Over/Under

An over/under, more commonly called a totals bet, only cares about the combined score of both teams, not which one wins. The sportsbook posts a number, say 46.5 points for a football game, and the bettor picks whether the final combined score lands above that line, the over, or below it, the under. A blowout and a nail biter can both win an over bet as long as the two teams put up enough points between them. Books almost always attach a half point to the total, 46.5 rather than a flat 46, for the same reason they use half points on spreads: it rules out a tie. If the number were a round 46 and the game finished with exactly 46 combined points, the bet would push and every stake gets refunded instead of paid out either way. Standard vig on a total runs around -110 on each side, meaning a $110 bet nets $100 in profit, though books shade the price for lower scoring sports like hockey or baseball, where landing on the exact total is far more plausible. The bet plays out independent of the final score's shape. DraftKings posted the Chiefs-Titans total at 52 for the 2020 AFC Championship Game. Kansas City won 35-24, a lopsided result by any measure, but the number that decided the totals bet was the combined 59 points, comfortably clearing the line for anyone who took the over that day.