What are the over and under lines in bookmakers?

More experienced bettors have certainly heard of Asian Handicap lines, for example, for results or over and under goals. However, this is still not a very popular approach by bookmakers towards beginner gamblers. In other words, many people are still not used to these terms. So, being objective, what does this option refer to?

The over, under, and handicap lines for results are options defined by the bookmakers as the most ‘interesting’ for that event. In other words, it has more chances of happening added to odds that have the potential to have value. Theoretically these would be the best choices for any event, both for paid price and probability. However, there are many pitfalls in this theory.

How are the over and under lines defined?

The bookmakers, such as Bet365, define the over and under lines based on statistics and information regarding the event. They analyze the recent performance of the teams involved, possible absentees, the need to search for a result by one of the sides, among other factors. Something very similar to what bettors do when studying a match. However, here, the idea is that the home team has an advantage.

That is, if theoretically, the over and under lines should represent the best option for betting on that game, in practice, it doesn’t work that way. In most cases, the odds are exciting, which does not mean that they have value. As bookmakers are thinking about their profit, their goal is that the odds of that line are not always high. This is where the bettor’s search for value selections comes in.

How to find value on the lines?

There is no big secret to finding value in over and under lines. You have to follow what we always recommend in our articles. The bettor needs to analyze, make reasonable pricing, and compare the bookmakers’ lines. If the quote made by the player is lower than the one the bookmaker is offering, it is an exciting selection. If it is higher, it may be a trick of the company.

However, if the odds are very similar, is it worth placing the bet? This depends on the bettor’s level of risk and the price of the odds. A choice that has a value of 2.10, for example, and is in a fine line, has excellent potential to be advantageous. On the other hand, if this odd is at 1.80, it will depend on the player’s goal. After all, the return will not be the same as the previous case.

Over and under lines do not exist only for goals

Contrary to what some may think, the over and under lines also exist for other statistics besides goals. The goals market is the best known and thus most used among them, but it is not the only one. Another type of selection that is very interesting for many bettors and has this option is related to corners. Bookmakers always offer a line based on the teams’ recent performance.

Besides corner kicks, the card market also offers over and under lines. However, it is worth noting that the option is only related to yellow cards in this case. Bookmakers usually use a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ choice for sending-offs. Go to Bet365 and check how these choices typically look like. It is often possible to find good value in these alternative selections.