What’s the Difference Between Betting on College Football and the NFL?
How to Bet on College Football Bowls?
Why is There So Much Line Movement with College Football Odds?
Best Betting Tips for Learning to How Bet on College Football?
NCAAF odds
New bettors will want to pay close attention to the options and value presented with college football betting. Learning how to bet on college football can be a huge boost to your sports betting bankroll.
Not only does the NCAA game provide more than 50 games to choose from for the majority of the season, it also exposes bettors to a different type of football wagering. There are bigger spreads, huge totals and an incredible variety of playing and coaching styles both on offense and defense.
Before you settle in and make your first college football wager, you’ll need to know how to maximize your betting power – and that starts here. We answer some of the most important questions novice bettors need to address, as well as providing a multitude of tips to help get you started.
As with any sport or discipline, there is no sure-fire way to guarantee consistent profit – but by reading this primer, you’ll be as ready as you need to make informed bets and take advantage of a truly unique betting experience.
What’s the Difference Between Betting on College Football and the NFL?
The sport might be played with the same rules, but college football betting is vastly different to that of the pro game. For starters, a Saturday during the NCAA football season produces more than 50 different games to wager on each week.
Compare that to the dozen or so games available on an NFL Sunday, and the difference is immense. The games are also spread out over the entire day, from opening kickoffs at noon Eastern Time to the final whistle sounding in the wee hours of Sunday morning.
The differences don’t end there. Due to the sheer number of teams participating in Division I football, you often wind up with the kinds of spreads you would never see in the NFL. This is largely due to the massive talent gap between the national elite and some of the weaker teams.
In fact, some early-season games will boast spreads of 40 points or more. Additionally, the totals can get incredibly high when two high-powered offenses face off. Don’t be surprised to see totals in the 70s, or even the low-80s on occasion.
How to Bet on College Football Bowls?
College football bowls generate incredible betting action each and every year. There are several reasons why. First, there is the significance factor. Every bowl matchup is like its own championship game.
The added attention attracts even casual bettors who might not have followed either team over the course of the season. This is especially true of the major bowl games, where bettors will find themselves inundated with wagering information and might feel inclined to get involved in the action.
Location also plays a role in the betting surge. If you live near one of the bowl locations and plan on attending, you might place a wager as a fun alternative way of enjoying the game. Bettors might also be more interested in betting on a bowl game if the team they root for is involved.
Lastly, bowl games serve as a popular wrap to the college betting season, with the profit-makers looking to ride their hot streak to the end. Meanwhile, those who are running a deficit see the bowl season as a last chance to catch up.
Why is There So Much Line Movement with College Football Odds?
Oddsmakers usually do a fantastic job of listing opening NFL odds that create betting action on both sides though there is some fine-tuning over the course of the week. The sheer number of college games available means the overall line-setting practice isn’t as precise.
Sharp bettors waste no time jumping on lines they perceive to be soft or weak. This can result in major movement between when the opening line is released and when the teams actually take the field.
The whim of the betting public isn’t the only factor responsible for creating significant line movements. Player injuries or depth chart shakeups can also rattle bookmakers to the point where they scrub the existing line in favor of a much different spread.
Let’s say, for example, Alabama’s starting quarterback is injured in practice and can’t play. Depending on how pivotal he is to the Crimson Tide offense, the line might only move a little – or the injury might result in a seismic shift in favor of the opposing team.
Best Betting Tips for Learning to How Bet on College Football?
Don’t overindulge
This is by far the most important tip novice NCAA bettors need to heed. With so many games available on a given Saturday in the fall, it might be tempting to get in as much action as possible – especially if bettors take a bath early in the day.
But it’s a long season, and the last thing you want to do as a beginner is see your bankroll evaporate in September. Use the expansive weekly schedule to your advantage by picking your spots carefully. Avoid games where you have doubts.
Start with spreads
Even with so many games to handicap, bookmakers are nearly flawless when it comes to setting totals over the course of the NCAA football campaign. While you might be able to beat the books on the totals side with a little research and careful game selection, you’re much better off taking on the spreads, which represent a much easier path to profit. Key on teams you believe are either taking or giving too many points. You’ll likely fare much better than if you target the totals.
Matchups mean everything
Obviously, taking LSU on the moneyline against Appalachian State is a solid play. It just won’t pay much, unless you bet big. But delving deeper into each game’s key matchups should help you unearth the kind of mismatches what will lead you to informed plays.
A team that struggles to contain the run, for example, will likely fare poorly against a triple-option team like Navy. This makes the Midshipmen an attractive play even with oddsmakers having baked that edge into the line.
Bet against large spreads
It can be a bit startling when you first wade into the NCAA football pool to see teams favored by 50+ points. But bear in mind that, in these cases, the favored team has a lot of work to do in order to cover.
A lot can go wrong: the favored team could suffer an injury on offense, or the underdog could take advantage of a turnover to record an unexpected touchdown. When big spreads hit the board, you’re far better off taking the ‘dog and the points than cheering for the fave to win by six scores.
Normalize your bet sizes
Part of being a successful bettor is understanding that crazy things can and will happen during the college football season. By keeping your bet amounts consistent from game to game, you’ll avoid falling into the trap of chasing “easy” profit with a large wager, losing that bet, and subsequently chasing your losses from there. Stick with the same or similar amounts on every college football bet you make. You’ll avoid significant losses as you fine-tune your approach.
Pay attention to the weather
It’s a common understanding in NFL betting that weather can have a significant impact, primarily on totals betting. This is even more critical in the college game, since players at this level are more likely to see their play affected by rain, wind or high temperatures.
Look for games where extreme weather is in the forecast. Consider how it will impact both teams’ offensive and defensive gameplans – then bet accordingly. There’s profit to be made in factoring the weather.
Go line shopping
Not all oddsmakers agree on moneylines and spreads. Once you’ve done your research and know which teams and totals you favor, poke around various books until you find the number you like the most. A 1-point difference in the line or a 1-2 point swing on an O/U might not seem like much, but bettors need to be on the lookout for the biggest edges they can get. The more diligent you are in searching, the better the odds of you finding the best possible number out there.
Look for under-the-radar games
We saved this point for last because it is the one that should resonate the most. Bookmakers target the marquee matchups every single week, as those games tend to generate the most action. But that can work to your advantage if you key in on games involving teams outside the Power 5 conferences.
If you do your homework when you bet on college football, you can find the kinds of edges that bookmakers might not have. Then, use those to make bets that will yield consistent profit.
NCAAF odds
Looking to bet on tonights NCAAF games? Check the latest “NCAAF Odds” here and start winning.