Over and Under bets are amongst the most popular of bets after straight bets. When a match between a very popular team like Germany is up but the odds are not that rewarding, punters generally focus their attention on the Over and Under score.
They are also extremely popular with In Play betting, as punters watch a game and decide if a next goal is probable based on the present of the game.
Betting on Germany to win might be such a played bet that the payout could be less than 15% of the initial stake. On the other hand placing an Over 2.5 bet could payout around 60% to 80% of the initial stake and still have great chances of occurring.
But first let’s understand how Euro Cup Over Under bets work.
What is an Over Bet during the Euro Cup
An Over bet is almost self-explainable by its name. It means the total score of a match should be superior by the Over given [1]. Here is an example of an Over Bet:
Germany vs Spain Over 3.5
If you decide to take this bet the total score of the match should be 4 goals or above. The total score means the sum total of goals Germany and Spain score during the entire match.
In fact, this type of bet is called “Totals” in the United States and not Over or Under.
Why does the Over with a decimal number?
That is a great observation with a great importance. Many times when betting on a certain score, not only for the Over and Under, sportsbooks use a decimal score to avoid the risk of the score being exactly on the limit number.
If for example the Over where to be 3 goals, and the match ends up being Germany 2 – 1 Spain = 3 goals totals, then it wouldn´t be “over” 3 goals or “under” 3 goals either. In this scenario the bet is a draw between the bookie and the gambler and the bet is called a “push”. In A “push” all stakes are returned to the bettor.
So no win or loss is taken, a scenario that sportsbooks do not like as they have to return the stakes of both Over and Under bets. That is why usually these type of bets appear in decimal points, as 3 would be an Under score and 4 would be an Over score.
*Understanding and knowing how to read odds is one of the first things a sports bettor must learn to master is he wants to be effective.
What is an Under Bet during the Euro Cup
The Under bet is just the complete opposite of the Over bet. In the previous example of Germany vs Spain some punters may consider that this match might not have 4 goals after all, maybe key scorers are missing the game or not in their best shape. Maybe the current manager of a team likes to “park the bus” (play defense) reducing the other´s team ability to score goals and its own.
So if you decide to go with the Under 3.5 for Germany vs Spain the maximum goals scored should be no more than 3.
You will see punters taking the Over most of the time than the Under. An unusual situation because Under bets begin being winners from the start of the match. This is probably because the Over bet tends to be more valuable.
Types of Over Under Bets
The most common and typical Over and Under is the total score of the match. But players can find many other exotic types of Over Under bets.
Over/Under on one Team – Bettors can bet on the Over or under of a single team like Germany.
Over/Under of Players – A more exotic bet would be to bet the over/under of single popular players like Ronaldo or Zlatan Ibramovich.
Over/under Match Half’s – You can bet on the over and under of the first half or second half. These types of bets are more commonly offered as In Play bets, since an oddsmaker watching the game might consider to open bets or change odds as the game develops.
Over/Under Championship Total Goals – These types of bets are referred to as “future bets” as you place a bet that its final result will develop during a long period of time. Taking the Over/Under of the UEFA Euro Cup total goals scored during the championship is one of such future bets. Only a few sportsbooks might offer it, and it could be available only a few weeks before the championship begins. It is also worth of note that the earlier a future bet is taken the better the odds value.
External Links
[1] en.wikipedia.org, Over Under Bets, 2015