The meaning of the letters O and/or X that appear on the “to place a bet” or “to place a wager” line when you place a bet or wager on a sporting event is not always intuitively obvious, even to experienced bettors. In this article, we will discuss the various ways in which these letters and/or numbers can pop up on a betting line and how to interpret them. In addition, we will debunk some popular but fallacious wagering myths that have been passed down through the generations.
What Does O Mean On The Betting Line?
The numerical value of O is 28, and it stands for “over” or “plus” bets. These are basically bets in which you’re expecting the favorite to win. An O bet is used to indicate that you’re placing a “plus” wager, and a -O bet is used to indicate that you’re placing an “over” wager, on a given race or event. For example, if you place a $10 wager on a horse named Mister Roberts in the next Kentucky Derby, the bookie might ask you to specify whether you want an O or a -O bet. If you answer “O,” your wager will be applied to an “over” bet, and vice versa.
Here are some examples of the various ways in which O and/or X can show up on a betting line:
Example #1: Over X (OX) On A Handicap.
Let’s say you’re playing the horse race game at a local track, and you have a favorite horse named My Hero that you’re banking on to win. When the post positions are announced for the next race, you might be tempted to shout “My Hero!” But perhaps you shouldn’t, because, as it turns out, your horse is actually a draw. No wins, no losses, and no place in between. In the parlance of horse racing, this is known as a “draw” bet. Basically, you’re wagering on whether or not the bookie’s choice will come in first, second, or third. This kind of bet has a specific abbreviation in racing: OX. In this case, you’re getting a little bit of luck (X) on top of your intelligence (O) in predicting that My Hero will win. That’s an “over” (O) bet, which means you’re expecting your horse to come in first, second, or third.
A typical example of an OX (over, X) bet would be this: Horse: My Hero(T) (W) 5 (L)(S) 1 (P)(D) 5 (F)(R) 5 (3)(O) (X)(betting line): OX(5)(1)(3)(5)(P)(D) (W) (L) (S)(5)(T) (R) –(O)(X)(5)(1)(3)(5)(P)(D)
Example #2: Over X On A Dog Race.
You might be familiar with dog racing, where dogs (rather than horses) are raced on tracks with oval-shaped pathways. These races are usually held annually at the same tracks where horse races are run and are quite popular in the southern U.S.. Because of their shared similarity in name, people who follow dog racing will know what an “over” (OX) bet is, even if they’re not familiar with horse racing. In dog racing, an (“over”) X bet is used to predict whether or not a given dog will come in first, second, or third.
Here’s how it works: Say you place a bet on a dog named Mr. President (T) to come in first in the upcoming National Spruce Ginseng Championship. This is a handicap race, so even though you’re not picking the dog, you’re acknowledging that he has a handicap, in this case, poor eyesight. While you’re waiting for the race to begin, you might hear someone next to you shout “Mr. President!” You’ll know exactly what they’re talking about because you placed an (“over”) X bet. When the race starts and Mr. President doesn’t come in first, you’ll win your bet. If he does come in first, you’ll lose your bet.
A handicapped dog (X) or a running dog (R) also falls into this category. If you’re looking for an easy way to lose, putting a bet on a handicapped dog or a running dog is a good idea. In fact, in some places, you can even place side bets on whether or not a given dog will finish the race.
Example #3: Over X On A Football Game.
Although it’s not quite as common, it is possible to place an “over” (OX) bet on a football game as well. Let’s say you’re a fan of the Atlanta Braves and you want to see them win this season’s NL East. You place an “over” wager on them winning and, as it happens, they do win. In this case, you’ll have an easy time getting your money back because the Atlanta Braves are a pretty easy underdog to bet against. Of course, you’ll also make a small profit because they did win. Let’s look at how it works: Say you’ve got a friend who’s a diehard Detroit Lions fan and you want to play a football game with the guy. You both agree to use NFL betting odds to make the wager. When the dust has settled from the first down celebrations, your friend informs you that the spread for this upcoming Lions-Braves game is actually -3 points, which means the Lions are favored to win. Your initial reaction might be to shout “Tighten that spread!” But before you do, you stop and think for a minute. You look at the betting line and notice that there’s an “over” (OX) bet on the Lions. You quickly jump in with your “Yes!” Let’s also remember that a touchdown won’t hurt your friend’s cause either. So you both make a small fortune, because the Lions did, in fact, win. The point is that, even though you’re both Lions fans, you might not necessarily want to shout “Tiger!” when your team scores a touchdown.
Example #4: Over X On A Basketball Game.
Like football, basketball betting (especially NCAA basketball) is a very popular activity amongst bettors. It is possible to bet on basketball games both professionally and legally, as long as your chosen bookmaker operates in your state. Many NBA fans will be familiar with the letters R and O because they represent the letters that appear before the dollar amount when you make a purchase at an NBA retail store or restaurant. For example, you might make a $10 purchase at an NBA store and see the letters R and O before you make the payment. These letters stand for “research” and “over” because, traditionally, NBA bettors do a lot of their own research before placing wagers. If you’re looking to bet on the NBA, be sure to check out all the options available to you and choose the one that suits you best.
In short, the letters O and/or X that appear before your chosen sportsbooks odds are key indicators of whether or not you’ll be winning or losing when you place a bet on that event. It’s always a good idea to do some quick research before placing a wager. By familiarizing yourself with the different ways in which O and X can appear on a betting line, you will be better able to keep ahead of the curve and make more informed decisions about your wagering.