What does under 3 and 3.5 goals mean when betting on soccer?

A prime example of a soccer over/under total line came from a match in the English Premier League this March when Manchester City made the trip to London to take on Fulham.

Manchester City had been scoring a lot of goals in the league, while Fulham had allowed a record number of goals up to that point of the year. So the goal total line for the contest was set at 3.5 goals at odds of -133. The under 3.5 goals was set at +110.

If the two teams combined for three goals or less, a bet on “under 3.5” would be graded as a winner. If the line was set at exactly 3, the teams would need to combine for 2 goals or less (three goals would be a push).

Many online sportsbooks also allow you to bet on adjusted over/under goal totals for higher or lower betting odds.