Many sports bettors will swear by over/under scores for football betting. This is definitely a popular wager in football, not just because under scores are associated with losing teams but because of the sheer volume of points scored by both teams in a typical game. For instance, after every touchdown and every extra point, there will be an over/under score reported by the NFL odds provider of choice.
What exactly is an over/under score in football betting? Simply put, it’s the total combined points scored by both teams, with the over/under score representing the total number of points scored by the team on the ‘plus’ side of the bet (or line). In the event of a tie, the total combined points are scored by the teams will be used to settle the bet.
Using Over/Under Scores For Football Betting
Many sportsbooks offer over/under scores as a wager option for football. Typically, these odds will be published just before the kickoff of the game and will remain unchanged until the end despite any changes in the scoring pattern. This makes over/under scores a particularly static and reliable betting option.
This makes them safe to use for those who are either new to football betting or just want to avoid the hassle of constant monitoring of the scores during the game. Most importantly, over/under scores are a popular option because they are relatively simple to comprehend for the bettors, particularly those who are new to sports betting. This is important because the more technically involved a wager is, the less likely you are to place it. Simple wagers like over/under scores win about 92% of the time, according to independent sources.
Why Are Special Scores Not Used In Football Betting?
While over/under scores are a popular choice amongst sportsbooks and sports bettors for football betting, why don’t we use special or limited scoresheets for this particular wager? After all, there are only 24 points scored in college football – 4 points for a first down, 10 points for a touchdown, and 10 points for an extra point. This is a total of 24 points that can either be scored by one team or the other. In theory, this means that the total combined points could be parlayed into a 24-24 tie. Or in other words, the average score could be exactly zero! (0-0 or 24-24).
Why not use these zero-averaging scores where possible? First, it’s important to note that the NFL doesn’t employ these scoresheets and doesn’t even use them internally. This is most likely because doing so would nullify any point spread used in the game, resulting in no profits for books.
But beyond that, there’s also the issue of trust. This kind of wager inherently involves trusting the ‘plus’ team or the line to score more points than the ‘minus’ team or the team on the opposite side of the bet. While it’s highly unlikely that a team will score exactly the same amount of points as the bet amount, sometimes this can happen. Especially if the team is having an off-day and isn’t playing well. Using special scores like this is a way to get around this conundrum because they are based on a smaller sample size and are more susceptible to wild swings in score.
Understanding The Basics Of Pro Football Betting
One of the main reasons behind the popularity of over/under scores in pro football is the simplicity of the wagers. Especially for those who are new to sports betting. Simply put, when you compare it to other pro football betting options, over/under scores are a lot easier to understand. You’re not going to miss any details in the scoring because the entire game is summarized in either a win or a loss based on the total number of points scored by both teams.
Knowing the basics behind pro football betting is essential in order to place winning wagers. This includes knowing which teams are better and which teams will score more points for a given game. It also means knowing the different types of wagers that are available for pro football betting. The four basic wagers that you will encounter are listed below.
- Over/Under On The Total Score
- Over/Under On The Number Of Points Scored By Each Team
- Over/Under On The Point After Scoring
- Field Goal Unit
Over/Under On The Total Score
In most cases, over/under on the total score is a good choice for football betting. This is because it’s very easy to understand. Once the total number of points is determined, the wager is either a win or a loss. There’s no need to look at the individual scores of the game because they don’t change the basics of the wager.
Let’s take a look at an example. The Jacksonville Jaguars are playing the Tennessee Titans in Week 2. The over/under on this particular game is set at 42 points. The total number of points is then figured by adding up the points scored in the first two weeks of the NFL season. (Jacksonville won both games by a total of 42-14).
Even though both teams have yet to score a touchdown in the season, using over/under on the total score is a relatively safe wager because both teams are still getting used to each other. Plus, the Jaguars are a well-coached team and are clearly superior to the Titans. Considering all this, 42 points is a very safe bet, particularly since the over/under percentage is very high. Typically, over/under scores in football are associated with a high rate of winning (approximately 93% of the time).
Over/Under On The Number Of Points Scored By Each Team
This is a very popular choice amongst sports bettors because it allows for some variety. Some games this year are projected to have higher-than-average point totals while others are expected to be lower than average. In these cases, you can bet on whether or not the totals will be above or below the average number of points scored per game.
For example, the over/under on the number of points scored by the Los Angeles Rams is currently set at 46 points. This is because the Rams are one of the most prolific scoring teams in recent memory. They scored 54 points against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 12 of the 2019 season. (The final score of the game was Seahawks 23, Rams 20).
However, even though the Rams are a very experienced team and are clearly equipped to handle the offensive line of the Seahawks, it’s still a dangerous wager to make. The reason is that the Seahawks are also one of the best coached teams in the NFL and will do anything they can to contain the athletic talents of Todd Gurley. The same can be said for the Carolina Panthers and their star running back, Christian McCaffrey. With the exception of the Indianapolis Colts, none of the other teams in the NFL are equipped to handle the all-around impact of these two players.
Considering all this, taking a position on the number of points scored by each team is usually not a good idea. There’s no guarantee that these numbers will stay the same throughout the duration of the season. In fact, sometimes the spread between the two totals can be so wide that it’s nearly impossible to predict which team will come out on top. In these cases, it’s always better to go with the over/under on the total score option.
Over/Under On The Point After Scoring
The final score of the game does not always tell the whole story. In many cases, it fails to account for the fact that certain teams are better at gaining first downs and converting those first downs into touchdowns and extra points. In some cases, it fails to factor in the speed of the opposing teams’ defenses and whether or not their safeties can cover the entire field. In other words, the final score of the game can be extremely misleading.
If you want to account for these kinds of things when betting on football, you can go with over/under on the point after scoring. This is simply because the point after scoring is how the game ends, regardless of whether or not the game was won or lost. For example, the Baltimore Ravens scored a touchdown on their first drive of the game against the Houston Texans. However, the Ravens subsequently lost the game by a score of 38-17. The point after scoring for the Ravens was 17.