NFL 2024 Over Under Betting Guide

By Jim Beviglia Published: Aug 31, 2017, Updated: Sep 09, 2023

Over under betting in the NFL allows you to gamble on football without thinking about the winners of the games. We give you a detailed explanation of how football totals bets work on this page.

In addition, we go over the different variations on these wagers and share our tips for making NFL over under bets. In the end, you will find the best gambling sites for totals.

In This Article

• What Is Over Under in NFL Betting?
• NFL Betting Over Under Variations
• NFL Over Under Betting Strategy – Top Factors
• Where to Bet on Over Under NFL Markets?

What is Over Under in NFL Betting?

Over under NFL betting is often called totals betting, so don’t get confused into thinking there’s any separation between the two. No matter what you call it, it’s focused on how many points are scored in a football game, rather than who wins.

The basic idea behind NFL over under bets is that a bookmaker will set an estimated line for how many combined points will be scored in a game by both teams. You then have to decide whether the actual game will feature more points (an over bet) or fewer points (an under bet.) The classic totals market is based on the entire game, which means points in the overtime count too.

For example, let’s say you want to bet on a game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos. The over under line is set at 41.5 points. You pick the under, and the final score is 25-17 for the Chiefs. That’s a total of 25 +17 = 42 points, so your wager loses.

Online sportsbooks provide either full points or half point lines when offering their football totals markets. Let’s examine the difference.

Full Points Over Under NFL Betting

Full points lines for over under football betting simply mean that the number used will be a full number rather than a fraction. For example, imagine that you see that a line is set at 40 points. That leaves three possible outcomes for the bet.

41 Points or More: you win your bet.
39 Points or Fewer: you lose your bet.
Exactly 40 Points: your bet is a push, meaning you get your stake back.

Half Point NFL Totals Betting

The other option for NFL over unders is a half point line, which is just as it sounds. For example, a line might be set at over/under 40.5 (or 40 1/2) points. That leaves two possible outcomes:

41 Points or More: you win your bet.
40 Points or Fewer: you lose your bet.

As you can see, the half point totals bet for NFL games removed the possibility of a push. You will either win or lose, no matter what.

NFL Betting Over Under Variations

The classic NFL totals wager is based on the total number of points scored by both teams over the course of an entire game. However, the top bookmakers also offer over under markets with a twist. Let’s explore them.

Team Totals

NFL team totals allow you to wager on the total points of just one of the teams in an NFL game. For example, a game between Denver and Kansas City might feature an over under line on just the Chiefs set at 28 points.

If you bet on that market, you really don’t care what Denver does, only the points scored by Kansas City count.

Halftime Totals

Halftime totals work pretty much the same as regular full-game over under NFL wagers. The difference is you’d only count the points scored in one half. You can usually find these football over/unders for both the first and second halves of a game.

Quarter Totals

Since an NFL game consists of four quarters, online sportsbooks can also split up their totals markets into quarters. You can bet on the total number of points scored in a football game in any one of the four quarters.

Combined Totals

You’ll also find different combinations of the NFL over under betting opportunities listed above. For example, you can bet on a single team’s total for a quarter or half. Or you could wager on both teams’ total for three quarters.

There are various combinations, allowing you to pick the NLF over under lines you like the most for each game.

Live Totals

Most totals bets are available before the beginning of an NFL game. But you can also make live over under football wagers while the game is happening. The bookies will adjust the lines based on the latest developments in the game.

For example, when a game is in the first quarter, you can bet on one team’s total for the remainder of a quarter, or maybe on the total of both teams for the remainder of the game.

More Over Under NFL Betting

This page is focused on NFL points totals for specific games. But you can also find over under bets that can go beyond just a single game or focus on the individual players over a game or season. Here are the most popular examples:

Win Totals for the NFL Season: This is a type of futures bet that focuses on the number of games won by an NFL team in the regular season. The bookie will set a line (usually a half-point line in these cases), and you decide if the team’s final win total at the end of the season will be over or under that number. For example, over/under 12.5 wins for the Chiefs.
Single-Game Player Totals: You’ll find markets relating to how players will perform statistically during an NFL game. For example, you might find a line on a top running back set at over/under 89 ½ yards for the game.
Player Over/Under Props for the Season: These bets track a player’s stats over an entire year and are set before the NFL season begins. For example, you can wager on whether a quarterback will go over or under 30 ½ touchdown passes during the regular season.

Pros and Cons of Over/Under Betting in Football

As is the case with all NFL betting markets, there are advantages and disadvantages to wagering on the over under in football. This table will give you an idea of what to expect when deciding whether NFL totals markets are for you.

PROS

You don’t have to worry about the winner.
These bets are available just about everywhere for NFL games, so you can get high odds compared to more obscure football wagers.
Many casual bettors wager on NFL over under markets, meaning that the lines will shift and occasionally create value when they do.
Winning strategy can be developed by building a statistical model and there’s more than enough data to do that.
You can win your bet early in the game if you pick the over and the points go over well before the game is over.

Cons

Overtime counts in NFL over/unders, which adds an extra layer of unpredictability.
Totals are highly dependent on statistical factors, so the bookmakers are very accurate with the lines.
Weather, which has a massive impact on NFL over under bets, can change during the game and affect your chances of winning or losing your bet beyond your control.
You won’t usually be able to win a lot of money on an over/under bet, as the lines are usually set up to produce close to even-money payout.

NFL Over Under Betting Strategy – Top Factors

It’s certainly possible to build a winning strategy for betting on NFL over unders. You need to take into account many different factors that could affect the outcome of these wagers.

The following aspects are critical when betting on football totals.

General Offensive and Defensive Stats

Comparing one team’s offensive stats against their opponent’s defensive stats, and vice versa, can help you get a good idea of whether a game will be high-scoring or low-scoring. That’s just what you need to know when betting the over under in the NFL.

It’s a good idea to factor in the stats from the entire season for each team. You should also consider how the teams have played and what their stats look like in the most recent games on their NFL schedule. Teams tend to be streaky, both for good and bad, which is why recent form is so important.

When it comes to updated NFL stats, consider the following resources:

Venue

Where a game is being played makes a big difference to over under bets because each NFL team has specific tendencies for their home and away games. While it’s generally considered an advantage to be the home team, certain NFL squads have a way of either scoring big or bottling up their opponents’ offenses on the road.

Venues are also important because some arenas, specifically field surfaces, come with certain scoring expectations. The turf used in indoor NFL games tends to be a much faster surface than pure grass fields, which can often lead to high-scoring games.

Previous Meetings

The NFL features divisional play, which means that teams play others within their divisions twice during the year. In the second game between two teams, you can use evidence from the first game as a basis for your totals bet.

Even for teams who don’t meet twice during the regular season, previous meetings can come into play. For example, a playoff game might be between two teams who met in the regular season. You can also look back to games from previous seasons, although that information tends to be less relevant to over under NFL bets compared to encounters from the current campaign.

Weather Conditions

Weather can have a massive impact on NFL scoring, which in turn affects over under bets. In sunny, pleasant conditions, offenses tend to score at a higher rate. That’s because quarterbacks can grip the ball perfectly and be more accurate with their throws, and kickers don’t have to worry about wind affecting their kicks.

Once rain, snow, and wind enter the picture, scoring becomes much harder, which could lead you to lean more towards the over with your totals bet. Make sure to consider what wind and rain are doing to the field condition as well.

Injuries and Suspensions

You should always have a good idea of who’s going to be suiting up for both teams in an NFL game before making a wager. It’s especially important to know which sides of the ball (offense or defense) will be affected if players are missing due to injuries or suspension.

For example, a team that usually scores a lot of points might struggle to do if their star running back is injured or out for a game. By contrast, a team missing key players from its secondary against a top quarterback could end up yielding a lot of points.

Timing

By timing, we mean the timing of when you make a wager on NFL over/under lines. Early in the week, the totals are based more on the betting sites’ estimates than wagers, but that changes as the week progresses and more people gamble on the game.

For example, let’s say that you feel a game is going to be high-scoring and want to bet the over and the line starts at 48 1/2. If enough bettors like the under early in the week, that could push the line down to something like 47 or 46, which would make your potential over bet a little bit easier to win.

Naturally, the opposite is also possible. You should figure out what the general expectations are, so you can place your wager at the right moment.

Where to Bet on Over Under NFL Markets

All sports betting sites will offer over under markets on NFL games. We recommend Bovada as the best for football totals betting because of the variety of markets they provide as well as the high odds.

Visit Bovada

If you want more options, all our recommended NFL betting sites offer excellent opportunities for totals wagering on football.

Best NFL Betting Sites