College Football Betting Tips & Resources for NCAAF Betting
Get ready for the college football betting season with everything you need to know about NCAAF betting, so you can become a successful bettor. This guide will help you understand how to bet on college football, which online betting sites to go to, and the most popular betting types — and we even throw in some winning analysis and NCAAF picks to get you started.
We also review the legalities surrounding college football betting in the United States. From novice bettors to veterans, we stay ahead of the game so you can benefit from the most up-to-date NCAAF information.
Online College Football Betting Picks & Predictions
See All NCAAF PicksGet expert college football betting picks with The Sports Geek’s (TSG’s) AI-powered generated NCAAF picks. You can benefit from these free picks every week, from the first game of the season all the way to the national-championship. If you prefer a more traditional pick selection, you can get those picks and some helpful insights from our team of experienced sports writers as well.
Can I Bet On College Football In The U.S.?
Yes, you can bet on college football in the US at offshore betting sites. However, wagering through in-state sportsbooks is where you’ll discover restrictions. Each state has their own rules for wagering on the NCAAF. For example, if you live in Connecticut, betting is not permitted on the UConn Huskies outside of a tournament. Betting is also not permitted on in-state teams if you live in Maine, New Jersey, New York, or Rhode Island, among others. There is no betting on NCAAF props in Arizona, Colorado, and Pennsylvania, and, in Oregon, NCAAF football betting is only allowed at brick-and-mortar sportsbooks.
However, at our recommended offshore sportsbooks, you can bet on your favorite NCAA football teams with zero restrictions, no matter where you are in the United States.
How To Bet On The NCAAF
Here are the most popular bet types you can use to wager on NCAA football. Starting with these bets will give you a solid foundation to build your college football betting strategy:
Moneylines: Choosing The Winner
Moneyline betting is wagering on the outcome of a game, and is one of the simplest bets at online sportsbooks.
Moneyline Example:
For example, if Texas is favored at -185 in the Super Bowl over Washington, then the Huskies might be an underdog at +160.
TIP: The favorite will always have a negative sign and the underdog will have a positive sign. If you placed this bet, then you would win $100 on a $185 bet on Texas, and win $160 on a $100 bet on Washington.
Spread Betting: Covering The Points
Spread betting is betting on a certain point deferential between two teams.
Spread Bet Example:
For example, if you see Michigan favored by 1.5 points over Alabama in the Rose Bowl, Michigan will be shown as -1.5 and Alabama will be shown as +1.5. A bet on Michigan means they would have to win by more than 1.5 points for their bet to cash out. On the other hand, Alabama has to lose by less than 1.5 points or win outright to cash out their wager. To win your bet means your team has covered its spread.
Totals Betting: How Many Points Will Be Scored
Totals betting is also known as over/under betting. The sportsbook will set a number for a projected point total to be scored by both teams.
Over/Under Example:
For example, if Texas and Washington have a total set at 64.5 points, then you’d bet on whether the final point total of the game will be over or under 64.5 points.
Futures Betting: Long-Term Wagers
Betting on futures is wagering on a long-term outcome.
Futures Examples:
For example, betting who will win the national title, betting on conference winners, or betting on the Heisman Trophy (awarded to college football’s best player) are examples of NCAAF futures betting.
Parlay Betting: Combine Your Best Bets
Parlay betting allows you to combine two or more bets into one large wager. Your payout will increase with each bet, but the odds will decrease.
Parlay Example:
For example, you might bet Texas at -185 and bet on Michigan at -110, which makes your parlay odds +194. Then, if you add Oklahoma in a slight upset at +125 to beat Arizona in the Alamo Bowl, that parlay becomes +562. This means you win $562 on a $100 bet. However, ALL of your bets need to win or your parlay goes bust.
Props Betting: Non-Game Outcome Wagers
Props betting is wagering on events beyond the outcome of the game. You can bet on player props, or team props.
Prop Bet Examples:
An example of a player prop would be whether LSU’s Jayden Daniels throws over or under 299.5 yards when the Tigers play Wisconsin in the Reliaquest Bowl. A team prop example would be whether LSU will kick over or under 3.5 field goals during the same game.
Live Betting: Bet While The Game Is Happening
Live betting, or in-play betting, is to bet as lines change throughout a game.
Live Betting Example:
For example, in the Michigan-Alabama game, Alabama opened the game at +1.5, or a 1.5-point underdog. If Alabama jumped out to a 14-point lead after the first half, you could then bet them at -5.5, or as 5.5-point favorites. You would then have your initial +1.5 bet and this new bet. Most sites, like Bovada, will display flashing signals to draw your attention to the changing lines.
TIP: It’s usually best to wait until a break in the action to make your bets, as the lines change super-fast during a game in progress.
Best College Football Betting Site For Beginners
BetUS Best NCAAF Betting Site For Beginners
Beginning football bettors will find a ton of value in an online sportsbook like BetUS. You’ll get expert tips and analysis from The Locker Room, with detailed breakdowns of the biggest games of the week, and BetUS TV with its in-depth analysis of every NCAAF matchup on YouTube. You can find BetUS TV in the menu bar, and The Locker Room is under the ‘More’ tab.
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5 College Football Betting Tips You Need To Know
Whether you’ve been betting on college football for years, or you’re just getting started, these tips will help to build up your sports betting bankroll. Here are our top five college football betting tips:
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Watch a team’s ATS (Against The Spread) record. Check out how they play at home and on the road, their over/under record, and look at other data for patterns and trends. This will help you come up with a solid betting strategy heading into the weekend games.
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Some teams will appear to put up huge records but, ahead of conference play, many big teams will start off by playing much smaller schools. This might skew their statistics, so research the stats for better context of how well they’re playing. You can find a team’s stats on many sports sites, such as ESPN or Yahoo, or the NCAA’s official site.
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Injuries and absences can have the single-biggest impact on college football betting lines. For example, North Carolina opened at +3.5 against West Virginia in the Mayo Bowl, but NC’s QB Drake Maye is going to the NFL Draft and skipping the game. Now North Carolina is +6.5. If a team is missing a big player, that will affect the line and how you bet.
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Similar to when big schools playing small schools, you’re going to see more larger lines than you would in the NFL. For example, Florida State was -47.5 against North Alabama this season. They won 58-13, but as a 45-point difference, that still didn’t cover the spread.
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The most important key to sports betting is smart bankroll management. Set a budget and stick to it throughout the season. If you have to scale back the number of units you bet per game, we recommend that you do what is necessary to avoid overspending and problem gambling.
