• What Does Over Under Mean In Basketball Scores
• What Does Over Under Mean In Basketball Terms
• What Does Over Under Mean In Basketball Hoop
• How Does Over Under Work In Basketball

What does WBVA mean in Sports? Looking for the full meaning of WBVA in the acronyms and abbreviations directory. Ur mom at dinner with me, giving me a hand job under the table - ProProfs Discuss. Also note that while standard betting in basketball and football occurs against the spread, you can also bet and parlay those sports on the money line. Money line parlays are considered better bets. The over/under, or “total,” is the second most popular bet on the board for sports events behind the point spread. Usually the over/under refers to the total points, runs or goals scored in a game.

How accurate are oddsmakers at setting totals as the size of the total rises? Our theory coming in was that as totals get bigger, oddsmaker accuracy would get worse.

After all, you would expect a greater margin for error with more points scored. We went back through hundreds of totals and ran the standard deviation on the over/under margin for each game.

Oddsmakers Accuracy With Over/Under Margins Based on the Actual Total

The results tell us how much variation we can expect at a given total based on past history.

You’ll find the results and our analysis of this research below. It includes the NFL, college football, the NBA, and college basketball.

First, we’ll do our best to explain some of the terms we are using and exactly what they mean.

Explanation of Terms

The standard deviation for the over/under margin is taken from hundreds of games at each total.

For example, on a game with a total of 198 that ends with a final score of 98-86, the over/under margin would be 14. This tells us how far off the oddsmakers were at predicting the number of points scored.

The standard deviation in the tables below has been run on the over/under margins of thousands of individual games at each total for each sport.

The final standard deviation number represents about how much variation can be expected between on a game with that posted total. The lower the variation, the more accurate oddsmakers are at predicting at that spread.

You may find this explanation of standard deviation easier to understand:

As a slightly more complicated real-life example, the average height for adult men in the United States is about 70 inches, with a standard deviation of around 3 inches. This means that most men (about 68 percent, assuming anormal distribution) have a height within 3 inches of the mean (67–73 inches) – one standard deviation – and almost all men (about 95%) have a height within 6 inches of the mean (64–76 inches) – two standard deviations. If the standard deviation were zero, then all men would be exactly 70 inches tall. If the standard deviation were 20 inches, then men would have much more variable heights, with a typical range of about 50–90 inches. Three standard deviations account for 99.7 percent of the sample population being studied, assuming the distribution is normal (bell-shaped). Wikipedia – Standard Deviation

At the bottom of each table, you will see a correlation number. The correlation tells us how strong the spread is at determining the standard deviation.

A correlation is expressed as a number between -1 and 1. This is also called the correlation coefficient.

The closer the number is to 1, the stronger (more accurate) the positive correlation. The closer the number to -1, the stronger the negative relationship.

As a correlation draw closer to zero, it shows a lack of causation in the data. In our samples, we expect a positive correlation. We believe as totals get bigger, so should the standard deviation.

Let’s see if our theory plays out in the actual data.

What Does Over Under Mean In Basketball Scores

Total Variability – Football & Basketball Standard Deviation Charts

We are displaying the results of our research in the form of scatter charts. This makes it much easier for you to visualize the data.

In terms of a strong correlation, you would want to see the data points clustered in a rising line. The more spread out the data points, the weaker the correlation.

Standard Deviation in NBA Games (Totals)

Correlation: 0.33

There is only a slight positive correlation between bigger totals and variance in final total points. While it’s not a statistically significant, all is not lost. we do see, however, is a very significant difference between games with totals over 200 and those under. The variance in games with a total over 200 is nearly a full point more than ones under 200. This isn’t enough to tell us that we need to avoid totals over 200 altogether, but it does say that lower totals are slightly more predictable that bigger ones.

There is a very significant difference between games with totals over 200 and those under. The variance in games with a total over 200 is nearly a full point more than ones under 200.

This isn’t enough to tell us that we need to avoid totals over 200 altogether, but it does say that lower totals are slightly more predictable than bigger ones.

Standard Deviation in College Basketball Games (Totals)

Correlation: 0.66

We found the strongest relationship between bigger totals and more variance in final total points in college basketball. There are some lower numbers that look as if they have high variance. This is sometimes due to a smaller sample size. By and large college hoops games follow exactly what we expected. The totals become less predictable as the total gets bigger.

There are some lower numbers that look as if they have high variance. This is sometimes due to a smaller sample size.

By and large college hoops games follow exactly what we expected. The totals become less predictable as the total gets bigger.

Standard Deviation in NFL Games (Totals)

Correlation: -0.02

There is no significant correlation in the NFL. We find this happens in just about everything pertaining to the NFL in terms of variance.

There isn’t much due to extremely tight lines on totals. The good new is that, because there is less variance in the NFL, it is a great league to play teasers on.

Standard Deviation in College Football Games (Totals)

Correlation: 0.60

There is also a pretty solid association between rising college football totals and the variance of final point totals. This is particularly evident in totals over 54 points. Here the variance is a point and a half more than in totals under 54 points.

This follows the logic that when more points are expected to be scored in a game, it is harder to predict the final total number of points. This isn’t true in all sports, but college football has such a wide range of totals, it is not surprising to see these numbers.

Conclusions

The biggest take away from this data is that the college game is much more unpredictable than pro sports.

What Does Over Under Mean In Basketball Terms

That’s not mind-blowing information – it’s what you would expect – but it’s nice to see it reinforced in the numbers.

The NFL, as expected, is the most predictable of all of the leagues we examined. This just goes to show how good oddsmakers have gotten at setting totals in NFL games.

How can we use this information to our advantage? First and foremost, the bigger the standard deviation (variance) a number has, the less predictable it is.

This means you actually have a bigger advantage over the oddsmakers a the highest numbers. This can be useful when it comes to teasers, where you want the oddsmakers to be as accurate as possible.

More on Standard Deviation in Football & Basketball

Basics on Reading College Basketball Odds—Lines, Spread and Totals

College basketball offers sports bettors a wealth of games on which they can wager. During the season, you’ll find a long list of odds from the top books posted on Maddux Sports’ college basketball lines page. Of course, it’s essential that as a bettor you understand how to read these betting odds. In this article, you’ll learn all that you need to know regarding how to understand NCAA Basketball odds, including the point spread, over/under and moneyline.

The elements we’ll be looking at are often referred to by different names. The point spread is often called the spread or the line. The over/under bet is also known as the total. And the all important rotation number, which is used to identify each team that is playing, can be called the number or the rotation mark. By the way, sometimes people will lump all odds together by calling them lines or they may be referring to the spread when they ask, “What’s the line on the Duke game?” Many terms, over the years, have become interchangeable.

The good news is that although terminology may be laced with slang and some inconsistencies, when you look at college basketball lines posted online they all have the same elements and they all look pretty much the same. The primary difference is some books will list the teams for one game side-by-side and another will have one team on top of another. The main thing to remember is that the visiting club is always listed first.

Starting from the left, the first things you’ll see will be the date and time of the game and right after that will be the rotation number and the team names. The point of the number is to create order and ease in making a bet. The numbers are listed in sequence and they are consistent from book to book.

As an example if Duke is playing at North Carolina and the Blue Devils have a rotation number of 901, then the Tar Heels, who are the home team and listed second, will be 902. In the next games listed, the visiting team would be 903 and the home club 904 and so the sequencing continues.

Because every sportsbook uses the same numbers, it makes it easy for the bettor to locate the game and the odds at different sites and it provides a shorthand by which bettors can make their wagers over the phone or at a land-based book. To avoid confusion when betting, you don’t mention the name of the team but rather the rotation number.

These initial parts of the line, which are used to identify the game which is being bet, read from left to right—date and time of game, rotation numbers and team names. All elements to the right of this information relate to the college basketball odds for that specific game. This is where you will find the point spread, moneyline and over/under.

The reason the point spread exists is to make it more difficult for sports bettors to pick a winner. In college basketball odds, as in college football, some spreads can be huge. How big might they be? If a team such as Duke or North Carolina, both of which a powerhouses, plays a club such as Idaho State from the much weaker Big Sky Conference the spread could be 40 points or more. Without the spread, it would be much too easy to pick the winner. With the spread in place, bookies hope to even out the bets between the two teams.

This is how the point spread works. The team that is favored is listed with a minus or negative sign and a number, while the underdog is listed with a plus or positive sign and a number. The favorite has points taken away and the dog is given points. In our game where Duke is visiting North Carolina, the spread would be relatively tight since both clubs are national contenders. Duke, because they are visiting, might be listed at +2.5, which means North Carolina would be -2.5.

If you wager on the Blue Devils and they win outright or lose by less than three points, then you win. Bet on the Tar Heels and if they win by three or more points, you win. Often the point spread is listed with a ½ point faction or decimal, which ensures no matter what the score the game cannot end in a tie. If the spread is a whole number, then the contest could end in a tie and that would result in a push. A push means that all bets are off and all cash is returned to the bettors. If the spread was 2 in the Duke/North Carolina game and the final score was Duke (+2) 88 and North Carolina (-2) 90, it would be a tie and a push.

The other number you’ll see associated with the spread is the stake—how much you have to bet to realize a profit of $100. The most common stake you’ll see is listed as -110. This means that you must wager $110 to win $100. Note that the payout on a spread wager is not even money (1:1), as some will say. If it were, you would wager $110 to win $110. The odds are a bit less than even, standing at 0.90:1.00. That’s 10% less than even. Where does that 10% of your payout go? It’s taken by the book as part of their commission, which is also called vigorish or vig.

What Does Over Under Mean In Basketball Hoop

Next, to the right of the point spread, is the moneyline. Note: some books may list the moneyline separately under a moneyline tab. But often the line is part of the odds listing. This type of bet is quite different from the spread due to the fact that no points are given or taken away and the basketball team that wins outright is the one that pays off. The way the books even the playing field is they charge more for you to wager on the favorite while offering a smaller payout and charge less to bet on the dog while providing a bigger payout.

Using the Duke and North Carolina matchup, the moneyline would have the dog Blue Devils at +120 and the favorite Tar Heels at -140. This moneyline is directly connected to the spread of 2.5. With the moneyline, a club that’s posted on the plus side shows how much you’ll win when wagering $100 and when a team is listed in the negative that tells you how much you must bet to win $100. In our example, you would wager $100 on Duke (+120) to win $120 and $140 on North Carolina (-140) to win $100.
Below is a list of the corresponding point spreads as they relate to the moneyline, ranging from -2 to -10.

How Does Over Under Work In Basketball

With college basketball odds the last number you will see, which is posted to the right, is the over/under. As it is with the spread, they may not be expressed as a whole number. The over/under represents the total number of points that may be scored in the game. Your wager is either on the over or the under.

In the Duke/North Carolina contest, the total would be around 152.5. If the sum of the points scored by both teams is 153 or higher, the over wins and if it is 152 or lower, then the under wins. As it is with the point spread, this number comes from handicappers working on and assessing matchups, stats, coaches and player performance.

Once odds are posted for a game, sports bettors need to decide quickly, based on research, which bets they are going to take. Early college basketball odds tend to be soft and offer more leeway than adjusted odds, which get tighter as game time gets closer. The elements discussed in this article are all common in NCAA Basketball odds listings. Know how to read each part in order to make smart and timely bets.