Basketball Betting Strategies on Basketball Totals

Basketball is a game that is greatly popular when it comes to gambling. In members of this game, the total market is very popular. If you wish to increase your chances of success, it's also recommended that you review the best basketball odds before putting your bets. In this guidebook, we will talk about the different types of totals, what they are done with, discuss the most bet-on betting strategies, and offer useful tips to help you place wiser bets on basketball totals. 

What Is a Total in Basketball?

A total bet is a bet on the number of particular units in a game. Bookmakers offer a wide range of possibilities here. You not only have the option to bet on the total of a match, but you also have three-pointers, free throws, assists, rebounds, a player or team's individual total, or even the total of a quarter or half.

Typically, this market is referred to as O (over) or U (under), where the punter predicts if the actual result will be above or below the figure set by the bookmaker.

Types of Basketball Totals

Match Total Points (Classic Total)

Here, the punter predicts if the total points of both teams will be over or under the bookmaker's line.

Example: In a Brooklyn-Cleveland game in the NBA, you wager $100 on Over 220.5 (including overtime). You are a winner if the total is 221 or higher. A 115:106 result is a winner (115 + 106 = 221). Your payout would be $90 with odds of 1.90. If the total is under 220, the wager loses.

Individual Team Total

This bet is on the prediction of a team's point tally.

Example: While playing the Golden State vs. Detroit, you wagered $100 on Golden State Over 117.5. You win when Golden State scores 118 and above. The outcome doesn't include the opposing team. When the odds are 1.98, your profit is $98.

Highest/Lowest-Scoring Quarter Total

The bettor predicts the total in the highest or lowest scoring quarter.

Example: You wager $100 on Highest-scoring quarter over 61.5 in the game between San Antonio and Phoenix. The third quarter ends with 63 points, greater than 61.5, and therefore your wager is a success.

Even/Odd Total

This is one extremely dangerous market. Here you are predicting whether the total score will be odd or even.

Example: You bet on Even Total (including overtime). A result of 116:108 is the same as 224 (even), and therefore your bet is a winner. In case the total is odd, you lose.

Betting Strategies on Totals

Total Control

It is a live-betting strategy where pre-match odds are in contrast with halftime live odds.

If the pre-game line is Over 195 at 1.95, and during halftime it changes to 2.14, you bet in the opposite way (Under). The same is true in reverse.

Line Movement Strategy

You make bookmaker lines before the game here.

Example: Ten hours before tip-off, the average total is 202 with Over and Under odds of 1.90. Two hours before the game, the line shifts to 204. You can then take Under 202 because the bookmaker is equalizing money flow. If the line reduces, you take Over with better odds.

Corridor System

This strategy uses different bookmakers to bet on overlapping ranges ("corridors").

Example: For the same game at one bookie, you bet Under 170.5 and at the other, you bet Over 167.5. Both bets pay off if the final score is between 168–170 points. Corridors are the exception rather than the rule with proper analysis.

Law of Averages Strategy

This strategy forecasts a team's return to its seasonal scoring mean.

Example: Golden State averages 115 points per game. If in 2–3 consecutive games they score below average, the strategy dictates to bet Over in the following game, expecting return to the mean.

Practical Betting on Totals Tips

• No strategy is perfect. Always incorporate statistical methods with pre-match analysis and news reports.
• Understand the rules. As an example, NBA and a few Asian leagues have 12-minute quarters (48 minutes total), whereas most of the European leagues have 10-minute quarters (40 minutes).
• Check bookie rules. Totals often include overtime, but be aware of exceptions.
• Look for trends and statistics. The NBA is high-scoring, but some teams have a tendency to play low-scoring games consistently.
• Think about motivation and rosters. Injuries, scheduling, and player fatigue heavily influence outcomes.
• Mix strategies. Don't use a single system—mix various methods to get wider coverage.