Modernity can offer a large number of different entertainments. These are various video games, virtual classic card games such as online roulette and Blackjack game online, and of course, sports and sports betting. The latter are becoming especially popular. That is why in today’s article we will talk about soccer betting, especially total betting, and consider all the features of this type of soccer betting.
Total in Soccer Betting – What Is It?
Total betting in soccer is betting on the number of goals, performance. Total is one of the main bets on soccer in bookmakers along with the main outcome and the Asian Handicap. Betting on totals in soccer is very popular, some players even bet exclusively on totals – they are called totalists.
There are several options for betting on the total in online bookmakers (even or odd, exact total, and others), but the most common is the format “more or less. As a rule, totals mean just such bets.
Types of Total Bets in Bookmakers’ Offices
However, even with the total more / less is not so simple. There is a classical total, integer and Asian. Below we will dissect each of these three types of soccer betting on totals with examples.
Classic
The standard type of betting on the total, where there is a number multiple of 0.5 and two options for calculating the bet. For example, the total of 2.5. In the match scored more than 2.5 goals or less. That is, it is only possible to win and lose bets.
For example, we bet $10 on TB(3.5) in the match Arsenal – Liverpool at odds of 1.80. If 4 or more goals are scored, the player will win $18. Three or fewer goals is a loss.
Totalizer
In the classic version, a total is a number and a half, and in the case of an integer, respectively, an integer. For example, the total is 2. If the number of goals scored in the match is equal to the total, a return is issued. Thus, there are three options for calculating the bet, and this is a fundamental difference from the previous type.
For example, we bet $20 on TB(2.0) in the Juventus – Inter match at odds of 1.70. If the teams manage to score 3 or more goals between them, the bettor wins $34. Less than two goals – loss, exactly two goals – return at odds of 1.00.
Asian
An advanced type of betting on the total, which is called Asian or double. The total, in this case, is a number with a quarter. That is 1.75, 2.25, and so on. So how is the calculation of the bet here? The bet is divided into two parts. The first – the neighboring total, by 0.25 less than the selected one. The second – the nearest total, which is 0.25 more. So, if you bet on TB(2.75), the bet amount will be divided equally between TB(2.5) and TB(3.0).
Example: We bet $40 on a TM(2.25) in a match between Nice and Marseille at odds of 1.90. In fact, there are two bets of $20 each on TM(2.0) and TM(2.5). If three goals are scored, the entire bet loses. One goal or a zero draw wins the entire bet, that is, $76. But if there will be exactly two goals in this match, then on one part of the bet – return, while the second will be calculated with odds of 1.90 and will bring $38.
Important: the classic total is available in all bookmakers’ offices, but the integer and Asian are not represented in the line of each bookmaker.
Analysis in Betting on the Total More or Less
In addition to general pre-match analysis, total betting requires additional analysis. Since we are interested in performance, the emphasis is on goals. During the analysis it is necessary to consider the following points:
1. Statistics of goals scored and conceded. We primarily study the productivity of teams in the current season. We look at the home and away stats separately, paying special attention to the last 5 games.
2. The efficiency of face-to-face meetings. Two inferior teams may produce goal extravaganza in head-to-head encounters or vice versa.
3. Take a look at the efficiency of head-to-head encounters. The form of the top scorers. Undoubtedly, the form of the top scorers of a particular team affects the number of goals scored. It is important to learn about the injuries and disqualifications of the top scorers.
4. Reliability of defense. As in the case of the attack, you should look at the defense. What form the goalkeeper and defenders are in, who is injured and disqualified – all this directly affects the potential total.
5. The importance of the match. It is no secret that the finals in most cases do not indulge in goals, although there are exceptions. The price of error is the highest, the opponents are cautious and above all care about the safety of their goal.
6. Tactics. The game scheme and chosen tactics also have a direct impact on performance. If the coach has fielded five defenders and two linebackers, then scoring is not their priority in the upcoming meeting.
There are many online services with the automatic prediction of the total, based on certain algorithms that calculate the probable number of goals in the match. It is strongly not recommended to trust such resources, they are almost useless. It is better to listen to live people – to watch soccer forecasts from experts.
Strategies for Betting on the Total in Soccer
Betting on the total amount of soccer matches created a huge number of different strategies. And both for pre-match and live betting. It is not a problem to find a suitable variant.
TB(1.5) in the first half. There is a popular strategy for betting on a total more than 0.5 in the 1st half, which is better known as “goal in the first half”. Experienced players are skeptical about it because it is unprofitable in the long run because of the low odds. Another thing – the total was more than 1.5 in the first half. Here, wins will not be as frequent, but high quotes allow you to feel comfortable using a competent financial management system, such as Frank Belanger’s approach.
Against the trend. Nothing in soccer is eternal. Sooner or later any series will come to an end. This is the basis of the total betting strategy against the trend, according to which you need to find a match, one of the participants in which at least the last 5 games played only on TB(2.5) or exclusively on ТМ(2.5). Bet, as you understand, you need to bet on the opposite outcome of the series. If a team for 5 or more matches broke the total more than 2.5, you have to bet on less than 2.5. In case of loss, we use the overtake. But there is an important point: avoid too low and top tournaments, where such series can last up to 20 matches.
Corridors.
TM after a goal in the first half. A promising strategy for betting on the total less, designed for play. It is necessary to make such a bet at halftime of matches, the first half of which gave at least 4 goals. As practice shows, very often there are matches with 4-7 goals scored in the first 45 minutes and zero goals in the second half. In addition, this scheme is often used to conduct contractual games. So if the first half ended with the score of, say, 3-3, you should bet on TM(6.5) or TM(7.5) at half-time if you want to play safe.
When choosing a bookmaker’s office you need to consider not so much the total margin in soccer betting, but the percentage margin for totals. It is often the case that the bookmaker offers high odds on soccer, but the margin in betting on totals is very high, it happens and vice versa.
To sum up, total bets are an interesting and profitable area of soccer betting, which is certainly worthy of attention and has many advantages compared to the main outcome and the Asian Handicap. More or less, that is the question…
