When you place a wager on a sporting event, you’re generally making an ‘over/under’ bet. An over/under bet is where you place a bet on the total amount of the game, or on whether one team will score more or less than the other team. For example, did you know that there is an over/under pool game where you can place a wager on the total number of goals that will be scored in a certain game?
An over/under bet can also be conducted on the total number of points that will be scored in a particular game. For example, did you know that you can place a wager on whether the New England Patriots or the Atlanta Falcons will score more points in a game this upcoming season?
In all these examples, the over/under bet is the same. It is based on the total amount of points or goals that will be scored in the game, or on which team will score more points or goals. These are the two betting formats that are most popular in sports betting. However, there are many other variations on over/under bets that you could conduct.
The Basics Of An Over/Under Bet
To begin with, both the over and under bets require you to determine how much you will wager on the game. Once you’ve established the amount of your wager, you move on to determining whether you will bet on the over or under side of the bet. In most cases, you will wager on the under side of the bet (which, in the previous example, would be the total amount scored by the Atlanta Falcons).
The two main reasons why you would wager on the under side of the bet are:
- To decrease your chances of winning the bet. You don’t want to risk too much money on an event that you think is going to end in a draw. The lower the amount you wager on a given event, the lower your chance of winning. This is why you wager on the under side of the bet when you don’t want to risk losing money on a game.
- To increase your chance of winning big. It always helps to have the bigger prize pool on the over side of the bet. If you want to increase your chances of winning, you will wager on the over side of the bet. The over/under bet offers the opportunity of gaining some big wins more frequently than you would if you wagered on a single event.
The Advantages Of An Over/Under Bet
Aside from the fact that over/under betting offers the opportunity to gain some small wins more frequently than you would wagering on a single event, there are several other advantages to using this betting format.
One advantage of the over/under bet is that it is extremely easy to comprehend. If you’re new to sports betting, this is a great place to start. Simply determine how much you will wager on the game, and then decide whether you will bet on the over or under side of the bet. The two sides of the bet are usually depicted in green and red. As you can see in the example below, if you bet on the over side of the bet (in this case, the New England Patriots), you are implying that you believe the Patriots will score more points, or will win the game.
Image credit: bettyboop.com
On the other hand, if you bet on the under side of the bet (in this case, the Atlanta Falcons), you are implying that you believe the Falcons will score more points, or will win the game.
Image credit: bettyboop.com
This is why there is so much demand for the over/under bet in today’s sports betting marketplace. This bet is one of the simplest and most popular bets that you can make because it is easy for people to understand what they’re placing a bet on. Plus, you know what they say, “it’s easier for a person to understand something if it’s written on an envelope rather than printed on a piece of paper”.
The Disadvantages Of An Over/Under Bet
Of course, there are some disadvantages to betting on the over/under bet. One disadvantage is that you are limiting the number of games that you can wager on. In most cases, you will only be able to wager on a pair of games per week, and sometimes there are restrictions on which teams you can wager on. For instance, you may be able to wager on the New York Yankees or the Chicago Cubs, but not both teams. So, if you want to wager on both teams, you will have to do so separately.
Image credit: bettyboop.com
Another disadvantage of the over/under bet is that there is an implied probability that you are taking into consideration when you wager on the under side of the bet. For example, if you wager $10,000 on the under side of a given bet, and the Patriots win the game 7-3, your loss will be $10,000 since you gambled on the under side. The advantage of this is that you do not need to make sure that your prediction is exact. Instead, you will simply need to come up with a good estimate of the winner. This is why many people are skeptical of the over/under bet and think that it is a questionable betting method.
The Most Popular Sports In The United States
Now that you’re equipped with the basics of an over/under bet, it’s time to examine the most popular sports in the United States. As you might suspect, the majority of Americans are involved in some form of sports activity. In fact, according to the American Association of Advertising Agencies, “sporting events are among the most popular topics among online users, averaging around 47% of daily web traffic.” This is followed by news, 20%; weather, 13%; and politics, 4%.
Image credit: statistikkny.no
Let’s examine the most popular sports in the country.
Baseball
Baseball is one of the most popular sports in the United States, and it has been so for many years. It was originally played solely by Native Americans before it became an international sport. It’s likely that many of the early baseball games were unofficiated affairs. The first professional baseball game was played in Chicago in 1871. Since then, the sport has gained immense popularity in the U.S., leading to many stadiums being constructed specifically to host baseball games.
Image credit: wikipedia.org
Baseball is predominantly played in the summer months, which is when you may come across the most popular games. Because of the sport’s popularity, teams often have a special game every Friday during the baseball season. These games are often referred to as ‘Farm Buds’ or ‘Jazz games’ and are popular with both players and spectators alike. The most popular baseball games of the summer are:
- The Subway Series, where the New York Yankees will play the Boston Red Sox at various locations around the city.
- Midsummer Night’s Fireworks, where the Chicago Cubs will play the St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field on Midsummer’s Night, July 17th.
- Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks, where the Los Angeles Dodgers will take on the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium.
- Yankees vs. Red Sox, where the New York Yankees will take on the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.
Basketball
Basketball is another sport that has been around for many years and which also enjoys a large following in the United States. It was originally created as a way for American soldiers to stay fit during the 19th century. The sport then made its way to Europe and the rest of the world where it continues to be popular today.
Image credit: wikipedia.org
Basketball is mostly played in the winter months, however, it continues to be a popular sport throughout the year. The most popular basketball games of the winter are: