Best sportsbooks for over/under betting in 2024
On this page, you will find a selection of the very best bookies offering over/under betting options. Each and every one is subject to a rigorous check by our team of professionals as they go in search of the best user experience that the industry has to offer.
Our multipoint check evaluates all of the most important factors. And only when our team is completely satisfied, will a brand make its way onto our coveted list of sites.
So you know that any one of the bookies that we represent is a fantastic place to have a flutter and enjoy the very latest gambling systems. You can read more about how we review betting sites here.
Don’t forget to check out the bonus details that go hand in hand with the majority of sites. They can land you free bets and other forms of betting credit to get you started on your journey. Gambling on your favourite sports can be a lot of fun. But doing it for free is always better!
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Over under betting explained
This style of betting appeals to many fans as it gives them an opportunity to delve deeper into the possible outcome of a sporting event. Historically, sporting bets feature the winners and losers of a match or race. But that has since changed and now it is possible to decide for yourself exactly what is going to take place during your favourite footy match, for example.
Let’s take a look at over under explained and where you can place this style of bet.
What is over/under?
This type of betting action requires some form of statistical output from a game. This could be the number of goals, runs, winning lengths, birdies and a whole lot more.
The bookie will give various options such as over/under 2.5 goals, for example. They will do their homework and have a good idea of what’s going to probably happen in that game.
When you have a flutter on this type of market, you simply say whether you think the number of goals will be over or under that specified figure offered by the bookies.
You can go over or under a whole range of different goal counts. This may be anything from 0.5 up to 5.5. And each one will have its own odds depending on how likely the bookmaker considers that outcome.
Where can I make over/under bets?
This type of bet is available at the vast majority of bookmakers in the UK. It is also very popular in the states and many other countries around the world.
Games that provide a high points total such as basketball, for example, are much harder to predict. And they will have loads of different over-under bets available. They usually offer pretty good odds for most selections as it’s very hard to predict this type of outcome.
All of the sites that you see dotted around throughout this guide will have these gambling options open for you. When you find a brand that you like offering a top welcome bonus, you can simply click on the direct link through to that website.
When you arrive, you can take a look around and make sure that the available bets, payment options and site layout all meet your expectations. After that, head to the registration area where you can create your account and get cracking.
Common types of bets
The over-under goals bet comes with a few variations. Most are pretty straightforward and shouldn’t have you scratching your head for long.
Here are a few of the most commonly used bets in this niche. As you have guessed, football represents the majority of gambling action with these markets in the UK. So the following categories apply to football matches rather than anything else.
One thing that you will notice is that the figure that the bookies offer will include a decimal point.
This means that they aren’t offering an exact goal count for you to work with. As everybody is aware, it is impossible to score half a goal in a game of football. But the bookies won’t generally risk offering an exact number of goals as it will create a situation where the punter isn’t right or wrong and you end up in a bit of a stalemate.
And handing back wagers isn’t something that the bookie wants to do if they can help it.
Over/under 1.5 betting explained
This variation of the bet is one of the most popular available. Let’s take a look at the under 1.5 goals meaning and the over 1.5 goals meaning.
As you can see, the bookies in this over under example are offering you a chance to bet on more or less than 1.5 goals.
The odds that they offer will follow their stats and predictions as we mentioned before.
During the game, if there are less than 1.5 goals, then anyone placing a bet on this outcome will win according to the fixed odds for that bet. If the odds on under 1.5 are 1/1, then you will win your wager back and the same amount on top while placing this bet if the outcome of the game has 0 or 1 goal.
Alternatively, you may think that plenty of goal-scoring chances will occur during the game and that more goals are likely. So you can place your wagers on the over bet.
If the odds for this bet are 2/1, then you could double your money and get your wager back effectively giving you three times what you started with.
Over/under 3.5 betting explained
If you’re looking for the under 3.5 goals meaning or the over 3.5 goals meaning, then this is for you. This market will have pretty good odds if you are siding with the over prediction. Most games in the Premier League end in a 1-0 win so the chances of four hitting the back of the net are very unlikely.
For this reason, you will get much tighter odds on under 3.5 than you will on over 3.5. But as there is a chance for 0, 1, 2 or 3 goals to get you a profit, you won’t win as much from a 0-0 draw with this bet as you would from the over/under 1.5 wager that we saw earlier.
However, some games may end in a big score that nobody will have predicted from the start. Just take a look at some of the old classic Liverpool Vs Newcastle matches back in the 90s where 7 goals made their way past the keeper.
The bookies stand to lose a lot of money when this type of game unfolds.
Over/under 4.5 betting explained
It is very likely that the vast majority of games will finish with four or less goals. So as with the 3.5 bet, the odds won’t be particularly favourable for anyone going along with the prediction that the match will end with less.
The under 4.5 goals meaning and over 4.5 goals meaning is very similar to what we’ve just seen.
If you believe that five or more goals are possible during a game, then you can pick up a fantastic bounty as a result. If you know your stuff and have a gut feeling about a game, then it’s always worth a small flutter to see how it goes.
Detailed example of an over/under bet
Let’s take the recent Champions League semi-final, second leg between Real Madrid and Man City.
The first game was a 4-3 goal-fest with more goal scoring chances than anyone thought likely. So the decider at the Bernabeu is probably not going to be quite as thrilling. Both teams will be wary of leaving themselves open to attack. So it could be a little cagey for a while but eventually Real will have to go on the offensive. So goals are surely expected. And probably more than 1 or 2.
The over-under betting for 0.5 goals has the following odds:
Under 0.5 = 12/1
Over 0.5 = 1/50
The bookies are pretty certain that there will be plenty of action between the posts.
Here’s what would happen if you place your bets on either side of the 0.5 mark.
You might think that it will be a nervous game with little goalscoring on offer from either side. So you place £10 on under 0.5 goals. You need this game to end in a 0-0 draw to profit from this bet. If this happens then you will win £120 + your bet back.
But now let’s assume that you, like everybody else, are expecting this to be one of the best games of the season. And that Benzema and Vinícius will be out for revenge. The game might produce a lot of goals so you take the over 0.5 bet.
Placing £10 at 1/50 odds is going to bag you a not so impressive 20p + your bet back. Many punters will simply decide that this just isn’t worth it. The bookies are clearly trying to deter anyone from placing this bet.
Over/under bets payouts
As you’ve seen above, the payouts can be fantastic or they can be disappointing. It all depends on the likelihood of the outcome. Some games will offer better chances to win decent prizes if they turn out to be a shock thriller.
But to see better results, even in a game that seems fairly predictable, you can just opt for the less likely choice and hope it goes your way. This will give you much higher profits as you are assuming more risk.
PUSH – If the over/under result is exact
Sometimes a bet can be pushed. This is when the total number of goals or other points that you are betting on finishes exactly as the bookie predicts.
In rare cases the set total is a whole number
It is extremely rare to see. However, occasionally, a bookmaker may decide to place an exact figure on the number of goals, for example, that will occur during a match.
In this case, you will see the bet offered as over or under 1.0 for instance.
The reason that it is so rare is that it causes a problem for the bookies. Anyone who takes up this bet on either side of the bookie’s prediction cannot win if the total number of goals ends up being exactly the same.
As a result, the bookmaker needs to pay back all of the wagers to its punters.
Pros and cons of over-under betting
There are pros and cons to every type of bet. And the o / u wager is no different. Let’s take a quick look at a few of the reasons why you may or may not want to try a flutter on this market.
Advantages
You don’t need to guess the exact result- Any number of goals over or under produces a win for the respective bet
- Both teams add to your chances of success
- You have a 50/50 chance of being right
- Big potential wins are possible
You don’t need to guess the exact resultDisadvantages
Some over-under betting markets have tight odds with little profit available- You don’t continue to benefit the more ‘right’ you are
- VAR can break your heart regularly!
Some over-under betting markets have tight odds with little profit availableMost common sports for over/under bets
As we mentioned at the start, it’s possible to use over-under bets on a number of different sporting events. Although the majority of our talk during this guide is focused on football, there are a few other sports that you may wish to consider.
Football
Most people in the UK are happily placing bets on their favourite football matches week in and week out. It’s one of the most popular sports for all kinds of bets and can be extremely fast-paced and exciting.
But over-under betting doesn’t only apply to the number of goals in some cases.
You may also find over or under the number of corners, cards and throw-ins as well.
Cricket
Cricket betting is fiercely competitive and at certain times of the year, the action gets a frenzied buzz about it.
The IPL and Cricket World Cup both present loads of top betting markets. And over / under betting is just one of them.
Within this niche, you can place a wager on o / u number of runs, number of fours, number of sixes, number of lbws etc.
Basketball
Basketball also has a great selection of over and under wagering options. It’s very hard to predict how many points will occur during a game as it can run over a hundred. In addition, you can also try your luck with the number of three-pointers and rebounds as well.
American Football
The NFL and college football alike produce loads of betting action on this top sport. In the states, it is the most popular sporting activity for betting fans. And the Super Bowl is easily the biggest event attracting the most action throughout the season.
You can find over/under betting for the total points as well as yards gained and field goals as well.
Other popular forms of bets
This style of betting isn’t for everybody. And some punters prefer to try out different varieties throughout their gambling journey. Here are a few of the alternatives that you may wish to turn your hand to instead.
1X2 betting
To the uninitiated, this may seem like a strange piece of betting code. In fact, it is very simple. The ‘1’ stands for the home team, the ‘x’ is for a draw and the ‘2’ stands for the away team.
All you have to do is decide who you think will win the match or if it will result in a draw.
This makes creating your betting slip very easy and many punters prefer to have a simple flutter like this. You can make your choice at the beginning of the game and wait and see what happens.
Furthermore, with in-play betting, you can also wait and see how the game is going before you make your final decision. At any point, you can enter your in-play bet with how you think the match will end up.
Match outcome
The match outcome may apply to the above bet as you have just seen. The overall result could just refer to your prediction of who will win, if anyone.
But there are other outcomes that will result from a game. These include the correct score, who will score first and the ever-popular half-time/full-time bet. With this wager, you need to say who you think will be winning at halftime and then who will go on to win the match after 90 mins.
Spread betting
Spread betting takes over under betting to a new level of excitement.
One of the downsides to over or under is that you don’t benefit when there are loads of goals scored. Nor do you get more profit if you go under on an o/u 4.5, for example, and the final score is 0-0.
Spread betting changes all that. When you bet on a spread of goals, you will get an extra multiplier of your wager every time more goals go in. Or more profit if you bet that there will be fewer goals than the bookie states and the game ends with far less goals.
Matched betting
Matched betting is a great way to take advantage of bonus bets. When you sign up for a new account with a bookie, you’ll find that you often receive a free bet or some other form of playing credit.
You can place this bet, risk-free, and only if your selection comes in, do you win. But what if there was a way to guarantee that you win?
Placing a bet on the opposite side of your free wager allows you to win regardless of the result. One side of the bet will always be worth more than the other so at least half of the 2 bets will get you a profit if it comes good.
And if you’re really thorough, you can find a slight variation in odds between an exchange and a bookie. And this means a small profit could be available on the original part of the bet as well. Check out our guide to spread betting for more info.
FAQ
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