Tips for Betting Football Totals

Tips for Betting Football Totals

An over/under (totals bet) is a sports betting wager that allows you to bet on the flow of a game completely independent from who wins the game. As the name suggests, you are going to bet on the total number of something that happens in a game. Primarily, this is going to be the points, runs, or goals scored, but it can be other things.

This total number will be completely independent of the outcome of the game. That means it does not matter who wins the game. All that matters is how many points, runs, or goals are scored by both teams.

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Perks of Betting on Football Totals

Aside from the simple idea of making money, there are many perks to betting on football totals when compared to other types of football bets.

Some of these perks include:

  • High Winning Percentage

  • Simple to Understand

  • Lucrative Payouts

High Winning Percentage

Since your only options are to bet on the over or under, you have a 50/50 chance of getting your bet correct. This is much higher than what other types of football bets provide.

For example, parlay bets require you to get all of your bets correct in order to earn a payout. Meanwhile, prop bets are often influenced by several things, and can be nearly impossible to predict using football knowledge alone.

With football total bets, you have a fair shot of winning every bet you make, helping to minimize your losses. This is even more true if you watch a lot of football and are good at making predictions for games.

Simple to Understand

Another perk of betting on football totals is that they are simple to understand.

Since there are only two options to choose from, betting on football totals is easy even for beginners. Even if you don’t know much about football betting in general, or how betting odds work, you’ll be able to understand the basics of betting on football totals.

We touched on this above. But to summarize, all you need to do for football total bets is look at the projected point total given by the online sportsbook and then on whether you think the actual total score of the game will be over or under that number. From there, all you have to do is watch the game!

Lucrative Payouts

If you consider yourself knowledgeable on football, then you really have the opportunity to enjoy some lucrative payouts. However, it will require a fair-sized wager on your part. The larger the wager, the higher your chances of coming out on top.

If you’re betting on NFL football totals, betting $5 or even $10 will probably not give you much in the way of profits. However, betting over $100 or more can be very rewarding if it turns out that you were able to predict the outcome correctly.

Furthermore, betting on football totals is a great way for you to get a feel for how sports betting works and what types of bets are available before moving onto other, more complicated bets such as parlays and prop bets.

Factors Affecting Totals in Football Games

When you are about to place a bet on a football total, you should always pause to consider a few things about the game you are betting on. After all, there are many external factors that can influence the total score of the game. While some are predictable or known before the football game starts, others can be trickier to identify.

Some factors to consider when betting on football totals include:

  • Weather

  • Injured Players

  • Coaching

  • Home Team Advantage

Weather

Always check the weather forecast for an upcoming football game you are considering betting on. The forecasts will usually give you some idea of what weather conditions to expect. Playing football in rain or snow can have a significant impact on the total score of the game, especially if it occurs during halftime after the game has started. If both teams are struggling to keep their footing due to heavy rainfall, you should expect fewer offensive plays and turnovers – leading to less scoring opportunities.

On the other hand, if the weather for a game is expected to be sunny with little to no wind, you can expect scoring to happen as normal. And there’s the added benefit that kickers do not have to worry about the wind messing up their extra points and field goal attempts.

Some football betting sites provide weather updates for the game that refresh every 15 minutes, so be sure to keep an eye on those for any important updates.

Injured Players

Injured players are another big factor that can easily affect the total score of the game. The loss of a quarterback, running back, or wide receiver can significantly reduce offensive production, resulting in less scoring plays.

If you are betting on the total score and you notice significant injuries to key players on one side, it is prudent to consider betting against the projected total.

Keep in mind that some injuries occur during the game and are impossible to predict. Unfortunately, there is not much you can do about these situations other than hope they do not occur. When they do, they can make a huge impact on the final score of the game.

Coaching

The difference between betting on the result of a football game and betting on the total score of the game is knowing how coaches approach their games. Even if an underdog covers the spread in a football match involving two teams with similar offensive capabilities, betting against their totals may still be profitable—as long as you know how the respective coaches operate.

If both coaches are known for having their quarterbacks throw the ball 40 times or more in a game, then you may be inclined to bet on the over for the total score due to the possibility of a high-scoring shootout. On the other hand, if both coaches are known to hand the ball off to the running backs a lot, you can expect a slower-paced offense that burns more time off the clock.

Home Team Advantage

Depending on the location of the game, the home team crowd can help provide a big advantage for their team. Crowd noise can affect the opposing team’s ability to communicate and execute their plays, resulting in more turnovers and bad snaps.

On the flip side, the crowd noise will be nearly nonexistent when the home team offense is on the field trying to score. This silence helps them communicate and run their offense, making it easier to move the ball down the field and call out weaknesses in the defense.