Strange things can happen at the end of a game, and some handicappers prefer to only focus on the first half where they feel that they have a better idea of what's to come. Betting on a first half total in a basketball game eliminates late-game fouling and free throw shooting. Betting on a first half in a football game eliminates "garbage time" points after a team may have pulled their starters. Betting on a first five inning total in a baseball game eliminates the bullpen and focuses on the starting pitchers. Betting on the first half total often requires a different set of thinking compared to betting the total for the full game.