An over/under bet, also called a total or goal line, asks one question: will the match have more or fewer goals than the line? The same half, whole and quarter lines used in Asian handicap appear here too. Once you know how a split stake works, every line follows the same logic.
Half-goal lines: 1.5, 2.5, 3.5
A half-goal line can't land exactly, so the bet always wins or loses in full. Over 2.5 needs three or more goals; under 2.5 needs two or fewer. Over/under 2.5 is the most widely quoted total in football.
Whole-goal lines: 2, 3
If the total lands exactly on a whole line, both over and under are refunded. Over 2 wins with three or more goals, loses with none or one, and is refunded with exactly two.
Quarter lines: 2.25 and 2.75
A quarter line splits your stake equally across the two nearest lines, and each half settles on its own.
- Over 2.25 is half on over 2 and half on over 2.5. With exactly two goals, the over 2 half is refunded and the over 2.5 half loses: you lose half your stake. With three or more, both halves win.
- Over 2.75 is half on over 2.5 and half on over 3. With exactly three goals, the over 2.5 half wins and the over 3 half is refunded: you win half. With four or more, both halves win.
- Unders mirror this: under 2.25 is half won with exactly two goals, and under 2.75 is half lost with exactly three.
| Your bet | 0–1 goals | 2 goals | 3 goals | 4+ goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Over 1.5 | Lose | Win | Win | Win |
| Over 2 | Lose | Refund | Win | Win |
| Over 2.25 (2 / 2.5) | Lose | Half lost | Win | Win |
| Over 2.5 | Lose | Lose | Win | Win |
| Over 2.75 (2.5 / 3) | Lose | Lose | Half won | Win |
| Over 3 | Lose | Lose | Refund | Win |
| Over 3.5 | Lose | Lose | Lose | Win |
Under bets settle the opposite way: a win for over is a loss for under, a refund is a refund for both, and “half lost” on over is “half won” on under.
Worked examples in ringgit
These examples use made-up prices to show the arithmetic.
RM100 on over 2.25 at 1.95.
- 0 or 1 goals: you lose RM100.
- Exactly 2 goals: RM50 is refunded and RM50 loses. You get RM50 back.
- 3 or more goals: both halves win. You get RM195 back, a RM95 profit.
RM100 on under 2.75 at 1.90.
- 0 to 2 goals: both halves win. You get RM190 back, a RM90 profit.
- Exactly 3 goals: the under 2.5 half loses and the under 3 half is refunded. You get RM50 back.
- 4 or more goals: you lose RM100.
Other totals you'll see
- First-half totals count only goals scored before half-time, so the lines are lower, often 0.5 to 1.5.
- Team totals count one team's goals only.
- Corner totals use the same kinds of lines for corners. Check the sportsbook's rules on what counts as a corner.
- Odd/even is a separate market on whether the total is odd or even. There are no refunds.
- Own goals count toward the total. Extra time and penalties don't, unless the market says so.
Reading the price
Totals are usually priced close to even money on both sides. Add the implied probabilities of over and under to see the bookmaker's margin: two prices of 1.90 each imply 52.6%, a total of 105.3%, so the margin is about 5.3%. The margin calculator does this for any market.
Lines and prices move as money comes in and as team news changes, so the price you saw earlier may not be available when you bet.
“A total doesn't care who wins. Only the number of goals counts.”
A single deflection or penalty can swing a total either way, which is why no line is a sure thing. Keep stakes to money you've set aside: see setting limits that work.