Over and Under betting is a very popular football betting strategy. It is one of the most featured betting markets in the sports book section of many betting sites in Nigeria. It is a type of bet in which you predict that the total goals that will be scored in a match will be more or less than a particular number. It is an exciting betting market that comes with different variants as will be explained in subsequent paragraphs. On this page, we present to you a thoroughly broken down definition of Over/Under betting, how to use it, what to consider and the best tricks to make your Over/Under betting exploit a successful one.
Over/Under Bet Explained
Over and Under is also known as “Totals”. It is simply a bet on whether the match will produce a higher or lower number of goals than a pre-agreed number. Although it is very common with predicting how many goals will be scored in a match, it can also be used to predict the total number of corners, shots on target, bookings and others.
You can also use it on double chance combos and other combinations depending on the bookmaker you are using. In terms of predicting the total number of goals, the betting site sets a number and you will place your bet on the premise that the number of goals will be higher or lower than that number.
The options and the odds attached to each pre-set total number of goals depends on the teams playing and the likelihood that they will score or not.
Let’s say you have registered on 1xbet and you want to bet on the total number of goals in a football match, you will find something like this:
- Over/Under 0.5 Goals: The number of goals can be less than or higher than one
- Over/Under 1.5 Goals: the total goals will be more or less than 2
- Over/Under 2.5 Goals: The number of goals will be more or less than 3
- Over/Under 3.5 Goals: That the number of goals will be higher or lower than 4
- Over/Under 4.5 Goals: That the number of goals will be more or less than 5.
Depending on the team playing and their goal scoring ability, some bookies may have Over 5.5 options available. This simply means you are expecting at least 6 goals to be scored in the game.
Apart from placing a bet on the total number of goals both teams can score, you can also explore the number of goals a single team can score. In that case, you will see something like Home Over/Under 1.5 Goals or Away Over/Under. The option is also available for First Half and second half markets.
The Over/Under football betting strategy can come in handy for both accumulators and single bets. Also, you can make use of this option for live betting and high odds, depending on the time remaining and the probability that goals will still be scored.
A good example would be a PL game between Chelsea and Arsenal earlier in the 2023/24 season when Chelsea were 2-0 up till the 70th minute. The live odds that Over 3.5 goals will be the final result of the game was as high as 12.35 odds. If you had enough courage to risk it, you would have won about ₦13,000 with a stake of ₦1,000 as Arsenal came from behind to draw the game 2-2.
What to consider
Goal scoring ability and attacking prowess
Some teams are just very reliable when it comes to goals. In most cases, they deliver on the Over markets. In fact, you will notice that on some bookies, the odds for Over 2.5 Goals for these teams are usually low. This is because the bookies are already anticipating that these teams will deliver on the goals front. Teams like Bayern fall in this category. So, if you see a Bundesliga game like Bayern Vs Bochum, it is advisable that you place a bet on Over 3.5 Goals, meaning at least 4 goals will be scored. However, if you are placing a bet on maybe Cadiz Vs Mallorca, it is very likely that there won’t be too many goals due to the ability of these teams. So, in this case, the Under Variant is advisable.
The attacking prowess of a team can also come in handy for example in the Over/Under Corner markets. Teams that play through the wings or teams that have a lot at stake tend to produce more corners in a game.
Player availability: The availability of a player can also impact the Over/Under bet. If Harry Kane is available to play, the chances that Bayern’s game will be a goal fest is also very high. Some players too have had too many cards under their belt, if such players are on the pitch, you might consider going for the over/under bookings market.
History / h2h record
The history and h2h records of two teams can also give a picture of what to expect when they meet. A tie between Crystal Palace and Sheffield is likely to produce fewer goals while Ajax Vs PSV might yield more based on pst games between these sides.
All in all, the Over/Under bet is a multifaceted and exciting betting strategy containing different varieties and opportunities to land your Accas or single bets with ease.