One of the more fun things about betting on the NFL is the over/unders. Betting on the total score of the game is loads of fun and it’s always fascinating just how close the sportsbooks seems to be when setting the lines. NFL Over/Unders (Game Totals) are a keystone of betting on the NFL and a major part of any winning bettors game plan.
The best thing about betting an NFL over/under is that you don’t really have a rooting interest outside of scoring. Saints win? Chargers win? Who cares? It’s all about how many points are scored or not scored and your rooting interests can be outside of the results of the game. That’s what I love about over/unders.
If you have any questions about NFL Over/Unders, this article aims to answer them. We’ll also point you in the direction for the best place to bet them as we have tested many sportsbooks in search of the best. Let’s get into it.
Where To Bet NFL Over/Unders (Game Totals):
America: A place that is great for betting over/unders is Bovada. They offer totals early on every game of the NFL season as well as alternate total game props and much more.
Canada: Sports Interaction has you covered with totals on each NFL game of the season. The good news is they are all in the metric system.
Everywhere Else: It’s called American football on this site, but that doesn’t stop them from offering tons of betting options on every NFL game of the season. 888 is a great resource for American football fans across the globe.
What are NFL Over/Unders (Game Totals)?
NFL Over/Unders, also known as Game Totals (or just totals), are a number set on an individual game that you can bet over or under on.
For an example, let’s say that the Rams are playing the Bears. It is expected to be a defensive game so the over/under is set at 34.5 points. You can then bet over or under that amount. 35 points or more is an over, 34 points or less is an under. A more high scoring game might be 47.5 or even higher.
Additionally, many sportsbooks now offer over/unders on not only the halves, but also individual quarters. In this case, the total is set for only that specific period of time. It doesn’t matter what the score is before or after, only what points are scored during that time period.
Common NFL Over/Unders (Game Totals) Questions:
Are totals getting higher?
Yes and no.
Wile this may seem to be the case and has been the case, it isn’t for sure that it will always be this way. While totals of individual games vary from week to week, the totals are slowly growing year to year. Why? A lot of reasons. More sophisticated offenses and more aggressive coaching styles are a big part of it. Teams average more points per game so the totals on those games are higher. It’s pretty simple.
Of course, these things are always in flux. 2018 saw the average team score go down below 22 points for the first time since 2009 and that can swing things back the other way. Totals simply reflect things going on in the league so if it’s a high scoring year, you’ll see higher totals.
What was the highest scoring game in NFL history?
You would think with offense being at an all-time high over the past few seasons this record would be recent, but that is not the case. The highest scoring game in NFL actually took place way back in 1966 in a game between the New York Giants and Washington Redskins.
The two teams combined for 113 points on November 27th, 1966. The Redskins had the big day with 72 points on ten touchdowns and a field goal. The Giants did their best to keep up, scoring six touchdowns for 41 points.
There have been two games somewhat recently that did their best to try and match this. A game in 2018 between the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams saw a total of 105 points. It was a real quarterback battle with Patrick Mahomes finished with six touchdowns and Jared Goff finishing with five.
In November of 2004, the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns combined for 106 points. Kelly Holcomb of the Browns had five touchdowns in this one, but it wasn’t enough as Carson Palmer through four touchdowns en route to a 58-48 win.
As far as the playoffs, the highest scoring game took place in 2009 in a wild NFC Wild Card game between the Green Bay Packers and Arizona Cardinals. The Packers won 51-45 in overtime, combining for 96 points.
How To Bet NFL Over/Unders (Game Totals):
NFL Over/Unders are the second most popular bet when it comes to football betting so the sites make it very easy for you to find them. For Bovada and Sports Interaction these options will be right there under the “Football” section. For those of you using 888, look for American football.
NFL Over/Unders (Game Totals) Betting Strategy:
Seek out the unders. While over/unders are the second most popular form of NFL betting, it is the over bet that dominates when it comes to these types of bets. People love to root for high scoring games as you are never truly safe when betting an under while an over can go over early. A lot of people are averse to unders because of this, but you shouldn’t be afraid to go there when needed.
Since so many people are betting over, you will often see the total climb and climb as we get closer to game day. You should obviously do your research and weigh the risks involved, but sometimes you can find a total where the the over has just gotten too high thanks to betting and make some hay on the under.