How To Bet College Football Online
College football is a way of life for many Americans. Saturdays in the fall are set aside to bet on college football and watch the rising stars in the game battle it out. The best place to bet on NCAA football is online at a reputable sportsbook.
A college football betting strategy is a structured approach to wagering on NCAA football with the goal of producing a profit. Strategies used in college football betting are very similar to those used for NFL football betting.
Best Sportsbooks For Betting On College Football
- Single game bets are the best place to start for beginners, so let’s begin by looking at the different types of single-game bets you can make on college football., Moneyline Bets. Moneyline betting isn’t the most popular way to wager on college football, or football more generally, but it’s a good starting point for new bettors as the least complicated bet type to understand. In moneyline betting.
- Make A Deposit – Online college football betting sites take a variety of deposit options. Credit card and debit cards are still widely used but they come with 5-7.5% fees. They also cannot be used as a payout.
- Most popular betting site worldwide
- Top quality live betting platform (including streaming of many events)
- Fixed odds betting for horse racing
- Accepts players worldwide
- Competitive betting lines
- Fast & easy deposits and withdrawals (including Bitcoin)
- Accepts players worldwide
- Competitive betting lines
- Old style website that is easy to navigate
How To Bet On College Football Online
College Betting Sites
It is very easy to bet on college football online. If you don’t yet have an online sportsbook account for betting on college football follow the quick step by step guide below to get set up for betting on college football online.
- Register an Online Betting Account – Visit any of our three recommended sportsbooks for college football outlined above. These are all highly regarded and trusted online sportsbooks where you will be treated fairly and your funds will be safe. Signing up an account only takes a minute and you will just have to provide some basic information.
- Fund Your Account – In order to bet on college football for real money you have to get some funds online. Depositing via a credit card is often considered the easiest method, but many other e-wallet options will also be available. Contact customer support if you run into any problems.
- Bet – Now that you have funds online head over to the “college football betting” section of the sportsbooks, sort through the games and place your bets. Then kick back and watch as the game unfolds.
Types of College Football Bets
Spread betting is the most common type of college football bet. This is because in college football there will often be games where there is a huge favourite and in order to even the playing field the spread is used. Bettors can bet on whether the favourite will win by more than the spread amount or the underdog will lose by fewer points than the spread or win outright.
Moneyline betting is another popular betting option, especially in the games where there isn’t a clear cut favourite. Moneyline betting is simply wagering on which team will win the game outright.
Over/under betting is another type of college football bet that can be made. It involves wagering on whether there will be more or fewer points scored in the game than the “total” set by the sportsbook.
College Football Betting Odds
The American odds format is most commonly used for betting on college football games. It is important that you understand the odds in order to know your risk vs reward for the bets that you make. Let’s take a look at an example of a spread bet using the American odds format:
Missouri +10 (-110)
Texas A&M -10 (-110)
In this example the spread is 10 points and Texas A&M are the favourites. They are essentially “giving up” 10 points to Missouri to start the game (the -10 can be thought of as you subtract 10 points from Texas A&M or you add 10 points to Missouri (+10) ). Therefore, Texas A&M must win by 10 or more points, while Missouri must either win or lose by fewer than 10 points. If the game ends with Texas A&M up 10 then the bet is refunded. The (-110) indicates the odds in American format. This means that a $110 bet on either outcome would payout $100.
College Football Bowl Games
Check out any of these pages for specific information on betting on some of the most popular NCAA Bowl Games.
College Football Betting Tips
Here are a couple basic tips to help you turn a profit when you bet on NCAA football this season. Check out our full 7 college football betting tips page for a more in depth analysis of how to win betting on NCAA football.
- Research – College football lines are not an exact science. In fact it is anything but with oddsmakers being forced to compare how teams have fared against other teams in the hopes that those relationships will transfer to the game being played this week. There are a ton of college football games every week and if you focus on a select few and do some serious research you should be able to find some sharp lines.
- Compare Lines – It is very important that you find the best line online for the college football game that you intend to bet on. You will often find that some bookies have different lines for the same game and if you wager at the sportsbook offering the best odds for the outcome you are predicting you can often get an extra 1 or 2 points to help you win your college football wager.
College Football Gambling Sites
The best college football betting resource online would be ESPN in my opinion. Check it out for up to date scores, injury reports and other news from the world of NCAA football.
There are a lot more teams to consider when you’re going to be betting college football games. That makes it very challenging for oddsmakers and bettors alike. It also gives the latter more of an advantage because it is much harder for sportsbooks to keep up with all the teams and set accurate lines. Many bettors prefer wagering on college football for that reason. It is because they can get more perceived value on pointspreads and totals.
College football also has a much greater annual turnover in terms of players leaving their current teams, with the best upperclassmen usually declaring for the NFL Draft. It is important for bettors to remind themselves that they are wagering on college athletes who are attending school. Many of them are hoping to make it to the next level. In fact, the big difference between college football and basketball players is that the NFL has a three-year requirement to remain in school. This is compared to only one year for the NBA.
That said, college football is an extremely top-heavy sport. Just four teams can qualify for the playoffs at the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level. Teams from power conferences including the SEC, ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12 are the only ones who have made it to the national semifinals in the first four years of its existence.
How Does the College Football Playoff Affects College Football Betting?
The College Football Playoff (CFP) was originally designed to create a better system for determining the national champion. However, it is still difficult for schools from non-power conferences to make the four-team field. It will continue to be that way unless it expands to at least eight or more. In 2017, the Central Florida Knights finished 12-0 during the regular season. But they could not even crack the Top 10 in the CFP rankings. The 12th-ranked Knights proceeded to knock off the seventh-ranked Auburn Tigers 34-27 in the Peach Bowl to strengthen their case for expansion. They even declared themselves true national champions with a banner at the end of their season. Instead, the Alabama Crimson Tide won the national title 26-23 in overtime versus the Georgia Bulldogs in an all-SEC championship game. This makes the argument for a better playoff even stronger.
No matter where you stand on the CFP argument, motivation is what betting on this sport is all about. From the coaches to the players, all of them are looking to better themselves through both team and personal goals, whether it be trying to have a winning season or make a bowl game in the short term. In the long term, they are looking ahead to their futures too, such as getting a better job or making it to the NFL. Handicapping motivational factors becomes the key to winning your bets. Below is a breakdown of the different ways you can wager on college football along with handicapping tips on what to look for with regards to the different types of bets.
How to Bet College Football Pointspreads?
In college football, pointspreads are a lot different than in the NFL because the matchups can be much more lopsided. You will see lines of 30 points or more on a regular basis. This is especially true early in the season, when there are non-conference games featuring powerhouse teams like Alabama. They’ll play against weaker foes, just to pick up an easy victory. In those cases, the Crimson Tide’s third or fourth string will likely be battling the opposition at the end. Yet, they still may be more talented. What you are betting on is essentially a crapshoot where you can flip a coin to get similar odds.
Betting On College Sports
Again, motivation can be the difference when wagering on the pointspread in college football. Some teams will look to run up the score in order to impress the pollsters. Others who are playing much more competitive games simply want to win straight up. Always try to follow any storylines associated with a specific game that might give you an edge. It is more likely to get inside information on a college football game that oddsmakers may not know about opposed to the NFL.
How to Bet College Football Moneylines?
Building on the point that many college football teams solely worry about winning games in certain situations is where betting on the moneyline comes into play. Conference games in particular can be very competitive. All that really matters for the best teams is winning, not running up the score or anything more than that. But keep in mind, just like pointspreads can be much higher in college football, moneylines can be an even bigger risk with a huge price to pay and big upsets are a distinct possibility.
At the end of the regular season, good teams ultimately need a great conference record and many times might have to go unbeaten in league play to earn a shot at making the CFP. If that team has one loss or more, then the committee may look at how many points those games were decided by and who the opponent was when deciding the field. The truth is, nobody knows exactly how the committee’s final decision is made. What we do know is that conference championships won, strength of schedule, head-to-head competition and comparative outcomes of common opponents (without incentivizing margin of victory) are noted as the main criteria when teams are comparable. If that is truly the case, then winning certain games is all that matters, so wager accordingly.
How to Bet College Football Totals?
If you thought over/under totals were high in the NFL nowadays, then you would probably be surprised to see totals nearing triple digits in the fast-paced, high-scoring world of college football. Some conferences like the Big 12 are even well-known for playing little defense, with shootouts taking place in most games almost every week. Others, such as the Big Ten, can be just the opposite, especially when cold weather and wind become a growing factor late in the year. This can impact scoring in a negative manner.
However, it all comes down to perceived value when betting on college football overall, and that includes over/under totals. If you think a number is too low, then you will wager on the over. If you believe a number is too high, then you take the under instead. The numbers seem to be far more extreme in college football, with sportsbooks erring on the side of caution. Oddsmakers might throw you a gift here and there as a bettor. But they are also making you think hard about their numbers and maybe even second-guess yourself. In these situations, go with your gut and wager on the numbers you like.
How to Bet College Football Win Totals?
Betting the NFL is much different than betting college football in many way. We have already explained a few reasons why. Win totals are no exception. Teams play fewer games in college, and the champion might lose one game.
The win total numbers in college football account for that. So, you may be wagering on near-perfection for the best teams when going over. This is while betting on the possibility of a one-loss or two-loss campaign for the worst. The best investments on college football win totals seem to be on those teams that are between five and six. Taking the over most likely results in a winning season and potential bowl bid. If you are an under bettor, then look for teams with head coaches on the hot seat who do not want to stick around.
How to Bet College Football Parlays and Teasers?
College Football Bets Against Spread
There are few things more exciting than putting together a parlay and/or teaser bet on a college football Saturday. Pro bettors may choose to wager a larger amount on a single game. Casual fans often prefer taking a smaller risk in exchange for the opportunity at a bigger payout by betting on multiple games and tying them together. Parlays are more common because the payouts are greater. However, teasers do have a much better chance of cashing. They are similar to parlays in the sense that you wager on two or more teams at the same time. But you can get anywhere between six and ten more points on the spread or total with a teaser. This can benefit you greatly no matter what side you are on.
Betting On College Football
How To Bet College Football Online
Because the numbers can be so huge in college football, getting or taking an extra touchdown or more either way can turn out to be an easy winner. Remember, oddsmakers struggle to make lines on college football games sometimes. This is due to the high number of teams and games every week. Getting even more value is never a bad thing. Even if you lose a teaser bet, you will go down knowing that you got some of the best numbers available to give you the best chance of winning. The same cannot be said of a parlay, as the odds of one team costing you are far more likely.