300% match bonus up to 4,400 BGP!
Receive

Under 3.5 goals betting market – Meanings and how to use it!

You do not just need to bet on who will win the match, you can also bet on a number of other unrelated variables, one of which is the number of goals that will be scored. You can bet on the exact number of goals but it is more common to bet on whether there will be over or under a certain amount. It does not matter how much under or how much over the result is, you win or lose the same amount regardless. Under/Over goals markets are usually connected to football betting but it can be applicable to several other sports.

 

What is Under 3.5 Goals In Betting?

Under 3.5 Goals is a bet that will be a winner if there are under four goals scored. You may be wondering “why is a .5 there?”, as if there could ever be half a goal scored. Well, there can’t, and that is the point, you are betting under 3.5 goals so that there is no possibility of a draw, you will either win or lose and that is it. When betting on a match in a tournament then the goals must be scored in the regulation 90 minutes plus any added injury time, it would not include goals scored in extra time.

In the Premier League Season 2023/24 there was a record 1,246 goals which divided between the 380 games played was an average of 3.28 per match. This year was remarkably high though and for context the previous record was 1,222 goals in the 1992–93 season (which had 462 games, an average of 2.65 per match).

As you can see it has usually been under/over 2.5 goals which was the midpoint but with more and more goals regularly being scored over/under 3.5 goals is becoming more popular as a betting choice.

 

Where can I bet on Under 3.5 goals?

The vast majority of betting sites will offer the option to bet on under 3.5 goals to be scored in a match. From our research one of the best sites for you to use is 1xbet.

1xbet has a huge range of football leagues to bet on from all around the world and virtually all allow under 3.5 goals to be bet on for each match. The odds are usually the best available from the sites we recommend, and they settle winning bets quickly, meaning you can have your winnings back in your bank account at record speed.

 

Under 3.5 goals – Betting Definition

When you bet on this market you will win if there are less than four goals scored in the match. If four or more goals are scored, your bet will lose.  It does not matter which team scored the goals and own goals as well as penalties will also count.

  • “Under” – In the context of this bet “Under” means less than, or fewer than, the stated amount. So basically if there are 0 goals, 1, goal, 2 goals or 3 goals scored then this would be under.
  • “Goals” – as you will almost certainly be aware goals are the method of scoring in a game, and it occurs when the ball fully crosses the goal line. There can be no foul play in the lead up to the goal, and the player that scores can not be offside, or the goal will be disallowed by VAR and not count. The introduction of Goal Line Technology has done a lot to reduce controversy around what was or was not a legal goal, and there should not be any more repeats of the 1966 World Cup final!

1xbet Definition of the total goals market

1xbet defines the total goals over/under market as follows: “The bet “(Total) Over/Under” is indicated as “Total”.

This is a bet on the total number of goals, points, games (etc.) that have been scored, earned, played (etc.) by teams (players etc.). The Customer must predict how many goals, points, games (etc.) will be scored, earned, played etc. (more or fewer than the total number quoted). At the bet settlement playing time stipulated hereby for each sport is taken into account, unless the market states otherwise.”

 

Under 3.5 goals odds

The odds on this bet will vary from match to match and from league to league but it will not be far away from evens. This is because it is most common for matches to end with between 3 and 4 goals per game. Some examples of the odds available on a Premier League match can be seen below:

Betting SiteTottenham Hotspur vs Manchester City – Under 3.5 odds
🏆 20Bet2.040
🪙 Megapari2.052
🏅 1xbet2.052
💰 22bet2.00
🏦 Rabona2.00

 

Examples of winning and losing under 3.5 goal bets

Some examples of potential scorelines and whether or not that would have resulted in a win or loss for an under 3.5 goals bet can be seen below:

Final ScoreTotal goalsUnder 3.5 Win / Loss
0 – 00Win
1 – 01Win
0 – 11Win
1 – 12Win
2 – 02Win
0 – 22Win
2 – 13Win
1 – 23Win
3 – 03Win
0 – 33Win
2 – 24Loss
3 – 14Loss
1 – 34Loss
Every other scoreXLoss

 

What betting markets are similar to under 3.5 goals?

  • Under 2.5 goals – The most obvious example of a market similar to the under 3.5 goals market is the under 2.5 goals market, which is exactly the same in every way except the bet only wins if there are 2 goals or less rather than 3.
  • Under 3 goals – Another bet is simply under 3 goals and this differs because it is possible for this bet to “push” if there is exactly three goals. You neither win nor lose if there are three goals and you get your money back.

 

Tips and strategies for betting on under 3.5 goals

When betting on under 3.5 goals there are certain things to research that will effect your bets. For example, does either team have a striker in form, if they do then that is a negative because the last thing this bet needs is someone scoring a hat trick! On the other hand is there a team or a keeper that is great at keeping a clean sheet, because if there is then one team not scoring at all is really going to increase the chances of under 3.5 goals going in overall.

Other things to do are:

  • Look for equal teams – If there is one team considerably better than the other then you are likely to have one team scoring freely. That means there is a good chance of the total being over three. If two teams are equally matched then no matter how good or how bad they are, if their skills are cancelled out by the other team, then it is unlikely either will be able to score.
  • Use Accas to raise the odds – The odds of under 3.5 goals will usually be around or a little less than evens. This means that there will not be a big win without staking an equally large amount. In order to get a big win without having to risk too much, combining several under 3.5 goals bets into an accumulator will quickly ramp up the odds. For example, using odds around evens, putting 4 selections into one bet would have odds of about 16/1.
FAQ. Frequently Asked Questions
  • There is no certainty how many goals will be scored in any game but as a rule the higher the quality of the league (usually but not always) the fewer goals that are scored. World Cups are notorious for having few goals scored because the quality of the players is so high.

  • If the penalty is scored in normal time (the regulation 90 minutes for a football game) then yes they are included in the total. Any penalties scored at the end of normal and extra time will not be included in the goals total.

  • The short answer is yes, it does not matter which team or how the goal is scored, a goal is a goal and will count to the total.

Author
Andrew Heaford
Andy has over 20 years of experience in the online gambling arena. The potted history includes being a bonus hustler, professional sports bettor, website owner, content writer and affiliate manager!
Article rating
5/5
1 vote