Very few football matches boast more than three, four or five goals. Even smaller is the number of matches that end with six goals on the scoreboard. The ‘Over 5.5 Goals’ betting market gives you the opportunity to bet on such an outcome.
Not only does this market encourage bettors to drink in every single goal within a 90-minute football match but it also pays out incredibly well. The latter is not without reason, as bookmakers rarely expect such a vast number of goals to be scored in any game. As a result, bookies often drive up the prices for this genre of wager. The greater the price, the better your winnings.
What Does Over 5.5 Goals Mean In Betting?
With this betting market, your bet wins if there are six or more goals. Half-goals cannot be scored in football and as such, you are not able to ‘draw’ with the bookmaker in what is known as a ‘push’ bet.
The decimal point ‘.5’ included in the market’s title eliminates the possibility of getting your money back as a refund by matching the outcome set by the bookmaker. Instead, bookies round up to the next whole number – six (6) in this instance – to determine the winning outcome.
Over 5.5 Goals Meaning
Below is a description of ‘Over 5.5 Goals’ according to Bet365.
Bet365 ‘Over 5.5 Goals’ Description
Predict whether there will be over 5.5 goals in a match. In the event of a match being abandoned before 90 minutes have been played then all bets will be void unless settlement of bets is already determined.
And you can find some examples of winning scorelines here:
- 6-0
- 3-3
- 5-1
Essentially, to win a bet on this market you need the game to have exactly six goals or more than six goals. It’s that simple.
What Is a Good Strategy For Over 5.5 Goals Betting?
There are plenty of reasons to develop a betting strategy when betting on the ‘Over 5.5 Goals’ market. It gives you an opportunity to reflect on previous wagers, make improved decisions in the future, and determine which teams are a good pick for selections.
Becoming familiar with the terminology is just the start. Once you have that down to a tee, you should begin working on a strategy. Too many punters overlook this step and leap at the chance to grab high odds no matter the likelihood of the outcome coming true. By following the strategy guide we’ve put together below, you’ll give yourself a fantastic launchpad from which you can edit, improve, and better enjoy betting on this market.
Should You Bet On Games With High Scoring Teams?
It may sound obvious on paper but this is something many punters avoid. The reasoning behind the decision to look away from high-scoring sides is relatively understandable and boasts a slightly logical explanation: low-scoring teams will give you better odds on ‘Over 5.5 Goals’ wagers.
The reality is that weak attacking outfits are highly unlikely to score six goals within 90 minutes. If two relegation-threatened clubs face off in the middle of the season, it’s significantly more likely that they’ll opt for a defensive, safe approach and hope to hit their opponents on the counter. Needless to say, this is a recipe for a boring game with very few strikes on goal.
On the other hand, big teams feel the need to put pressure on their opposition throughout the affair. Fans push them on to score multiple goals and in some cases, supporters may leave the match feeling dissatisfied if the number of goals scored fails to meet pre-game expectations.
Footballers at massive institutions like Liverpool, Manchester City, Barcelona and Real Madrid are tasked with annihilating smaller sides almost every week. When they do as commanded by 90% of supporters in the ground, everyone’s happy.
Let’s take a look at some recent results involving high-quality teams facing off against weaker opponents.
- Liverpool 9-0 Bournemouth – Premier League 2022/23
- Manchester City 6-0 Nottingham Forest – Premier League 2022/23
- Arsenal 4-2 Leicester City – Premier League 2022/23
- Barcelona 5-1 Viktoria Plzen – Champions League 2022/23
- Lille 1-7 PSG – Ligue 1 2022/23
The tale of the tape speaks for itself.
Do Evenly Matched Teams Make A Great Bet?
Now, we acknowledge that we’ve just discussed how weaker teams – particularly those nearer the bottom end of the table – are a poor bet for this type of selection. While this is mostly true, there are occasions where the opposite is correct.
Smaller teams with talented attacking options can be the bane of stronger sides. When two of these ‘weaker’ clubs take each other on, fireworks can often ensue. This rings even truer during the early weeks of a season when many teams are playing without fear and full of hope.
Premier League sides such as Brentford, Leeds United, Brighton, and Newcastle United are boosted up top by solid individual options. Combined, these four teams have been involved in games with six or more goals a total of four times, including one fixture between two of those named – Brentford 5-2 Leeds United.
Steer clear of teams of similar ilk that are weaker in attack. They are not to be counted on for goals and will only let you down. Unless they take on a giant fighting for the title, it’s unlikely many of their outings should have more than three or four goals. This will, of course, increase the odds of such selections.
At the beginning of the 2022/23 campaign, teams to avoid when betting on ‘Over 5.5 Goals’ include the following:
- Bournemouth
- Wolves
- West Ham
- Everton
None of these sides have shown any sort of quality in front of goal. Wolverhampton Wanderers, for example, have conceded just four goals and scored only three. Yet, the odds on Wolves being involved in such a high-scoring matchup will have you frothing at the mouth.
Do European Games Tend To Have Over 5.5 Goals?
While most of our focus up to now has been on Premier League fixtures, it would be remiss of us to ignore the potential for goals across the continent. This is partly due to the dominance of a small number of clubs within their respective leagues. Teams you can count on to score bags of goals are:
- Barcelona
- PSG
- Bayern Munich
- Real Madrid
- Ajax
All hell can break loose when they come up against weaker sides in the division. This is cause for concern among enthusiasts and fans of these leagues but can result in profit for bettors settling into the ‘Over 5.5 Goals’ market. Here are some games from the 2022/23 season that back up our argument:
- Ajax 6-1 Groningen – Eredivisie
- Barcelona 3-3 Manchester City – Mid-Season Friendly
- VfL Bochum 0-7 Bayern Munich
What Are The Best Bookmakers & Odds For Over 5.5 Goals Betting?
The above are just a few ideas you can expand upon by carrying out your own research on websites centred around statistics. You can find some information on previous meetings between sides, goals data, and in-match stats on platforms supported by popular bookies across the UK. For instance, SkyBet is known for uploading Head-To-Head results, as well as Overall Form and Competition Form on select matches.
You may wonder which sportsbook is the out-and-out best to use when it comes to betting on ‘Over 5.5 Goals’. Which bookie offers the best odds? Who uploads their prices earliest? How can I get the best value for money?
The answer to all three questions is to shop around. We can recommend various bookies, including SkyBet, Bet365, William Hill, and Paddy Power just to name a few, but we cannot tell you which of the above offers the absolute best experience. More important than anything else is that you feel comfortable betting on the website or app. That is something only you can decide.
Specifically concerning ‘Over 5.5 Goals’, we’ve collected screenshots from a number of our top-rated bookmakers for this market. Hopefully, this will provide better insight as to which bookies are easy to use and the comparison of odds.
The game being shown in this example is Bayern Munich vs Barcelona in the Champions League.
SkyBet – 5.50 (9/2)
Bet365 – 5.50 (9/2)
Paddy Power – 5.50 (9/2)
Over 5.5 Goals Terminology
In our school days, there were few better feelings than fighting long and hard to understand a particular maths equation or the meaning behind an author’s words. It could take days, weeks or even months, but when we finally grasped what was laid out in front of us it often felt as though everything suddenly made sense.
When it comes to the terminology surrounding a sports betting market, that same feeling can be had. Some markets can be difficult to translate into logic, especially for bettors starting their journey. There’s a whole world of betting options to come to terms with; some of which are easier to understand than others.
Only when you’re fully aware of what the market is trying to tell you is it possible to create a strategy and take advantage of the sportsbook’s odds. Otherwise, you’re throwing money into the wind. That’s why we’re here to guide you through everything you need to know about ‘Over 5.5 Goals’ and the meaning behind its terminology.
‘Over’ in this instance means that the statistic you’re betting on must be ‘above’, ‘greater than’, or ‘more than’ the figure stated next. If, for example, a certain in-game occurrence took place four times and you bet on ‘Over 5.5’, the bet would not payout winnings. If the statistics tell us that there were more than five repetitions of said statistic, the bet wins. The word ‘Over’ is present to let us know whether we’re betting on a number above or below the threshold listed on the sportsbook.
After ‘Over’ comes ‘5.5’. This is the minimum number of times a statistic must occur within a 90-minute football match for a bet to win. Although a decimal point is included in the market title, it’s well documented that half-goals, corners, shots, nor bookings can be credited to any team or player. Therefore, you can consider changing the market’s title from ‘Over 5.5’ to ‘Exactly 6 Or More’ to better digest what the bookie is trying to tell you. Both terms mean the same thing, as fewer than 6 occurrences of the set statistic will result in a loss and exactly 6 or more will see you win.
The last term to be included in this market is the statistic itself – ‘Goals’. Goals are the ultimate winning factor in football. They have the potential to make someone’s day or ruin entire weekends. Each time a goal is scored, fans around the world either rejoice or slump back into their chair in desolation. The market we’re honing in on today is ‘Over 5.5 Goals’, and this bet type pays out on selections that have six or more goals in normal play.
Although ‘goals’ are the primary focus in football and are easily recognizable to most viewers, the meaning behind what a goal is and how they are scored is not always obvious.
What is the opposite betting market to over 5.5 goals?
The opposite betting market of over 5.5 goals is the under 5.5 goals betting market.
What Are Goals In Football?
It’s a simple idea. A goal is scored when the ball crosses the goal line and the attacking side is credited with one point. Contrary to the belief of many new fans of the sport and novice bettors, the ball need not hit the back of the net. There is a thin white line spread from one goal post to the other, defended by both sets of goalkeepers and defenders. Once the ball fully crosses this line, the scoreboard is updated to reflect the new scoreline (1-0, 2-1, 3-1, etc).
It hasn’t always been easy to decipher whether a goal has been scored or not. Prior to the introduction of Goal Line Technology, referees and linesmen were forced to act on their intuition if it was not immediately apparent that the ball had gone over the line.
Many nations and leagues are yet to implement this hawk-eye technology, which is something you may need to keep in mind when betting on ‘Over 5.5 Goals’. Like Frank Lampard against Germany in the 2010 World Cup, it can be incredibly easy to feel cheated out of a perfectly good goal without the help of Goal Line Technology.
It should be noted that many sportsbooks do not accept liability for incorrect decisions relating to in-game statistics. Here’s official word from one of the UK’s best bookmakers, SkyBet, on bets that were lost due to incorrect information.
