Goal Line Betting - Definition and Strategies
Goal line betting or over/under betting is a simple type of betting where the wager is placed on the total amount of goals scored without having to decide which team wins or loses. Goal line betting, although commonly used in football, can be applied to a lot of sports such as basketball, hockey, rugby and cricket.
How does goal line betting work?
Goal line betting works by taking the amount of goals expected in the match (which is usually 2.5) and allowing you to wager on whether the games total score will be above or below said amount. There are however a variety of options such as 0.5 which would be betting on either team not scoring at all or 1.5, or 3.5 or even higher, there is no reason for a maximum but in practice bookmakers wont go above 8.5. The odds will depend on the teams playing and how likely it is perceived that there will be goals. For example the bet below shows a variety of different options from 0.5 goals to 8.5 goals with all of the different odds. Note it is seen as so likely that Under 6.5 goals will be scored, the bookmaker will not accept bets on these outcomes.
Types of bets:
Full Goals
A full goal bet refers to bets where the goal line is a full number such as over or under exactly 2 goals. The basic principle is exactly the same with you being required to decide whether there will be more or less goals than the predicted amount. The big difference here is the ability to have the same amount of goals scored as you bet on. When this happens your bet is returned and you neither win nor lose.
Half Goals
Half goals are the most common method of goal line betting. Without the ability to draw only two outcomes are available either a win or a loss. Should you wager on there being more than 1.5 goals and the end results of the match is 1-1 that would be a winner as there is a total of 2 goals, which is more than 1.5 goals scored. Even own goals are counted towards this score as it is still a form of a goal, but it is always the total scored in regular time, Extra time and Penalties, if they happen, do not count.
Quarter Goals
Quarter goals assist in dividing the market even further and are the midway point between half and full goals. If you decide to bet on a quarter goal your stake is split evenly between a half goal and full goal. For example should you place £20 on over 2.25 goals £10 will go towards there being 2 or more goals and £10 will go towards there being more than 2.25 goals (effectively 3) In this scenario should 2 goals be scored in the match then the rules of a full goal are applied and the £10 is refunded but the 2.25 bet is a loss meaning you only lose half of your wager. Should 3 goals be scored then both bets will be winners!
How to place a goal line bet: Examples
To place a goal line bet all you need to do is find the event you would like to bet on (Goal line bets most typically appear on football matches but can be found occasionally on other events) and scroll down the list of available bets until you find either Goal line or Over / Under. In the below example which was taken from Paddy Power it is referred to as Over/Under Goals Market however this will vary from site to site so keep your eyes peeled for variations of that name.
Frequently Asked Questions
For example a goal line of over 0.5 would mean that for you to win there needs to be 1 or more goal scored in the event. Effectively a goal line is the margin set by the bookmaker where you bet under or over for the amount of goals scored in the event. The goal line is typically 0.5 however can vary majorly depending on the teams playing which team is at home etc.
Pushes exist when it comes to full goal betting. This can happen when you bet on Full Goal markets. For example should you place a bet on over 1 goal and only 1 goal is scored a push will occur and you will have your bet refunded.
If you bet on the goal line (this is only applicable for full goals) this will cause a “push” to occur. Essentially the bookmaker and the better draw and your wager will be returned to you.
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