A total, or over/under, is a bet on the combined score of both teams, whoever wins. The sportsbook sets a number; you bet that the final score lands over it or under it.
Reading a total
Take a total of 44.5:
- The over wins if the teams score 45 or more between them.
- The under wins if they score 44 or fewer.
On a whole-number total such as 44, a combined score of exactly 44 is a push and both sides get their stakes back. Overtime usually counts toward the total, but each sportsbook's house rules decide, so check them.
The price on each side
Like a spread, each side has its own price, often near −110. The prices need not match: over 44.5 at −105 and under 44.5 at −115 imply 51.22% and 53.49%, together 104.71%. With the margin taken out, the fair chances are about 48.92% for the over and 51.08% for the under.
What moves a total
A total reflects how many points the market expects. Some of the things that move one:
- The weather, above all strong wind in an outdoor game (see the weather and wind guide for the NFL).
- Injuries and lineup news, especially at quarterback in the NFL.
- Pace: teams that run more plays give both sides more chances to score.
None of these settles a bet on its own. A total already prices in what the market knows, so the question is whether the number has moved too far, or not far enough.
Other totals
Many sportsbooks also offer team totals (one team's points) and totals for a half or a quarter. They work the same way, each with its own price.
In Unitley
get_game_odds returns each game's full-game total at FanDuel: the line and the price of the over and the under, the chance each implies, the best price at that line across the books Unitley tracks, the no-vig consensus chance and the expected value at that chance. get_game_weather shows the forecast at the venue and whether the roof is closed, calc_no_vig_odds takes both prices and returns each side's fair chance, and calc_ev compares your own estimate with the price.
Names set like this are Unitley’s tools: what your AI agent, or the analyst in the web app, calls to get these numbers. See the docs