Game total betting, also known as over-under betting, is one of the most common forms of wagering and is very popular with hockey bettors. Instead of choosing which team will win the game, bets are placed on whether the combined score of the game will go over or under a predetermined total. It’s a fun and unique type of betting and allows players to enjoy the excitement of their bet even if the game is not close.
What is a Game Total?
A hockey game total is a set number of total goals expected to be scored in the game. Oddsmakers set a total number for the combined score of both teams and bettors can bet on the game going over or under the predetermined total. The line is set carefully by oddsmakers in order to create a fair and active market for both sides of the wager.
For example, the game total may be set at 5.5. In this case, if the bettor wagers on the over, he would need both teams to combine for six goals or more to win the bet. If the bettor were to wager on the under, he would need the combined goal total of both teams to be five or less to win the bet.
Game totals can also be presented in whole number formats. When the game total is a whole number, there’s a chance that the total combined number of goals scored in the game could be the exact same as the game total. This would be considered a push and the bet would be graded as neither a win nor a loss, with the original bet amount being returned to the player’s account.
Example of Game Total Betting
Here is an example of betting on an NHL game total:
Chicago Blackhawks vs San Jose Sharks
Over 5.5 goals
Under 5.5 goals
In this scenario, the game total is set at 5.5 and bettors can wager on whether the combined goals scored by both teams will go over or under this number. Using this example, if Chicago was to defeat San Jose by a score of 4-2, the total combined score would be six, meaning the game went over the total.
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