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Cricket is based around numbers and that’s why it attracts so many people who have a love of statistics. The many ways in which numbers are used in the sport also allows for a wide range of Over and Under markets at the sportsbooks.
What is Under and Over in Cricket Betting?
Over and Under betting usually applies to the total number of runs scored in a specified match. In the main, it will relate to the combined total of both teams who are involved in that game.
How Does Over and Under Betting Work?
Over and Under betting traditionally relates to the projected number of runs scored in a cricket match. This type of sport betting market will typically apply to the combined total number of runs scored by both teams.
Anyone who is more familiar with football betting may well have come across a similar market. For all big cricket matches, there are Over and Under markets attached to the total goals scored by both teams.
What is the Difference Between Over and Under in Betting?
Ahead of the game, the online betting sites will publish a series of points, also known as lines. The bettor has to assess these lines and decide on how many runs they think will be scored during the game.
With an Over bet, you would be staking Above the line in question. In contrast, with an Under bet, you simply go Under that specific line.
How do you win Over and Under in Betting?
You win when you make a correct prediction and have backed that up with a stake. For the sake of this example, we’ll use a T20 international match and we’ll say that it’s between India and Australia.
The bookmaker has set a Total Runs line at 294.5 and you think that there will be more runs scored over the course of 40 combined overs. You therefore bet Over that 294.5 run line.
At the end of the match, the total combined runs between the two teams is 303. That’s higher than 294.5 so your bet has won.
In contrast, if the game had finished in a low scoring encounter with 276 runs between the two teams, you would have lost.
That’s just one example of a line and sportsbooks will offer alternatives. For One Day Internationals and Test Cricket, those totals will be higher and there could be even more lines available.
Throughout this round up, we’ve used Total Combined Runs for our examples but you may find some alternatives relating to Over and Under betting. For example, there could be a market for the total number of runs scored by a specific batsman.
Alternatively, some bookmakers may have options for the total number of runs scored in the first over. This is more widespread in T20 cricket where there is likely to be only one line at 5.5.
The Total Combined runs is one of the most common cricket betting markets for Over and Under betting and that’s why I’ve used it as the main example here. However, there are alternatives and they can be found at bookies that cover the more niche type of sport betting market.
What is Over and Under 0.5 in Cricket Betting?
In the majority of cases where bookmakers publish odds for Over and Under betting, the line will end with a .5. This is because it’s impossible to score half a run in cricket and the final outcome will therefore be either Over or Under that line.
On rare occasions, more notably in North America, the 0.5 could be absent. So, for example, you could possibly see total runs come in at exactly 295.
In this case, you could still go Over or Under but, if the total number of runs came in at 295, this would be known as a ‘Push’. Neither you nor the bookmaker have won and your stake will be refunded.
Closing Thoughts About What is Under and Over in Cricket Betting
This is a popular betting market, particularly for those who look at numbers involved in the game. It requires you to study form and also the previous totals on a specific surface. Is this a high scoring ground or is it a slow pitch that produces low totals?
You can really get stuck in with your research and that’s why the Overs and Unders markets can be interesting to look at.
