In this article we would like to discuss such type of bets as totals. You will find out why totals in sports betting are so much popular and what are their drawbacks.
Brief preface
Totals in sports betting are the total number of goals/points scored, sets played, etc. A bettor has the possibility to bet on all these indicators.
Each total has its own value, and you can bet on whether the sports match with the total ends over or under certain value. Often this bet option is indicated by bookmakers as follows:
- Total over, TO, Over
- Total under, TU, Under
Next to the above-mentioned marking is the number by which the bettor should be guided betting totals over or under. Let us take a look at a clear example of such a bet, taken from the line of the famous bookmaker.
Totals betting example
The screenshot shows betting options for the match Barcelona vs. Villarreal and totals over/under are also presented among them. Let’s focus on them. The number in brackets (3.5) is the value of the total from which we should start.
If we bet on total under 3.5 with @ 2.01, our wager wins in case the match ends with less than 3.5 goals scored. And less than 3.5 can only be an integer 3.
Consequently, if this meeting ends with 3 or less goals (2:1, 2:0, 0:2, 1:0, etc.), our bet pays off. If there are 4 or more goals scored (4 – the nearest integer is greater than 3.5) – the wager loses.
It is the same with the total over 3.5, but here the opposite is true. The bet wins if there are more than 3.5 (4 or more) goals scored, and it loses if the match ends with 3 or fewer goals.
Integer totals
We have considered an example of bets on the fractional total 3.5, but the totals value may be an integer (eg, 3.0). As you know, the calculation of such a bet will be slightly different.
In the case of betting on an integer total, it is also important that the match ends with fewer or more goals than the total value itself. The only difference is that if the final score is equal to the total score, the bet will be returned.
The screenshot above shows a full list of total bets for the match Liverpool vs. Everton from Marathonbet. Let’s take, for example, a pair of totals TU 3.0 and TO 3.0.
Our bet on TU 3.0 wins if there are 2 goals or less scored in the match. TO 3.0 pays off in case 4 or more goals are scored. And if the final result is exactly 3 goals scored (3:0, 0:3, 2:1, 1:2) – the wager will be returned.
Conclusion
Summarizing, we would also like to note individual totals. This means that bettor may place a bet on the total number of goals/points scored specifically taken by the team or player.
Such totals are marked as ITU and ITO + 1 or 2 (individual total over/individual total under + the 1st or 2nd team).
Applicable to the aforementioned Barcelona vs.Villarreal match, individual TO 1 (1.5) would mean that the 1st team (Barcelona) would have to score 2 or more goals for the match.
As you can see, total (over/under) betting is quite simple to work with and this is largely a prerequisite for its popularity among bettors from around the world.
We want to remind, that more information on other betting options can be found at Betting School section of our site.
The article was written based on the materials of the site “Total Under Betting“. We express our gratitude for the advice provided by the authors of betBurger: Artur and Anton.
