NFL gambling is the most popular option out there for sports fans in the United States. However, while football pans love their opportunity to bet on the pros, there’s also betting on amateur games at the college football level.
How do you bet on college football spreads? A better understanding of how it all works and basic strategy tips go a long way. This is a closer look at the most popular options out there for those who can’t get enough on Saturdays.
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College Football Point Spread Betting
College football point spread betting is commonly brought up even in casual settings. Early in the season, when teams are usually playing others out-of-conference, pointspread can get pretty high. There have been cases where powerhouse teams are listed as 50-point favorites or even more. As crazy as it sounds to predict a team to win by 50 or more points, it is pulled off more often than most realize.
Point spreads come together in a lot of the same ways as the NFL. Generally speaking, the home team gets 2-3 points extra for playing in front of their fans. For example, if a team is a 5-point favorite at home, they would probably be either a 2- or 3-point favorite if the game was on a neutral site.
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The goal with a standard point spread is to make the two sides even with gambling odds. Instead of shifting the payout, the line will shift depending on what the public is betting.
College Football Moneyline Betting
Money line betting is a great opportunity for people who don’t want to worry too much about the margin of victory. Instead, it’s simply betting on who wins and who loses. A favorite might be -1000 or more, meaning that a gambler would have to put $1000 down to win $100.
In complete mismatches, sportsbooks will make moneyline odds astronomical. They might even pull them off the board if it seems like a sure thing. This just goes to show how many mismatches there are in college football. It also takes just one monumental upset to sink a person’s bankroll if they only pound the moneyline on heavy favorites.
College Football Over/Under
Predicting the other over/under in college football is much like any other sport. This bet is perfect for those who don’t want to necessarily make a pick, but still want to get in on the action. Scouting done by experts in sports betting gets the over/under very accurate.
Keep in mind that play in the first half can differ a lot compared to the second. If it’s a mismatch, a great team will play their backups for most of the second half. A team could score 50 points in the first half, while only scoring a touchdown or two in the entire second.
College Football Futures
The college football season is all about getting to bowl season. Teams are vying to make the playoffs at the top, but getting a quality bowl game can change the value of a team. Betting on college football futures can be very lucrative when done at the right time.
Preseason picks often yield the best opportunities to win a good amount of money on futures. Whether it’s picking the national champion, picking a team to make the playoffs, or properly selecting the Heisman Trophy winner, enticing odds bring people in.
Sportsbooks always shift the odds as the season goes along. This can work against people if the person or team they are betting on starts to win consistently. However, an early-season loss can make a team that much bigger of an underdog. Teams can bounce back from early-season struggles, making this a smart bet.
Gone are the days when teams had to go undefeated to win a national championship in college football. It helps out, but losing early and still winning a conference title tends to get a playoff berth, especially in the SEC.
Is College Football Betting Worth It?
Go in with the right mindset, and college football betting is as lucrative as any other sport. There might not be as many outright upsets (underdogs only win about 20%-25% of the time), but people make money on the sport.
The game’s shifting currently, so no one knows exactly how it will look even five years from now. Talks of super conferences could make an even wider gap between the haves and the have-nots.