Totals are used in football, basketball, baseball, hockey, etc. The Total is set, and periodically adjusted, to insure that half of the people
will wager on the 'over' and
wager on the 'under'.
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Cowboys -4
Redskins 48
----------or------------
(these two situations are identical)
Cowboys -4
Redskins +4
Over/Under 48
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"Cowboys are favored by four points against the Redskins and the total (or over/under) in the game is forty-eight."