Glossary: O

The over/under (also called the "total") is a separate line from the spread — it doesn't care which team wins, only the combined score of both teams by the end of the game. If the line is set at 45.5 points, a game that finishes, say, 27-21 (total 48) goes over.

This line mostly reflects the expected style of play: teams with fast offenses and weak defenses tend to have high totals, while matchups between two strong defenses usually carry lower ones.

Like the spread, the over/under can shift before kickoff — severe weather forecast for game day, for example, often pushes the total down, since it tends to hurt the passing game.