payouts are the same for both outcomes: $100 for $110 wagered.
Prop betting on over/under
If you want to wager beyond the standard full-game totals, there’s another way to tackle over/under bets. You can place over/under prop bets on a variety of sports. In this case, you’ll need to bet on the statistical performances of teams and players. Here are some examples:
- Grand salami in the NHL and MLB
- Player props in the NBA (total points, rebounds, assists)
- Hits, runs and RBIs in an MLB game
- The number of touchdowns in an NFL game
- Betting on aces, double faults and/or winners in tennis