Over/Under Meaning in Betting | Guide for Ghanaian Bettors

Here is an article that will explain the over/under meaning in betting. Not many bettors know the meaning of over and under in betting, and it is vital to understand this type of betting market.

Over/Under Meaning in Betting

The over/under bet is one of the most popular betting terms you must have heard. Moreover, many punters bet on this market. It is also known as total bet and sometimes shortened as O/U by some bookmakers. In this case, you are not predicting the exact score of the game but the number of goals.

For instance, if you predict that there will be three or more goals in a match. Go to your bookmaker and select the game you intend to bet on. You will place a bet on over 2.5 markets because you’re expecting the match to end in three or more goals.

If the match’s outcome is three goals or more between both sides, you win the bet. If the total goals scored in the game are less than three, you lose this bet.

In addition, the over/under market works for Football and other sports like Basketball, Tennis, Cricket, Boxing etc. Furthermore, to avoid misunderstanding while settling a bet, over/under markets are usually given as half numbers.

Scoring half a goal is impossible, so the total number of goals will always be at least 0.5.

However, some bookmakers set the goal line as a whole number, so your stake will be refunded when you bet over or under a given figure, and the outcome ends exactly as the given line.

For instance, If the bookmaker sets the goal line at exactly 2 and you place an over or under 2 bet, your stake will be refunded if the game ends with a total of two goals.

Types of Over/Under Betting

Bookmakers offer different kinds of over/under betting. Let’s look at a few;

Under 1.5 Goals Meaning

A bet on under 1.5 goals means you’re predicting that there’ll be less than 2 goals in a game. If the game ends in two goals or more, you will lose the bet.

Under 2.5 Goals Meaning

The under 2.5 goals, means that you’re betting that the teams will score less than three goals in a match. If the game produces no goal, one goal or two goals, you will win the bet. Once the goals scored are up to three, you will lose the bet.

Under 3.5 Goals Meaning

Under 3.5 goals, means that there will be three goals or less scored in a game. If both teams score four or more goals in the tie, you will lose this bet.

Under 4.5 Goals Meaning

Here, a bettor will predict that there will be 4 or fewer goals in the game. If the under 4.5 goals market ends in a total of five goals or more after regulation time, the player will lose this bet.

Over 1.5 Goals Meaning

A bet on over 1.5 goals means you’re predicting that the outcome of a match will end in 2 goals or more. If the game records less than two goals, you will lose the bet.

Over 2.5 Goals Meaning

Over 2.5 goals means that you’re betting that the teams will score at least three goals in the match. If the game ends in no goal, one goal or two goals, you will lose this bet.

Over 3.5 Goals Meaning

Over 3.5 goals means that there will be 4 or more goals scored in a game. You will lose this bet if both teams score a total of three goals or less in the tie.

Over 4.5 Goals Meaning

Here, a bettor will predict that there will be five goals or more in a game. If the over 4.5 goals market ends in a total of four goals or less after regulation time, the player will lose the bet.

Over/Under Examples

To help you understand this betting type, let’s look at a few over/under betting examples.

The last matchday in the 2021/2022 English Premier League between Manchester City and Aston Villa saw five goals, three for Manchester City and two for Aston Villa.

Even though the result mattered and was crucial for Manchester City to win the Premier League title, it didn’t matter to a bettor that placed the over/under bet.

If a player placed an over 4.5 bet on this tie, he would win the bet because the match saw five goals. Also, if a bettor placed an under 4.5 bet, it would record as a loss because both teams scored five goals. An under 4.5 bet has to end in four goals or less.

Let’s look at another over/under betting example that might take place in the world cup. A match between Argentina and Brazil, for instance. Assuming the bookmaker sets a 3.5 line for this tie, you can place an over/under bet before the game begins.

If both teams combine to score at least 4 goals, the over bet will hit. However, if these teams score 3 goals or less, the under bet would hit.

How are Over/Under Odds Calculated?

The offensive and defensive metrics of the teams are usually used to determine the odds for an over/under bet. However, other factors also need to be considered.

For outdoor sports like football and baseball, the weather conditions can impact the odds set by a bookmaker because this can affect the result.

Line ups, Injuries, Travel fatigue, Head to Head records also determine how the bookmakers calculate odds for an over/under bet. Calculating odds is a big task, and bookmakers only assign this job to specialists in the field.

Best Over/Under Betting Sites

There are various betting websites you can wager over/under betting markets in Ghana. Here are some of them:

Over/Under Meaning FAQ