Bet On It College Football

Buckle up, because for the last time this season, we have five Big 12 football games coming up on Saturday. Also, you might want to grab some coffee, because three of the five are 11 a.m. Yes, it is not illegal to bet on college football games in the US. Even before the Supreme Court decision that legalized sports betting nationwide – there was no federal law against placing bets online. Some states have laws against placing bets with local bookies, but those are rarely enforced.

How to Bet On Sports > How to Bet on College Football

“Show me a good and gracious loser, and I’ll show you a failure.” – Knute Rockne, Notre Dame

Introduction

Welcome to SportsInsights.com’s Sports Betting Academy, designed to provide even the most novice sports bettor a look into the different aspects of sports betting. The focus of this article is how to bet on College Football. The college game is a completely different animal from its NFL counterpart, providing bettors with a greater slate of games throughout the week, including 30+ matchups on Saturday alone. We will prepare by starting with the basic college football betting types, including: spread bets, moneyline, totals, parlays/teasers and halftimes.

Spread Bets

Just like the NFL, college football’s most popular wager is the spread bet. The spread is a type of bet that equalizes the chance of winning a wager (see example below). The spread, or line, for college football is generally released days in advance of the game (these release dates will vary due to college football’s games taking place Tuesday-Saturday). An underdog team’s spread will be accompanied with a “+”, while a “-” indicates a team that is favored. The example below demonstrates an example of a spread bet:

TeamSpreadFinal Score
Michigan+3 -11530
Ohio State-3 -10531
Bet

The juice for this game is -115 for the underdog. The juice can be thought of as a fee the bookmaker charges for you to place the bet. Typically, the juice for any side wager is -110, but several sportsbooks offer reduced juice. In this example, a winning bet of $115 would yield $100 profit, for a total of $215 ($115 bet + $100 profit = $215 total). Despite losing the game, Michigan covered the spread by losing by less than 3 points.

Moneyline

A Moneyline (ML) takes the spread out of the equation as bettors simply pick who they think will win the game. Different odds placed next to each team will quantify the payout of betting on either team. The example below from the SI Archive should clarify things:

TeamMoneylineFinal Score
Michigan State+2607
Alabama-37549

As you can see, a bet of $375 on Alabama would yield a profit of $100. Generally, the Moneyline is a direct reflection of the spread. For example, the spread for this game closed at 7.5, which helps to explain the drastic ML odds. With the amount of games available on any given Saturday, a bettor may choose to parlay (see below) several big favorites, which will increase the risk AND the payout of the wager.

The Spread and Moneyline are contributing factors for SportsInsights’ Steam Moves and Smart Money plays.

1st Quarter/Half Lines

Every major U.S. sport is broken down into division, whether it is quarters, halftimes, periods, or innings. Naturally, the bookmakers have made available wagers for these partitions, and for NCAA football, they are known as the 1st quarter and Halftime lines. As one might expect, the 1st quarter line is generally a quarter of the entire game’s line, while the first half line is usually about half of the entire spread. These lines are available at all reputable sportsbooks.

Halftime Lines

Halftime wagers are only available during halftime of the contest. Our Sportsbook Insider software helps bettors track how the halftime lines and halftime betting percentages fluctuate during the small window that is halftime.

TeamHalftime ScoreHalftime SpreadFinal Score
Duke10+1028
North Carolina21-1035

Halftime lines use the events of the 1st half to help determine how the rest of the game will play out. In this example, the bookmakers expect the Tar Heels to continue to dominate their rivals, however, the Blue Devils endure the 1st half deficit to help cover the halftime spread, despite losing the overall game. Halftime action can be a good way to capitalize on middle plays.

Totals

Another popular side bet for NCAA Football is the Total or Over/Under (O/U). The sportsbooks determine what they believe will be the total points scored by EACH TEAM and the bettor places a wager on the over or under of that total. The example below shows the final total for the 2011 Texas Bowl:

TeamOpening O/UClosing O/UFinal Score
Illinois61.5o -10564.5o -11038
Baylor61.5u -11564.5u -11014

Like many bowl games, the majority of bets in this contest were placed on the over, to the tune of 77%. In this instance, public money pushed the total line up three full points, while the final total landed under at 52. A wager of $115 on the opening under would earn a profit of $100 due to the increased juice originally placed on the under.

Parlay/Teasers

A parlay is spread, moneyline, or total bet in combination to increase the payout. In order for a parlay to payout, or hit, EACH one of the wagers must win. A teaser involves the same stipulations as a parlay, only you select a number of points to put down to decrease the risk (and reward) of a parlay. For example, if a proposed line is -7 (a popular number for football lines) and you have a 3-point teaser bet, your new line is -4. This 3-point advantage applies to each part of the teaser play. Below is a chart of the typical parlay payout structure:

# of TeamsPayoff
22.64/1
36/1
412.28/1
524.35/1
647.41/1
791.42/1
8175.44/1
9335.85/1
10642.08/1
111226.70/1
122342.79/1
134473.51/1
148541.25/1
1516306.94/1

The fall is coming up, and that can only mean one thing: College football is back, baby! The regular season is about to get underway, and there are lots of college football games to look forward to.

For many of us, the return of this popular sport means we get to place some sweet bets. The thing is, college football betting is always so much better when you know how to bet on college football, right?

It’s my aim with this guide to introduce you to some mega NCAA strategies that will help you level up your betting game and make some killer profits. I’ll also be sharing some extra tips and tricks, as well as some online betting tools that I personally use to help me win more bets.

Why am I helping you out? Because I hate the bookies, and I want us all to win!

Let’s make a start.

Best College Football Betting Sites

Bovada is the OG betting site when it comes to college football lines and competitive odds. It also offers a betting analysis that helps you place better, more informed wagers.

Bovada is indeed one of the most secure, most reputable sportsbooks in the U.S., and there’s currently a $250 welcome bonus on the table for new players. Bitcoin is accepted here.

MyBookie is another top-rated sportsbook for U.S. bettors. In-play action is one of its strongest features, and their college football odds are updated by the minute. There are also lots of stats to keep you informed as the play goes along. Payouts are reliable, and the site is safe and trustworthy.

New players who sign up today can grab a 50% welcome bonus worth up to $1,000.

BetOnline is a legit U.S. sportsbook that offers plenty of college football lines. Their payouts are reliable, the site is legal in all 50 states, and they’re known for offering a greater variety of banking options than most other sites.

When you sign up today, you’ll be eligible for a 100% welcome bonus.

Betting On NCAAF: Full Guide

Helpful Stats & Facts For Betting On College Football

Whenever I place a bet on sports, I always find it helpful to review some stats and facts. It helps you to place a more informed wager. Here are some helpful stats and facts I reference often, although I also suggest you research some stats of your own and add them to a spreadsheet for future reference.

  • Alabama has been the favorite in all but one games that it’s played since 2010
  • Since 2005, home teams have won 58.9% of games
  • Since 2005, home teams have covered just 48.8% of games
  • Bettors back the home team 55% of the time
  • Bill Clark is the best first-half coach, with a 15-8-1 record
  • Dana Holgerson is the worst first-half coach, with a 36-47-1 record
  • The heaviest bet win total overs in 2018 was Michigan State over 9

The Most Popular Types of NCAAF Bets

Knowing what bet types there are will help you place bets with more confidence. Here are the most popular types of NCAAF bets explained:

Number of Points

Before a game starts, the sportsbook sets a combined total number of points between the two teams. For example, this could be 42. It’s then up to you as the bettor to bet on whether the real total combined score will be higher or lower.

In theory, it’s a simple bet. However, it requires a sound knowledge of the two teams if you’re to be successful at this type of bet in the long run. You can also do it in-play. As the game goes on, the sportsbook will adjust the combined total score.

Moneyline

The moneyline is easily the most popular NCAAF bet (and sports betting in general). All you have to do is back the favorites of the underdogs. And unlike spread betting, points don’t count. All your team needs to do is win the game, and the profit is yours.

Parlay

A parlay is a bet that consists of three or more picks. For example, you might back three favorites to win over one weekend. If just one pick loses, the whole bet loses.

A parlay is harder to get right than a moneyline bet, but the payout is obviously much bigger. It’s also another popular sport betting wager that you can use in numerous different sports.

College Football Betting Strategy

In this section, I’m going to share with you an NCAA football betting strategy that I personally use. Please note that past results do not guarantee future wins. It’s also important that you shape the strategy as you see fit and develop some of your own that works for you.

Find Value In Lower-Tier Games (Watch The Lines Shift)

Lower-tier games are rich with value. Why? Because the sportsbooks aren’t able to set informed lines due to simply not having enough access/resources to lower-tier NCAA football games.

FootballBet on it college football podcast 2019 youtube week 6 2017

In other words, lower-tier games get largely ignored by the bookies – which means YOU can clean up.

In bigger games, lines will shift less often. That’s a given. In smaller, lower-tier games, the lines will shift more often, which means you’ll be able to find bags of value if you get your timing just right. The more you check the lines, the easier it will be to spot when a big shift is coming. Then, you can get right in there.

The snag is that, just like the sportsbook has a lack of information, so will you. The best way around this is to pick a conference to focus on and choose a cable package that allows you to watch all the games. Then, you can stay one step ahead of the bookie by getting to know the league and its players intimately.

Bet On It College Football Week 13

When you spot line changes and inaccurate odds, you can go ahead and place your bet.

Top Tips For Betting On College Football

Having a betting strategy isn’t enough. It needs to be backed up by a willingness to do the right things.

In this section, I’m going to reveal a few of my favorite top tips for betting on the NCAA.

All Conferences Are Different

What happens outside a conference doesn’t indicate what will happen inside a conference. Moreover, the inside of every conference is different – teams have different production levels, different talent levels. It’s really important that you bear this in mind.

Track Recruiting Rankings

Bet

Why should you do this? Because it’s otherwise VERY hard to measure up teams that haven’t got the same level of talent. In the NCAA, it’s rare that teams with the same talent levels play against each other. The best way to gauge talent levels is to track recruiting rankings.

College

Coaching Matters a Lot

Coaches matter in the NFL – but they don’t matter that much. In the NCAA, they matter a LOT.

Why is this?

One of the reasons is that coaches do the recruiting. NCAA coaches know their players better, they get more out of them, and they’re really good at pre-game work. So when preparing your bet, it’s always wise to consider the coaches.

Track The Quarterbacks

Quarterbacks are, of course, really important. As a college football bettor, you need to look at how much they run, which receivers they turn to if they’re in trouble, and how frequently they run on pass plays.

How do you track quarterbacks? Watch as many games as possible.

Track The Stars, Too

All team sports have stars, and college footy is no different. These guys might not be Tom Brady’s – yet – but it’s still important that you take a look at each teams’ star. Take a look at how they affect their team in terms of performance and morale. Are they able to get the best out of them, are they able to rally them when they’re trailing?

Common Online College NCAAF Betting Tools

To aid and assist your NCAAF betting strategies, I recommend using tools. Here are the most popular ones used by other bettors:

  • OddsPortal – OddsPortal lets you shop around for prices so that you’re maximizing your profits. All bookies offer different odds, so you don’t want to make the mistake of picking low odds when higher ones are available for the same bet
  • BetCalculator– Figuring out the value of a bet can be tricky. Use BetCalculator to crunch the numbers
  • Landry Football– A lot of NCAA podcasts are fun and quirky, which isn’t good when you want to pick things up for betting reasons. Landry Football is the opposite. It’s an informative podcast that will build up your NCAA knowledge from the ground up
  • Spread/ML ConverterThis is exactly what its name suggests. It’s a spread and money line converter that helps you find an edge with your bets

Bet On It College Football Week 13

Final Word On Betting On College Football

Thank you for reading my guide on how to bet on college football.

Bet On It College Football Picks

The NCAA is the second most popular sport to bet on in America. Use the strategies and tips in this article to help you place better bets so that it’s enjoyable to watch and bet on. Don’t forget to use tools to help you along the way, too.

Bet On It College Football December 4 2019

Enjoyed the article? Let me know in the comments below how you get on with your bets!