# How does the over/under work? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 15, 2015, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-over-under-work/712686 "2015-02-15T00:37:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Doug\_Bowe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@Doug\_Bowe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_Bowe)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2015, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-over-under-work/712686/1 "2015-02-15T00:37:45Z")
I know next to nothing about sports betting. So in the most simple terms, how does the over/under work? My team tonight is rated -3. Does that mean they’re supposed to lose by 3? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2015, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-over-under-work/712686/2 "2015-02-15T00:58:15Z")
Yes but that’s the spread or line. If your team lose by less than 3 they win. The over/under is for total points scored in the game. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2015, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-over-under-work/712686/3 "2015-02-15T01:01:20Z")
I think over/under means total points scored by both teams combined. If two notably high-scoring football teams are playing each other, for instance, the over/under might be something like 67 points. If two notably low-scoring football teams are playing each other, the over/under might be something like 38 points. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2015, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-over-under-work/712686/4 "2015-02-15T01:26:58Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Yes but that’s the spread or line. If your team lose by less than 3 they win. The over/under is for total points scored in the game. A -3 means your team is favored by three, not the other way around. The over/under can be for any statistic, but usually it’s for total points combined by a team in a game. But you can, if you want, have an over/under bet on, say, how many points a certain player will make in a game. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2015, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-over-under-work/712686/5 "2015-02-15T01:31:26Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > A -3 means your team is favored by three, not the other way around. The over/under can be for any statistic, but usually it’s for total points combined by a team in a game. Oops. Of course. They have to win by 3 or more. Hope no life savings have been invested. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2015, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-over-under-work/712686/6 "2015-02-15T01:36:46Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Oops. Of course. They have to win by 3 or more. Hope no life savings have been invested. It is a little counterintuitive, but, to help the OP, think of -3 or +3 as points you subtract or add for the team you’re betting on. If you bet on the -3 team, the team needs to win by 4 for to win the bet, 3 pushes the bet, a win by 2 or fewer or a loss loses the bet. A lot of lines will be expressed with a .5 at the end (like -2.5 or -3.5) to avoid the push. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_Bowe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@Doug\_Bowe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_Bowe)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2015, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-over-under-work/712686/7 "2015-02-15T03:24:36Z")
There you go. Thank you. Like I said sports betting is not my high point, and you did keep it understandable. Thank you again. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2015, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-over-under-work/712686/8 "2015-02-15T03:55:07Z")
> [@Doug\_Bowe](#): > > There you go. Thank you. Like I said sports betting is not my high point, and you did keep it understandable. Thank you again. Now ask them to explain the cross 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Orwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dfb087/32.png) [@Orwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orwell)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-over-under-work/712686/9 "2015-02-16T14:09:17Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Oops. Of course. They have to win by 3 or more. Hope no life savings have been invested. Not exactly right. If the line is -3, and you bet on the favorite, your team has to win by MORE than 3, not just 3. If the favorite wins by 3, then the bet is a “push”, or tie, and you get your wager back. You will sometimes see lines like 6.5. Teams can’t score half-points, so there will be no tie, or push, with this line. If the favorite wins by 7 or more, favorite bets win. If the underdog wins or stays within 6 points, the underdog side wins. As for over/under, that means total points scored by both teams. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-the-over-under-work/712686/10 "2015-02-16T14:44:50Z")
With OP’s question answered, a side-note may be in order. There’s a simple trick that may lead to profits playing the over/under. First, consider parlay betting. If team A is even-money(\*) to beat the spread against B, and team C even-money against D, your bookie may let you place a parlay bet – you put up $1000 and get $4000 back only if both A and C win. This seems fair: the chance that two 50% events both occur is 25%, if the events are independent. (In effect you’re placing a $2000 bet on the 2nd game if and only if you win the first game, but you don’t need to place a 2nd phone call.) So, place such parlay bets with your bookie until comfort has been established. _Now parlay the winner and over/under in thse same game._ For example, if team B has excellent defense, then winner and over/under will be correlated: Team A is favored if it’s a high-scoring game because that means B’s defense failed. You can place bets on A to win _and_ the Over (or B to win and the Under); either of these parlays will have better than a 25% chance. It does no good to place the bets independently. But, some bookies or betting opponents may let you place the bet as a parlay, whereupon it can become very advantageous. (\* - Nevermind if you’re getting 10-11 instead of even-money; the principle is the same.) Disclaimer: Betting is illegal where prohibited by law.