Totals Betting — Helpful Advice and Strategy for Betting on Totals

By itself, the total in bets means the total number of the selected indicator. Modern bookmakers offer a huge number of such bets: it can be the total (number) of goals scored/missed in football, violations, penalties, cards or transfers of an individual player. In this material we’ll take a closer look at what the total of bets means, and how it is calculated in the event of a bet on different sports.

In the bet on total, the player is invited to predict whether the selected quantitative indicator will go beyond the limits proposed in the bookmaker’s list.

Note that often players prefer to bet on totals in live when watching a match: this approach is logical, because in the live mode (that is, during the game) it is much easier to correctly evaluate the shape of teams and athletes than in the pre-match mode.

So that the player does not get confused because of the variety and number of options, bets, which can conditionally be called “standard”, “average” or “main” total, bookmakers usually display in the main line or in a more noticeable place on the page.

Other bets on the amount of a certain indicator can be called in the line “Additional Total”/“Additional Totals”, and different bookmakers can understand different things by this.

In the number of additional totals many include all options that were not included in the main line: these are both total goals in football, which differ from the “main” goal in their numerical indicator, and other betting options, for example, individual total goals/points, total penalty, corners and other statistical indicators.

Total in bets on football

Correctly predicting the outcome of an interesting football match is always difficult. If bets on the outcome of the match or bets with handicap do not suit the player, then they look at the list with the bet on totals: here you can select the desired numerical indicator and predict whether it will be achieved by the team or opponents. To do this, the bookmakers in the line for each match have the “total over” bet and the “total under” bet in several options and with different numerical values.

As a standard, the bookmaker offers a total of 2.5 goals for a football match. As is clear from the numerical indicator, this option does not imply a return: you can bet on the total over 2.5 goals (TO 2.5) or on the total under 2.5 goals (TU 2.5). Depending on how many goals teams score, one bet wins and the other loses.

How to calculate total in football?

To understand this, consider an example:

Match Germany-France. The teams played with a score of 1:0.

Bet TU 2.5 won. The TO 2.5 bet has lost.

Why exactly 2.5 goals? According to statistics, in football, on average, two to three goals are scored per match. Half is taken so that there is no misunderstanding if the teams score exactly two goals. Of course, a specific numerical indicator is adjusted by bookmakers based on the statistics of teams playing among themselves. If the teams are productive, then it rises to 3.5 goals or more. If the teams are ineffective, then it can drop to 1.5 goals and below.

Bookmakers usually display such a “standard”, “average” or “main” total for each match at a more prominent position on the page. However, they are never limited to one numerical indicator: others are also proposed for betting, only already among the additional totals.

Betting on individual totals in football

In addition to totals (the amount achieved by both teams), the lines of the bookmakers have bets on the individual totals of each team (ITO or ITU). Note that they can mean the number of goals not only of one of the teams, but also of other indicators — fouls, cards, corner kicks, etc. We will explain everything with the example of goals.

What is individual total in bets? If we are talking about football, in such a bet the player is invited to predict how many goals an individual team will score.

Such bets are most often used by players to increase the odds. The bookmaker understands that predicting a goal from one of the two teams is more difficult than predicting a goal from both teams, therefore on individual indicators odds are usually significantly higher.

An example of how to calculate a bet on ind. total:

Match Germany-France. The teams played with a score of 0:0.

Bets such as “individual total of the first team over 1.5”/“individual total of the second team over 1.5” lost.

Bets such as “individual total of the first team under 1.5”/“individual total of the second team under 1.5” won.

The quantitative indicator in individual totals (as in its other types) can be not only fractional/half, but also represent an integer. In this case, the bet will be calculated by refund if the total achieved is equal to a numerical indicator. So, when making a bet “total 1 over”, the bet amount will be returned to the player if the selected team scored exactly one goal.

Bets on three-way total in football

Quite often in the bookmakers lines you can find bets on the three-way total in football. This means that with this bet there will be three outcomes. There are two types:

1. There is an option to return the bet (sometimes called “Asian total”).
2. There is no option to return the bet (called “European total”).

When making such a bet in the betting shop, always check which of the two types is played. Distinguishing them is very simple: with the option of returning the bet, only two outcomes will be indicated, with the option without returning the bet, the third outcome appears in the bookmaker’s line.

In the bookmaker’s line, this is as follows.

1. TO/TU 3.0 goals (“Asian total”). If the teams score exactly three goals, the bet will be considered “refundable”, that is, the player will be returned to the account the funds bet.
• Follow the link and get your prediction before the match starts.
2. TO/TU/exactly 3.0 goals (“European Total”). If the teams score exactly three goals, then the player will win only if they made the bet “exactly 3.0 goals”. If the bet is “over 3.0 goals”/“under 3.0 goals”, the defeat will be calculated.

Total in bets on hockey

Hockey is a more productive sport than football (statistically), so such hockey bets are distinguished by higher numbers. So, the standard total of a hockey match is 4.5 or 5.5 goals scored. As in football, you can bet on either “total under” (TU) or “total over” (TO).

The size of the numerical indicator set by the bookmakers in hockey is also calculated based on the statistics of the teams encountered. You should examine the rules of the tournament: the less (already) ground, the higher the probability of goals scored. For example, in the KHL, on average, pucks are less scored than in the NHL, precisely because of the difference in the size of the ice cover.

How to calculate total in hockey? Example:

The Dynamo Moscow-Siberia match ended 6:3.

The bets “TO 4.5/5.5 pucks” won, the bets “TU 4.5/5.5 pucks” lost.

Bookmakers also offer players bets on individual and three-way hockey totals. Everything is calculated by analogy with football bets.

Hockey also has a bet on total of scored goals in the minority and majority.

Total in bets on tennis

In tennis, there are also quantitative indicators of the results of the match, on which bookmakers offer to bet. Standard options: the number of sets played or games played. In the main bets of bookmakers, it is customary to use bets on the number of games played.

Tennis has its own characteristics. Not all tournaments (men’s) are played in the same way. Somewhere you need to win in three sets, somewhere — only two. Accordingly, the quantitative indicator of the total number of games played is changing. Before betting, study the rules.

Also in tennis there is a chance of a tie-break. This means that the score in the set can be 7:5 or 7:6. This increases the average number of games.

How to calculate the total in tennis? Example:

Rafael Nadal-Dominic Tim. The match ended with a 26:28 game score.

The bet “TO 37.5 games” won. Bet “TU 37.5 games” lost.

There is an interesting feature in tennis when betting on the individual total of won games. Not always the winner will win at the games of the loser. In this example, Rafael Nadal lost by game, but won the match.

All bets on the individual number of games and three-way totals in tennis are calculated similarly to bets of this kind in football.

Total in bets on basketball

Basketball is an even more productive sport than hockey or tennis. The figures for total in basketball bets range from 120 to 220 points per match. In European basketball, it is believed that an attack works well if it scores for a quarter of 20 points or more, and defense works well if it misses in a quarter to 20 points or less. Accordingly, the total number of European basketball bets is set at 160 points per match.

Total in the NBA is much higher. This is due not only to the high level of skill of the basketball players, but also to the longer duration of the match. A quarter in the NBA lasts 12 minutes of net time, in Europe — 10 minutes. The extra 8 minutes in the match allows the NBA teams to gain 220 points and even higher.

Of course, the numbers in basketball depend on which teams meet. Someone is better at attacking, while someone focuses on the game in defense.

Quite popular in basketball is the bet on the number of points in half of a meeting or a separate quarter. Bookmakers also offer bets on the number of points of the most productive and least productive quarter.

An example of how to calculate the total in basketball:

Russia-Israel. The match ended with a score of 71:93.

Bets on “total of the match over 154.5 points” (TO 154.5) won. Bets on “total of match under 154.5 points” (TU 154.5) lost.

For basketball, bookmakers also offer bets on the number of points scored by one particular team in the betting line.

The three-way total in basketball is the interval of points scored. The bookmaker offers to predict whether their number will be within the proposed interval (usually the interval is 5 points), will be less or more than the proposed interval.

Bets on statistical totals

Betting on statistics in various sports has not the richest history. However, this type of bet is gaining more and more popularity, and bookmakers offer appropriate options to meet modern requirements.

In football, it can be bets on corners, on yellow cards, the number of off-sides, shots on target and much more.

One of the new types is betting on three-way total on corner. The bookmaker offers the interval filed per match corner. You can take either “over” of the proposed interval, or “under”, or the interval itself.

In hockey, it can be a bet on penalty minutes, on the number of shots on target.

In tennis — betting on aces, on double mistakes, on the number of views of controversial issues, etc.

In basketball, such bets can be made on the number of fouls, on the number of scored two-point/three-point/free throws, on the number of losses/interceptions and much more.

Usually bets on statistical totals can be found in the line for major competitions. For competitions of the “average hand” bookmakers offer only standard options.

Benefits of the strategy

The authors explain the effectiveness of this strategy by the fact that in the above-mentioned championships, although quite a few goals are scored, completely “dry” matches (0:0) are very rare.

Moreover, judging by the statistics given by the authors of the strategy, such matches without goals scored on average are less than 10% of the total number of matches played.

As you can see, this betting strategy is not without efficiency, and can bring real income to a bettor if they work out it using financial strategies such as flat, catch-up, etc.

Disadvantages of the strategy

There is no doubt that this strategy of betting on total has its own advantages, but it is not without its drawbacks.

Firstly, we mentioned above that the working odds with a score of 0:0 during the break will be somewhere in the range from 1.35 to 1.65. However, it is worth noting here that most often they will still be closer to the lower value of 1.35, and accordingly it will be much more difficult for the player to make a profit.

Secondly, a bettor may fall under a series of failures, when most of their bets will either lose or pay in return. Because of this, the player will have to spend a lot of time to get a profit.

Summarize

Today we have reviewed a fairly popular betting strategy that has its undeniable advantages, but still does not guarantee 100% that the player will be able to profit from its use.

That is why we recommend that you also first familiarize yourself with other reviews of popular betting strategies, and then conclude which one is best used in your work.