Over/Under (Totals) explained

A totals bet ignores who wins and asks only how many goals the match produces. The line is usually set at a half-goal (2.5) so there is no tie: Over 2.5 needs three or more goals, Under 2.5 wins with two or fewer. Whole-number lines (e.g. exactly 3.0) can 'push' — land exactly on the line — in which case stakes are returned as a void.

Totals are often better value hunting grounds than match results because casual money concentrates on picking winners, leaving goals markets slightly less efficiently priced. They also suit statistical modelling: goals follow reasonably stable patterns per team and league, which is why a large share of our model's recommendations are totals.