Sports Betting – Understanding Totals – Part Two
Baseball and Hockey Totals
Baseball and hockey totals wagers use the same principal as football and basketball overs/unders, where the bookmaker posts a number and you can bet either over that total or under the total, but there is one essential difference and that rests in the amount of money a bettor must risk to win $100.
Because scoring in baseball and hockey is so much lower than in football or basketball, the bookmakers are reluctant to change the number of a total and instead will adjust the odds. Example: If the over/under number on the Dodgers and the Giants is 9 and a bettor places a $500 wager on the over, the bookmaker is unlikely to raise the total to 9.5. Instead, he will make bettors who wish to wager over 9 risk $120 to win $100, which is written as -120. Those wishing to bet the under would then be able to wager at even money or +100, as totals nearly always use a difference of .2, commonly called “20 cents.”
If people continue to bet the over, the bookmaker will continue to adjust the odds upward and eventually bettors may have to risk $145 to win $100, or -145. In this case, an under bettor would risk $100 to win $125. The bookmaker will generally raise the odds up to -145 before raising the total to the next number, which in this case would be 9.5.
Betting overs/unders is another way to add some excitement to a game and many times will offer more betting value than trying to pick the winner. Many serious bettors concentrate on totals, believing they are easier to win than picking which team is going to cover the spread. Now that you understand overs/unders, you’re closer to experiencing the “total” sports betting adventure.