The Basics Of Betting Over/Under

Football fans betting for the first time, should know that there are three main forms of betting on matchups. These three types of bets include, the point spread, money lines and the over/ under bet. Of the three NFL bets, the point spread is the most popular form of wager, followed by the money line, with only the true expert bettor using the over and under as the wager of their choice.

Fundamentally, the over under is a wager determined by a sportsbook in which the bookmaker predicts the total number of points scored in a game. Patrons then wager on the total being higher also known as over or lower also known as under, the predicted score by the sportsbook. For instance, during the 2009 Super Bowl game between the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers, many predicted the score would total out to be 50. As it turns out the Steelers won the game 27 to 23, totaling 50, meaning that the sportsbook won rather than the patrons. However, if the score had been 27-21 or 27-30, fans betting under or over would have won the bets.

Aside from the total of games, other factors that can come into play for the over under bets, includes the point total of an individual basketball player, the total amount of rushing yards in a single game for a running back and in baseball, a player or teams total number of home runs. For example, a sportsbook could predict that Adrian Peterson will rush for 200 yards and the line would read

O/U 200 - Adrian Peterson

Leading up to the game for fans betting on Peterson to go over or under the line, for every large bet, the line will read either

O/U 200.5 - Adrian Peterson
or
O/U 199.5- Adrian Peterson

Will Kovalchuk Become Richest Russian Ever?

The KHL Russian super-league appears have become an enticing option for NHL players not believing they are getting the money they deserve. Earlier this week, reports began to surface that SKA St. Petersburg the KHL franchise owned by league owner Alexander Medvedev, has offered disgruntled NHL phenom Ilya Kovalchuk a three year $42 million contract, which would see him make $14 million a season. Fans betting on Kovalchuk to stay in the NHL and turn down the offer, follow one of two thoughts, either Kovalchuk is in the league to win a championship or he feels he can receive a better offer in the NHL.

When betting on where athletes will end up playing, one should take media rumours under advisement, as they are not always accurate. Nevertheless, Medvedev and the KHL have a goal of becoming the next best option for NHL players, as many stars have had to settle for less than they are worth, due to the NHL being the only ticket in town. However, if Kovalchuk signs with the SKA St. Petersburg franchise, he will set the groundwork for more superstars leaving the NHL. As a result, the NHL owners will have to meet the demands of their players and may end up running into financial trouble. Or as a result of the high contract demands of many superstars around the league including Kovalchuk, basement dweller teams such as the Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers, two teams which unloaded previously heavy contracts, will be able to turn their franchises around.

Conversely, Medvedev, supposedly offering Kovalchuk the three year $42 million deal, comes as an ironic twist for the Russian league, as a few of its franchises have gone bankrupt as a result of promising large contracts and not being able to pay. Storied franchise Dynamo Moscow was forced to fold because of poor attendance and a ton of debt. If Kovalchuk leads a wave of NHLer’s to the KHL, it may also be a bad thing as more teams may go bankrupt.