Over under betting: totals markets, half points and the rules

Key facts

An over under (totals) bet is on whether a combined number, such as total points, goals or runs, finishes above or below the bookmaker's line.
A total of 172.5 is beaten by a score of 95-80 (175) and missed by 92-80 (172). The half point means there is no tie.
Over at $1.85 and under at $1.95 add up to 105.34% in implied chances: you need 54.05% wins on the over to break even.
Under the TAB's Victorian rules, a cricket innings total counts the runs scored even if rain stops the innings, as long as one ball was bowled.
In soccer, totals are settled at the end of normal time, and an abandoned match voids any total not yet decided.

How over under betting works

Over under betting is a bet on a number, not a team. The bookmaker sets a line on some combined total, such as the points scored by both sides, the goals in a soccer match or the runs in an innings, and you back the total to finish over or under it. Who wins the game does not matter at all.

Take an example AFL total of 172.5 points with over at $1.85 and under at $1.95. Add both teams' scores together at the end:

Final score	Combined total	Over 172.5	Under 172.5
95 to 80	175	Wins	Loses
92 to 81	173	Wins	Loses
92 to 80	172	Loses	Wins
88 to 80	168	Loses	Wins

The half point does the same job it does in a line bet: a combined score is always a whole number, so it can never land exactly on 172.5. If you ever see a total set at a whole number, read the bookmaker's rules for what happens when the score lands on it, because that is no longer a two-outcome bet.

What totals betting costs you

Like any two-way market, a totals market has the bookmaker's margin built in.

Side	Example price	$40 returns	Implied chance
Over 172.5	$1.85	$74.00	54.05%
Under 172.5	$1.95	$78.00	51.28%
Total			105.34%

In our calculation the 5.34% over 100% is the margin. The uneven prices also tell you something: the bookmaker rates the over as slightly more likely, so it pays less. If you back the over at $1.85 week after week, you need to win 54.05% of those bets just to break even; the under at $1.95 needs 51.28%. A few cents of price matters, which is why our guide to bookmaker margin is worth reading before you bet totals regularly.

The rules that settle a total

Most totals are settled by simple addition. The close calls come from extra time, weather and abandoned matches, and each sport is handled differently. These are the TAB's Victorian sports rules; other licensed bookmakers write their own.

Situation	TAB rule	Effect on an over under bet
Game goes to extra time	10.8: final results take extra time into account unless notified otherwise	Points in extra time may count; check the market name
Soccer match	11.1.8.3: decided at the end of normal time, in most cases 90 minutes plus injury time	Extra time goals do not count unless the market says so
Soccer match called off, official result declared	11.1.8.2: bets depending on the number of goals not yet decided are void	Undecided totals are refunded; decided ones stand
Cricket innings total	11.1.3.5(e): runs scored in that innings, whether or not it is completed	A rain-shortened innings still settles; void only if no ball is bowled
T20 cricket	11.1.3.4(a): betting options exclude the super over unless stated	Super over runs do not count toward a match total
Event postponed more than 72 hours	10.6(a): investment refunded	Bet returned

Two of these deserve a closer look.

Abandoned soccer. Say you back over 2.5 goals and the match is called off at 3-0 with an official result. The total has already passed 2.5, so your bet is decided and paid. If the same match is called off at 1-1, neither side of 2.5 has been decided and the bet is void. In our reading of rule 11.1.8.2, the only totals refunded are the ones still open when play stopped.

Rain in cricket. The innings total rule settles on the runs actually scored, even if the innings is cut short. An innings that stops early because of weather will usually finish lower than the bookmaker expected for a full innings, which favours the under. Our cricket betting guide covers the other cricket markets and their own void rules.

Totals beyond the final score

Over under markets are not only on the final score. Depending on the bookmaker, you may also find totals on one team, one period of play, or a player's statistics such as disposals, goals or runs. Player totals rely on official statistics: the TAB says its most disposals market is settled "according to the official AFL statistician", and it describes a disposal as a handball or kick. Player lines are a form of prop bet, covered in our guide to prop bets.

Pundit tip: a team total and a match total on the same game are linked: a high-scoring game pushes both over. The TAB says same game multi odds are calculated differently because the selections relate to each other, so do not expect two linked overs to pay the two prices multiplied together.

Over under or line?

A total and a line are built from the same two numbers, the teams' scores, but they ask different questions.

	Over under	Line
What is measured	Score A + Score B	Score A - Score B
What you need	A high or low scoring game	One team to cover a points start
Who wins matters?	No	Yes, by how much

If your view is about the style of game, say wet weather or two strong defences, a total expresses it directly. If your view is about one team being better than its price suggests, use line betting instead. For the main AFL markets and the rules that settle them, see our AFL betting guide.

Before you bet a total

Read the market name: full game, normal time, innings or quarter.
Check the half point, so you know exactly which score wins.
Turn both prices into implied chances and add them up to see the margin.
Remember that online bets close at the start: ACMA treats in-play sports betting online as illegal, with a narrow exception for bets made wholly by phone.

Set a limit you are comfortable losing before the game starts, and use our gambling help page if you need support. Every other market type is listed in bet types explained.

Frequently asked questions

What does over 2.5 goals mean?

It means three or more goals must be scored in the match for the bet to win. Under 2.5 wins with two goals or fewer. Under the TAB's Victorian rules, soccer results are settled at the end of normal time unless you are told otherwise.

Is over under betting the same as totals betting?

Yes. Totals, over under and over/under are three names for the same market: a line on a combined number and a price for each side of it.

What happens to an over under bet if a cricket innings is cut short by rain?

Under the TAB's Victorian rules, an innings total is the runs scored in that innings whether or not it is completed, and bets are void only if not a single ball is bowled. A short innings usually helps the under.

What happens to an over under bet if a soccer match is abandoned?

Under the TAB's Victorian rules, if an official result is declared, totals that are not yet decided are void and refunded. A total that was already decided, such as an over 1.5 when two goals had been scored, is settled.

Does extra time count in totals?

It depends on the sport and the bookmaker. The TAB's general rule is that results include extra time unless you are told otherwise, soccer is settled at normal time, and T20 betting options exclude the super over unless stated. Check the market name on your slip.