NCAAB 1st Half O/U Betting

NCAAB 1st Half O/U Betting Stats

Thanks to the growth of online gambling, basketball betting has become so comprehensive that your wagering options are nearly endless.

So apart from focusing on game totals, spread betting, and the moneyline, you can delve further and place first-half wagers revolving around these options.

Our focus today will be on the 1st half O/U market, which, essentially, just functions like the typical over/under betting alternative, just that the focus is on the first half.

And since we know that college basketball games tend to be free-scoring, this can be a great market for those chasing a new betting alternative or those who want to try to shift from overall game totals.

With that in mind, we’ll be covering everything you need to know about the first half O/U betting in the NCAAB, so check out this article if you’re interested in this.

NCAAB 1st Half O/U Betting

If you’re familiar with sports betting, game totals—the over/under market—is probably one of your go-to options, given how famous this market is.

If you’re new to betting, we’ll still cover this market for you in depth.

Over/Under betting simply revolves around betting on the expected number of points in a game.

The bookies will typically place a line—e.g., 130 points—and it’s up to you to predict whether the combined scores of both teams will surpass this value.

First-half O/U betting employs the same principle. The major difference is that only the points scored in the first half will be considered.

For instance, if the O/U line in the Georgetown vs. Seton Hall game is set at 138.5, the first-half O/U line will instead be 65.5. So if you back the over, the combined total in the first half must be 66+ points.

Essentially, this means that you can settle your wager earlier if you go for the first-half market, as you won’t need to sit through an entire NCAAB game to wait for the entire result.

If you enjoy this kind of bet you might enjoy our NBA 1st Half O/U stats for betting as well.

How Does NCAAB 1st Half Over/Under Betting Work?

When grading NCAAB 1st half over/under bets, the sportsbook only considers the first half.

So any points scored in the second half will not affect your wager.

If you back the under, the combined points tally of both teams must be less than the bookies’ predicted line. For instance, if the 1st half O/U line is set at 65.5, and you’ve picked the under, the total no. of points here should be 65 or less.

So scores like 30-34, 35-29, etc., at the end of the first half should win you this wager since the combined total here is less than 65.5.

If you back the over in such a wager, the opposite will apply, so the total no. of points here should be 66+. In such a case, scores like 33-35, 36-32, etc., will be enough to win you this wager, as the combined score of both teams exceeds 65.5.

How Do NCAAB 1st Half Totals Odds Work?

Similar to the typical game totals wager, the odds for the first half O/U market typically hover around -110. This simply means you need to wager $110 to win $100.

For instance, the O/U game line in Buffalo vs. Ohio is set at 160.5 (-110), while the first-half totals line is set at 73.5 (-110). If you bet $11 on the 1st half over, you’ll win $10 with half-time scores like 40-35, 38-37, etc.

Depending on the sportsbook, you should still have the option to buy points, or the site may offer alternative lines. For example, instead of getting over 73.5 points at -110, you can get over 70.5 points at -130.

Also, if you go for lines with a hook—lines that end with values of .5—you won’t be able to get a push (refund) since game totals are always whole numbers.

Here’s an example that perfectly illustrates this. If the O/U line is set at 65, it’s possible for the combined score to end up being 65 (scores like 35-30, 34-31, etc.), meaning that you’ll get a push.

However, if the line is 65.5, a refund is impossible since real-life basketball doesn’t deal with half points.

So keep this in mind when placing bets, especially if you want the backup of a potential refund.

Using The BestOdds.com NCAAB 1st Half O/U Standings Table

With the BestOdds over/under table, you can make informed decisions instead of blindly winging it.

As you can see, it’s easy to spot the team with the best over record and the ones that consistently go under.

If you want to back the over, the UC Riverside Highlanders are the best bet, given that 15 of their 20 games have gone over the bookies’ predictions. The Coppin State Eagles offer the best choice for under betting, as 9 of their 21 games have produced unders.

The standings table also shows other stats like PS/G, which indicates how many points a team scores per game, and PC/G, the number of points that a team concedes or gives away each game.

These can be useful metrics if you want to deviate from the standard over/under betting, as you can use them to bet on the total number of points that a team is expected to score or concede.

NCAAB 1st Half Totals (O/U) Betting Strategies

Like any other betting market, approaching 1st half totals by betting strategically will improve your chances of winning. Below, we’ve listed a few helpful tips and strategies:

• Check A Team’s Scoring Stats: The first thing you should consider is whether the teams in question are known for being high scorers or if they usually average low points tallies. This will help you figure out if the teams can clear the hurdle given to them by the bookie. If two high-scoring teams are playing each other, it makes sense to pick the over. On the other hand, if two low-scorers are playing each other, the under is the better wager.
• Look At Past Encounters: Studying past encounters between the two teams in question will also help you determine whether you should pick the over or the under. You’ll be able to see which side usually dominates the other and expose yourself to specific trends and stats that may be easy to overlook.
• Check A Team’s O/U Record: Lastly, you should also check how often a team performs when it comes to the bookies’ O/U line. This will let you know whether the team consistently exceeds the predicted total or if the under is the safer bet.

Shop Around

This is also another crucial strategy that will help you increase your winnings. Shopping around simply helps you get better value, which in turn boosts your profit.

Let’s show you one such example:

Game	BetMGM	DraftKings	FanDuel
Towson vs.William & Mary	Over 63.5(-115)	Over 63 (-110)	Over 63.5 (-110)
	Under 63 (-110)	Under 63.5 (-110)	Under 63.5 (-105)

As you can see, shopping around exposes you to the best odds and the best value, which, in this case, is offered by DraftKings.

Compared to BetMGM and FanDuel, if you want to bet on the over in this game, you’re guaranteed better odds and value at DK since the hurdle is easier to clear (63 is less than 63.5).

Plus, over 63 at DraftKings gives you the cushion of a refund, which isn’t offered by the other two sportsbooks since they all deal with lines that have hooks (over 63.5).

Looking for more stats? Check out the NCAAB Race To X Points stats for betting.