Do you constantly find yourself wondering how much you should wager on the games you play? Do you sit there at the table, brain racing, trying to figure out how to maximize your chances of winning?
If so, then you’re in the right place. We’re going to lay out all the facts about betting over and under in the hopes that it will help you make smarter wagers in the future.
Under
The odds of winning are usually higher for under bets than for over bets. If you place a $100 wager on the Superbowl and your favorite team wins, you’d win $600. If they lose, you’d only win $400. Ouch! That’s over 50% of your initial investment (and it was a small wager).
On the other hand, if you bet $100 on the world chess championship and your favorite player (also known as the heavy weight champion) loses, you’re still going to win $600. This is because there are fewer losing bets than winning bets (since there are fewer possible ways to lose than win at chess).
This isn’t to say that all under bets are good. There are cases where the favorite team is so dominant that the oddsmakers are forced to make some big adjustments (like the Superbowl example above). In these cases, the favorite team will generally win by such a large margin that their victory is almost entirely meaningless. It’s just that you’ll rarely come across a winning underdog story in sports betting.
Over
Sportsbooks are always keen to take bets on over bets because it’s more lucrative. If you think about it, an over bet is just a bet that the favorite team is going to win. So, it’s basically the same as putting your money on red. There are some advantages to an over bet though. If you place a $100 wager on the Superbowl and your favorite team wins, you’d only win $400. Your investment is only 50% gone. Very good odds indeed!
However, there are also disadvantages to betting over. Often times, the favorite team isn’t always that favored. In the world chess championship example above, even though the heavy weight champion is considered to be one of the favorites, he still had to battle it out with several other contenders for the championship (and he had a lot of support from the other side too). So, if you bet on black, even though you’d win, it wouldn’t feel like much of a victory. You’d basically just be replacing your investment (minus what you won from the casino).
Now, there are cases where an under dog manages to pull off an upset and makes us all proud. Just this year a small basketball club from Australia defeated a heavily favored team in the international tournament, The Basketball World Cup. The underdog team, Team GALAXY, was considered a long shot to win the whole thing. And yet, they did it!
So, while we usually recommend you avoid betting on over, it really depends on the situation. If you’re feeling adventurous and the underdogs have a good chance of winning, then go for it! Just make sure you’re aware of the facts and figures beforehand so you can make an educated decision. This information will help you decide whether or not to bet on the under. Remember, it’s always preferable to win as much as possible, but it’s also important not to lose more than you can afford. So, be smart about it!
So there you have it. Now that you know all there is to know about betting over and under, you can utilize this information to make smarter bets in the future!