Under or Over means the spread between the points scored by the two teams in the match. It can be used to compare the betting odds of the teams in different sports or of different matches in the same sport. For example, in American football you might look at the spread between the Patriots and the Packers to compare the betting odds on those teams in a football match. You might also look at the spread in the MLB to compare the betting odds on, say, the Red Sox to the Yankees or the Cubs to the White Sox).
Different sportsbooks offer different interpretations of what Under or Over means. Sometimes it can be hard to make sense of the jargon. This article will give you a simple explanation of what Under or Over means in sports betting so that when you hear someone say that a game is “under” or “over” you know what they mean.
Under
When a game is called “under,” it means that the total points scored by both teams is below the total points scored by one team in the match. For example, if the Patriots’ defense holds the opposing offense to only three points, the game is said to be “under three.” If a game is under three, the team scoring the most points wins, regardless of whether they win by one point or by many. Some gamblers use this to their advantage by laying (wagering) on extra points in a match where they feel one of the teams is stronger than the other.
If the spread between the two teams is small, it can be hard to predict the winner of the game. For instance, in the United States of America an NFL game between the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills in early 2016 was labeled “under three” when it was scored 22-19 by the Jets. However, the Bills dominated the game in terms of total yards (579 to 459) and first downs (26 to 5). The Jets had only three offensive possessions in the game but scored a touchdown on their first possession. When you consider that the average NFL game lasts 3.5 hours, it’s easy to see how a low scoring game could be interpreted as being under three.
Over
When a game is called “over,” it means that the total points scored by both teams in the match is above the total points scored by one team in the match. For example, if the Patriots’ defense holds the opposing offense to only three points, the game is said to be “over three.” If a game is over three, the team scoring the fewest points wins, regardless of whether they win by one point or by many. Some gamblers use this to their advantage by laying (wagering) on extra points in a match where they feel one of the teams is weaker than the other.
If the spread between the two teams is large, it can be hard to predict the winner of the game. For instance, in the United States of America an NFL game between the Arizona Cardinals and the San Francisco 49ers in early 2016 was labeled “over three” when it was scored 28-23 by the Cardinals. However, the 49ers dominated the game in terms of total yards (715 to 652) and first downs (29 to 3). The Cardinals had three offensive possessions in the game but scored only a field goal on their final possession.
Under or Over can be used to compare the betting odds of two or more teams in a match. It does not have to be used with only two teams; for example, if there are three teams in a baseball match and the score is 17-13 after three innings, you can compare the odds of the Cubs to the Padres and the Red Sox to the Mets.
For example, let’s say you feel that the Patriots will beat the Jets this winter’s NFL game because they are favored to win. You would compare New England’s odds of winning (2.5-to-1) to Buffalo’s odds of winning (6-to-1) and decide that the game is “under” three because the total points scored by the two teams is lower than the total points scored by New England. You may choose to lay (wager) more than $100 on New England because you feel they are stronger than the Jets. If you compare the betting odds of the two teams in the third inning, the game is labeled “over three.” You may then choose to cover your bet because you believe that the Jets will score more points than New England in that period due to them having the lead. You would not win much money from this bet, though, because even if the Jets score only one point in the third inning the total points scored by both teams is still above the total points scored by New England alone. You may also choose to lay (wager) on extra points in the third inning because you believe that the Patriots are weaker than the Jets. This is why it is important to know what Under or Over means when you hear someone use the term in relation to sports betting – so that you know whether you’re talking about Under or Over when they use the term.