TOTAL BET: MEANING, CALCULATION & EXAMPLES
Total betting involves betting against scores within sports set by bookmakers. The total refers to totals within different sports, such as the total number of goals in a soccer match or points in a basketball game.
An example of this is an over/under bet. The line, or total, is set by the bookmaker, and you bet on whether the total will be greater or lower than the set line. For example, betting on there to be over 2.5 goals in a match between Real Madrid and Manchester City would be classed as a total bet.
WHAT IS A TOTAL BET?
A total bet is a wager that focuses solely on points scored in a game, with the match result having no impact on the bet’s success. This is a great option for the neutral or even an ardent fan who can’t bring themselves to bet against their team. You don’t have to pick a side, you can simply bet on both teams to either score high or low, taking the total either over or under the line specified by the bookmaker.
TYPES OF TOTAL BETS & EXAMPLES
One of the most popular types of total bets is over/under betting. This can be applied across the majority of sports and is used most frequently by punters across soccer, American football and basketball.
Total betting in basketball can be more volatile due to the high-scoring nature of matches, which bring with it greater fluctuation in total points scored. Soccer is a safer total betting option, with parlays on games featuring over 1.5 goals being among the most popular bets for fans.
Total betting is not limited to over/under betting, though, as you can also bet on exact totals. One example of this is odd/even betting, which simply involves betting on whether the total number of points scored in a match will be odd or even. For example, in a match between Manchester City and Chelsea, which you may expect to be tight with either team winning by just one goal, you could bet on the total number of match goals to be odd.
Odd/even betting is not limited to points scored, especially in sports where one score is worth multiple points, such as rugby union. A try is worth five points and the subsequent conversion is worth two. In this instance, the punter may choose to place a bet on there to be an even number of tries in a match, rather than an even number of points, due to the unpredictability of the latter.
HOW TO PLACE A TOTAL BET AT EDGE
If you want to find the best odds on the markets that suit your betting desires, then the Edge Sports Trading Platform is the place to go. It brings together a selection of Asia’s best bookies into one site, where punters can access a wealth of data, as well as key stats, all with the help of elite customer service.
Placing a total bet at Edge is simple. Just choose your market and selection – for example, an over/under bet on a Premier League match. Edge will then give you access to multiple bookmakers and show you which one offers the best odds. From there, the choice is yours! You can also use the Mystic Mac tipster on our Telegram channel to get the latest advice on events that may offer good opportunities to place total bets.
PROS & CONS
One of the main advantages of total betting is that it removes emotion and focuses purely on statistics, which is crucial for building a profitable betting strategy. It offers the opportunity for a punter to bet on matches involving the team they support without betting on the match result, which may be affected by bias.
A Chelsea fan who doubts their team will beat Manchester United could instead bet on the total to be over 2.5 goals. This way, their bet wins whether their team loses or wins by a significant margin — allowing them to celebrate without the guilt of betting against their team!
The simplicity of total betting also makes it an attractive prospect, as it only requires the punter to be able to count accurately the number of points scored in a game.
It also offers a great value betting opportunity. The public always wants to be entertained, so they tend to favor betting the over rather than the under. Shrewd bettors can find opportunities to take advantage of the weight of money on over selections and find good value in betting under the total.
One downside of total betting is the unpredictability of overtime or stoppage time in certain sports. For example, you may bet under the total match goal line for a football match, but due to stoppages in the game, there may be a large amount of added time, meaning more time in which goals can be scored, therefore decreasing the chance of your under selection being successful.
Another factor that may potentially discourage punters from total betting is that, in some cases, it can be hard to find value. Some bookmakers may only offer one total to bet over or under, with both selections returning slightly under 2.00. This can be an unattractive prospect for those who prefer to place smaller stakes at bigger odds.
One way to get value out of this, however, is through the increasingly popular over/under accumulator. Combining multiple selections in over/under markets will accumulate greater odds and would provide a more enticing return if all selections are successful. It is important to remain wise with your selections in this scenario, as it can be tempting to put a large number of selections into your accumulator. Ensure you find a balance between high enough odds to suit your preferences while also placing a bet you feel has a reasonable chance of being successful.
CONCLUSION
In summary, total betting can be fun for the neutral, the passionate fan, the novice, and the experienced punter. It can form part of a profitable betting strategy if used correctly, and finding the best odds on the markets that suit you will be key to achieving this, for which you can use betting exchange sites such as Edge and the Pinnacle Sports white label Probet42.