For years, the concept of a ‘goal line bet’, or an ‘over/under’ bet, has remained one of the most popular markets in betting. It’s an easy-to-understand principle that makes up the vast majority of most modern sports bets, and it’s particularly favoured by those betting on soccer matches. With this guide in hand, we’ll give you a full goal line bet meaning, breaking down the term, what it means, and how you can maximise your gains through over/under bets.
Read on to learn what you need to know about goal line bets, the definition of the term, and how to take advantage of the market.
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What is a Goal Line Bet?
There are countless markets spread out across dozens of sports – and that includes esports, of course. It can be daunting to a new bettor, and even some veteran gamblers may have issues understanding every aspect of the industry. Our goal is to make at least one small portion of the industry clearer with this guide, to make things a little easier for you.
It’s a simple concept: a goal line bet is a market that sees a bettor wager on the total number of goals or points they think will be scored in a match. It’s typically known as a goal line bet when a goal can be scored, otherwise, it’s generally known as an under/over market.
Here’s How It Works
Let’s say there’s an English Premier League fixture between Chelsea and Manchester City. This is what the betting odds may look like:
- Over 2.5 Goals (2.60)
- Under 2.5 Goals (1.50)
If you bet on the Over 2.5 Goals option, you’ll be wagering that at least three goals will be scored in total. If you’re selecting the Under 2.5 Goals option, you’re betting that two goals or fewer will be scored. But what does this look like for an esports tournament? If you were betting on the Call of Duty League and it was a best-of-five grand final event, it might look like this:
- Over 4.5 Maps (1.90)
- Under 4.5 Maps (2.30)
With this market, you’re either betting that one team can win with a 4 – 0 scoreline and beat the best-of-five without dropping a map, or the match will push over and end with a 4 – 1, 4 – 3, or any similar, qualifying scoreline. In this scenario, it wouldn’t be classed as the goal line bet meaning, but it would instead simply be an under/over market.
Credit: PlayTech
What is an Alternative Goal Line Bet?
It may sound like something completely different, but an alternative goal-line bet isn’t too far removed from a standard goal-line bet. With an alternative goal line bet, the sportsbook will put in place a total goal count, such as ‘3.5 goals’, and it’s up to the bettor to pick either the under or over the outcome. For instance:
3.5 Goals
- Over 1.46
- Under 3.10
However, the chief difference here is that the odds for ‘2.5 goals’ will never make an appearance. That’s considered the traditional value, and as this is an alternative goal line bet, it differentiates by offering potential values like 1.5, 3.5, 4.5, and so on.
So, that’s the alternative goal line bet meaning explained!
Can You Profit From Goal Line Betting?
Now that you effectively understand the goal line bet meaning, it’s time to identify how profitable the market could be.
If you know about the sport that you’re betting on and can accurately predict which matches are likely to go your way, then it can be a very lucrative market. It’s almost entirely based on luck, but using form, player line-ups, and momentum, you can get a picture of how well – or how badly – a given team will perform. If you think there will be a lot of goals, then pick the ‘over’ option. If you think it’ll be a neck-and-neck play with almost no goals conceded, then go for the ‘under’ option.
It’s an easy market to understand, and as we’ve already explained, it’s one of the most popular. In most cases, the odds alone give you an idea of which outcome is most likely, and that’s the same whether you’re betting on esports, basketball, soccer, or tennis.
For more information on how to become a better bettor, please feel free to check out our top-tier betting guides.