I bet you’re wondering what the term ‘over 2′ in sports betting refers to. You might also be searching for an answer to the question, what is the point of having ‘over’ in your wager? Believe it or not, the phrase ‘over’ in sports betting means quite a bit. It refers to the point spread (that is, the difference in points scored by the two teams) in an event and can be either positive or negative. If you’re unfamiliar, the spread is the line that separates the two teams in a sport or event and is usually represented by either a + or – sign. For example, a +20 point spread would indicate that the betting line is at +20 in favor of thehome team (in this case, the Cleveland Browns). In general, the more points there are in an event, the more you would need to bet to cover your desired stake (this is known as ‘hedging your bets’). So, if you feel like you have an advantage, especially early in the game, you can use ‘over’ to your advantage and go all-in on a favored team.
What Is the Point of ‘Over’?
The ‘over’ in sports betting is actually quite useful when combined with a bookie’s point spread. With the point spread in place, you can bet on an underdog team with confidence that your team will win because the bookie has already taken the underdog’s point spread into consideration when setting the line. For example, let’s say you’re watching the Cleveland Browns versus the New York Jets. The betting lines for this game are as follows:
- Cleveland – 3
- New York – 4
- Over 2, meaning –2 in this case.
- Betting on the Browns, your team, is a -2 wager (3 point spread).
- Betting on the Jets, the underdog, is a +2 wager (4 point spread).
With these odds, you’ve got a 50/50 shot at winning your bet (this is known as ‘straight-up betting’). Alternatively, you could use the ‘over’ as a hedge and bet on the underdog (Jets) with confidence that you have a good chance of winning. It’s also possible to lay the opposite bet and go all-in on the Browns to win (this is known as ‘covering your bets’ or ‘marrying your dog’ in casino parlance). Most importantly, you can make a lot of money from these bets!
The Significance of ‘Over’
Even if you’ve been playing sports betting for a while, you might still be wondering what the significance of ‘over’ is. ‘Over’ in sports betting has a couple different meanings – as mentioned before, it can be positive or negative depending on the sport or event. In general, you’ll want to bet on the underdog in almost all cases, as this is where the edge often lies. As for the significance of the + and – signs in front of the spread, these are a matter of convention and have to do with how the bettors in the respective sportsbooks want to display their line. For the most part, you’ll just have to learn to trust your guts and go with what feels right.
When Should You Avoid ‘Over’?
With all the advantages that come with using ‘over’ in sports betting, it’s important to note its limitations. First of all, you’ll want to avoid going over when there are underdogs involved as this might backfire and hurt your bankroll instead of helping it. Moreover, you should avoid going over 2 points when betting on basketball as this could leave you with a big, fat losing streak. The final word of caution with ‘over’ is to always make sure that your point spread is calculated with precision. If you’re not confident in your number crunching skills, then it’s probably best to avoid this style of betting altogether. In general, you’ll want to use it only when you’re confident that you can make a profitable forecast – and let’s face it, nobody’s mind is perfect all the time!
In conclusion, ‘over’ in sports betting can be a very useful tool in your arsenal of betting strategies. Just remember its limitations and make sure that you always use it in conjunction with a sound betting plan that you’ve developed over time. Good luck out there!