Under/Over Betting
Also known as a Total Bet, an over/under bet is when you bet on an outcome being above or below a specified value. Examples include the total number of goals scored in a football match or points scored in a basketball game. This article explains what an over-under bet is.
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- October 31, 2025
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Also known as a Total bet, an over/under bet is when you bet on an outcome being above or below a specified value. Examples include the total number of goals scored in a football match or points scored in a basketball game. This article explains what an over-under bet is.
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The Theory: How Over/Under Betting Works
Along with Outright Betting and Point Spreads, the ability to bet over under is one of the core offerings of a sportsbook. It is usually listed as O/U or +/-.
In an over/under bet, you are betting on whether a score will be above (+) or below (-) a stated amount. This tends to be a half number – for example 2.5 or 3.5 – to reduce ambiguity (you cannot score half a goal or half a point). This is often written as +/- 2.5.
As well as the overall score, you can bet over under on other stats.
In football, this can include the number of corners, cards, throw-ins, offsides, tackles, assists, or team goals.
In basketball, it can be total points, total team points, winning margin, and player total points.
Anything with a quantifiable amount can be an over/under bet.
3 Examples of Over/Under Bets
Soccer
Spain beat England 2-1 in the Euro 2024 final. This means there were three goals in the match. If you had placed a bet on Over 2.5 goals, your bet would have won. Had you placed a bet on Under 2.5 goals, your bet would have lost. Note that had you bet on Over 3.5 goals, your bet would have lost.
Basketball
The Indiana Pacers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-110 in Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals. This means there were 221 points in the match. If you placed a bet on Under 224.5 Points, your bet would have won. Had you placed a bet on Over 224.5 Points, your bet would have lost.
Cricket
In cricket, you can bet on the number of Fours, Sixes or No Balls. You can also bet on the number of runs scored by a player or the number of balls they will face. In England’s fourth Test Match against Zimbabwe in May 2025, Sam Curran scored 37 runs off 104 balls (1 Four, 0 Sixes). All of these variables are subject to Over/Under betting.
Conclusions on Under/Over Bets
Over/Under bets are particularly popular as they are easy to understand and add value to a match, particularly when there is a heavy favourite. Knowing how to bet over under is therefore key to ensuring you get more out of your betting.
FAQS
What is an over under bet?
Over/under betting is when you bet on whether a score will be over or under a number that the sportsbook has set. You don’t need to worry about who wins, this bet is about the score.
What are the advantages of over/under betting?
Over/under betting is usually competitive as a sportsbook often sets a value to ensure an even probability. This can make matches with a strong favourite in the outright market more interesting.
What does +/- mean?
This is best illustrated with an example. In football, +2.5 goals means you are betting on there being more than 2.5 goals in a match (i.e. three goals or more). Conversely, -2.5 goals means you are betting on there being fewer than 2.5 goals in a match (i.e. two goals or fewer).
What does O and U mean?
O and U is the more common notation for Over and Under at U.S. sportsbooks.
Can I use over/under betting with other betting strategies?
Yes, over/under betting is particularly popular in accumulators or parlay betting.