With gambling on sports becoming legal in more and more states, college football isn’t far behind its popular professional counterpart. Review the latest college football odds below before you bet.
College football affords bettors more games than the NFL. On any given Saturday in the fall, there could be more than 60 college football games. That’s not including prime-time matchups on Tuesdays through Fridays.
There are parts of the U.S. – predominantly in the Southeast and also in the central states – where college football is the most popular sport. That increased attention drives NCAAFB betting action as well.
The most popular form of betting on college football is the point spread. But there are other bets that can be placed as well. We’ll go over all of those in this guide along with some helpful winning strategies.
College Football
League Markets|
Game |
 BetRiversBet |
 BetMGMBet |
|---|---|---|
Nebraska
Rutgers
10/07/22 7:00pm EDT | ||
Houston
Memphis
10/07/22 7:30pm EDT | ||
Colorado State
Nevada
10/07/22 10:30pm EDT | ||
UNLV
San Jose State
10/07/22 10:30pm EDT | ||
| BetRivers | BetMGM | |
TCU
Kansas
10/08/22 12:00pm EDT | ||
Eastern Michigan
Western Michigan
10/08/22 12:00pm EDT | ||
Louisville
Virginia
10/08/22 12:00pm EDT | ||
Arkansas
Mississippi State
10/08/22 12:00pm EDT | ||
| BetRivers | BetMGM | |
Purdue
Maryland
10/08/22 12:00pm EDT | ||
Tennessee
LSU
10/08/22 12:00pm EDT | ||
Texas
Oklahoma
10/08/22 12:00pm EDT | ||
Michigan
Indiana
10/08/22 12:00pm EDT | ||
| BetRivers | BetMGM | |
Missouri
Florida
10/08/22 12:00pm EDT | ||
Buffalo
Bowling Green
10/08/22 12:00pm EDT | ||
Oklahoma
Texas
10/08/22 12:00pm EDT | ||
Akron
Ohio
10/08/22 2:00pm EDT | ||
| BetRivers | BetMGM | |
Georgia Southern
Georgia State
10/08/22 2:00pm EDT | ||
South Florida
Cincinnati
10/08/22 2:30pm EDT | ||
Ball State
Central Michigan
10/08/22 3:30pm EDT | ||
Tulsa
Navy
10/08/22 3:30pm EDT | ||
| BetRivers | BetMGM | |
Toledo
Northern Illinois
10/08/22 3:30pm EDT | ||
Middle Tennessee
UAB
10/08/22 3:30pm EDT | ||
Liberty
UMass
10/08/22 3:30pm EDT | ||
East Carolina
Tulane
10/08/22 3:30pm EDT | ||
| BetRivers | BetMGM | |
Virginia Tech
Pittsburgh
10/08/22 3:30pm EDT | ||
Auburn
Georgia
10/08/22 3:30pm EDT | ||
Utah
UCLA
10/08/22 3:30pm EDT | ||
Texas Tech
Oklahoma State
10/08/22 3:30pm EDT | ||
| BetRivers | BetMGM | |
Wisconsin
Northwestern
10/08/22 3:30pm EDT | ||
Kent State
Miami (OH)
10/08/22 3:30pm EDT | ||
Ole Miss
Vanderbilt
10/08/22 4:00pm EDT | ||
Ohio State
Michigan State
10/08/22 4:00pm EDT | ||
| BetRivers | BetMGM | |
North Carolina
Miami (FL)
10/08/22 4:00pm EDT | ||
Duke
Georgia Tech
10/08/22 4:00pm EDT | ||
Washington
Arizona State
10/08/22 4:00pm EDT | ||
Western Kentucky
UTSA
10/08/22 6:00pm EDT | ||
| BetRivers | BetMGM | |
Air Force
Utah State
10/08/22 7:00pm EDT | ||
Southern Miss
Troy
10/08/22 7:00pm EDT | ||
Appalachian State
Texas State
10/08/22 7:00pm EDT | ||
Wyoming
New Mexico
10/08/22 7:00pm EDT | ||
| BetRivers | BetMGM | |
UTEP
Louisiana Tech
10/08/22 7:00pm EDT | ||
UConn
FIU
10/08/22 7:00pm EDT | ||
James Madison
Arkansas State
10/08/22 7:00pm EDT | ||
Clemson
Boston College
10/08/22 7:30pm EDT | ||
| BetRivers | BetMGM | |
Iowa
Illinois
10/08/22 7:30pm EDT | ||
Army
Wake Forest
10/08/22 7:30pm EDT | ||
Washington State
USC
10/08/22 7:30pm EDT | ||
BYU
Notre Dame
10/08/22 7:30pm EDT | ||
| BetRivers | BetMGM | |
South Carolina
Kentucky
10/08/22 7:30pm EDT | ||
Kansas State
Iowa State
10/08/22 7:30pm EDT | ||
Florida State
NC State
10/08/22 8:00pm EDT | ||
Texas A&M
Alabama
10/08/22 8:00pm EDT | ||
| BetRivers | BetMGM | |
Coastal Carolina
Louisiana-Monroe
10/08/22 8:00pm EDT | ||
Oregon
Arizona
10/08/22 9:00pm EDT | ||
Fresno State
Boise State
10/08/22 9:45pm EDT | ||
Hawaii
San Diego State
10/08/22 10:30pm EDT | ||
| BetRivers | BetMGM | |
Oregon State
Stanford
10/08/22 11:00pm EDT | ||
Western Kentucky
UTSA
10/09/22 6:00am EDT | ||
Baylor
West Virginia
10/13/22 12:00pm EDT | ||
LSU
Florida
10/15/22 12:00pm EDT | ||
| BetRivers | BetMGM | |
Clemson
Florida State
10/15/22 12:00pm EDT | ||
Penn State
Michigan
10/15/22 12:00pm EDT | ||
Stanford
Notre Dame
10/15/22 12:00pm EDT | ||
Alabama
Tennessee
10/15/22 12:00pm EDT | ||
| BetRivers | BetMGM | |
USC
Utah
10/15/22 12:00pm EDT |
College Football Futures Odds
|
Team | BetRivers |
|---|---|
| Georgia | |
| Ohio State | |
| Alabama | |
| Clemson | |
| Michigan | |
| USC | |
| Oklahoma State | |
| Kansas State | |
| Penn State | |
| Ole Miss | |
| Tennessee | |
| Utah | |
| Oregon | |
| TCU | |
| Baylor | |
| Washington | |
| Kentucky | |
| Cincinnati | |
| Florida | |
| North Carolina | |
| Syracuse | |
| NC State | |
| Florida State | |
| Texas A&M | |
| Washington State | |
| Iowa | |
| Miami (FL) | |
| BYU | |
| Wisconsin | |
| Memphis |
How to Read Sports Betting Odds Video
Chapters
- College Football Bets
- College Football Betting Events
- How to Bet College Football Events
- Popular Teams
- College Football Betting Strategies
College Football Bets
Point Spread
The point spread is even more of a factor in college football betting than in the NFL. This is because there can be some extremely lopsided matchups. Oddsmakers have to come up with some big numbers to try and keep the betting even on each side.
Point Spread Example
Vanderbilt Commodores +30.5 -110
Alabama Crimson Tide -30.5 -110
If it wasn’t for the point spread, betting on this game would be anti-climatic. Alabama is a traditional college football powerhouse team. They’re hosting Vanderbilt, another SEC team, not typically noted for its strength.
Oddsmakers have set the spread at 30.5 points. They don’t believe Alabama will win by more than 30 points. Instead, they think that number is high enough to entice around half of the game’s bettors to take Vanderbilt. Remember, sportsbooks want to balance their action.
A bet for Alabama means that you think they will win by more than 30 points. If you bet on Vanderbilt, you not only win if the Commodores somehow win the game, but also if they lose by 30 or fewer points.
A spread with a half-point ensures that there will be no ties (pushes). Suppose the spread was a half-point less. You could bet on Alabama at -30 and would get your initial bet back if the final score was 44-14.
If both teams are listed at -110, that means you have to bet $110 to win $100 on each side. If the bets are split 50-50, the sportsbook uses the losing bets to pay the winners. You’ll notice that leaves $10 leftover from each bet. That’s called the vig or the juice. This is the cut that the sportsbooks take to A) make money and B) guarantee that your bet can be paid out. Think of it as a service fee.
SportsBetting3.com College Football Odds Example
|
Game |
BetRivers Bet |
|---|---|
Nebraska
Rutgers
10/07/22 7:00pm EDT |
Underdog Rutgers - Rutgers bettors risk $100 to win $91.74 at -109 odds.
A +3 Rutgers underdog bet wins if they lose by 2 or fewer, tie, or win outright. The bet pushes if they lose by 3. Your bet loses if they lose by 4 or more.
Favorite Nebraska - Nebraska bettors risk $100 to win $89.29 at -112 odds.
A -3 Nebraska favorite bet wins if they win by 4 or more. The bet pushes if they win by 3. Your bet loses if they win by 2 or fewer, tie, or lose outright.
Totals (Over-Under)
Another popular college football bet is a totals bet, commonly called the over-under. First, oddsmakers analyze the matchup. Next, they come up with a combined total score they think will equally split the betting public on each side of the line. They want half the bettors on the over and the other half on the under.
In the NFL, the total normally ranges from 40 to 53. There’s more variance in college football totals. Different factors, including unequal offenses and defenses, can produce total lines under 40 or as high as 70 to 80.
College football typically has higher-scoring games. There are rule differences that also favor the offense. Don’t be fooled by the higher numbers in the collegiate game versus what you see in the NFL.
Totals Example
Clemson Tigers u54 -110
Texas Longhorns o54 -110
Here, the total is set at 54. Remember, it’s the combined score of both teams. If the final is 31-20 (31+20 = 51), a bet on the under wins. If it’s 28-27 (28+27 = 55), the over wins.
In this example, the total is a whole number, so a push is in play. But like the point spread, a total could be set with a half-point, which eliminates the potential of a push.
Moneyline
The moneyline is simply picking which team will win the game. Instead of using a point spread to balance bets on each side, sportsbooks assign odds to the favorite and underdog. You have to risk more to win less on a favorite. The opposite is true for the underdog: you will risk less to win more.
Moneyline Example
Michigan Wolverines +140
Ohio State Buckeyes -155
There is no exact formula, but Ohio State being at -155 on the moneyline equates to a point spread of 3 or 4. Since the Buckeyes are the favorite, you will have to take on the added risk yourself. The minus sign before the number indicates the favorite. It means you have to wager $155 in order to win $100.
If you’re backing the underdog, their chances of winning are less. However, you’re rewarded by making more money than your initial investment if they win. The plus sign indicates the underdog. The number is the amount of money you can win wagering $100. So if the Wolverines win, it’s a $140 profit for you.
Unlike the NFL, some college football games will not have a moneyline available. Consider our point spread example of Vanderbilt vs. Alabama. Since it’s an almost certainty that the Crimson Tide would win that game, the game wouldn’t have a moneyline bet available.
Futures
A futures bet is placed at any point during the season to predict the winner of a championship, conference, or individual achievement. The most popular college football future is picking the team to win the College Football Playoff National Championship. You can also bet on teams to make the playoff itself or win a conference title. Betting on the player to win the Heisman Trophy is another fun futures bet.
Odds can be set for futures bets as soon as the end of the previous season, giving bettors the opportunity to have some action during the offseason.
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Futures Example
There are several ways a team’s odds to win a national or conference title can be influenced. Players deciding to turn pro or transfer in and out of a certain school are the biggest factors during the offseason. Another is the team’s schedule. Player injuries can also affect a team’s futures odds.
Surprise national champions are rare in college football. If you’re betting on the champion of the upcoming season, there may not be much value at the top. The following were the odds to win the 2023 College Football championship as of the spring of 2022:
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Alabama | +200 |
| Georgia | +325 |
| Ohio State | +450 |
| Clemson | +1400 |
| Texas A&M | +2200 |
The top four teams have won seven out of the eight College Football Playoffs. Therefore, it’s no surprise to see them atop the futures odds heading into the 2022-23 season. We’ll go into more about college football futures betting below. This example should give you an idea of a real bet you could place.
College Football Betting Events
| STATE |
Bet |
|---|---|
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Conference Championships
There’s no shortage of major college football betting events. After a 12-game regular season, each of the 10 conferences hold a championship game in late November or early December. For the “Power 5” conferences (Big Ten, SEC, ACC, Pac-12, and Big 12), these games hold huge ramifications, as the winners could have a shot to reach the College Football Playoff.
College Football Playoffs
The playoff consists of four teams voted on by a panel. The top seed plays the fourth seed while seeds 2 and 3 meet in semifinal matchups on our around New Year’s Eve. The winners of those games meet in the College Football Playoff National Championship in early January to crown a winner.
Bowl Games
Nearly every other team in the Football Bowl Subdivision with at least six wins will play in bowl games. These games are held in venues across the country. They’re a great way to reward players for a good season and recognize outstanding seniors.
Bowl games take place throughout December. Larger bowls, like the Rose Bowl, are held on New Year’s Day. There’s no shortage of betting action in the college football postseason.
How to Bet on College Football Events
Futures Bets
We mentioned the futures bet earlier. Betting on a perennial powerhouse team may not offer much value. Heavy favorites do not pay well and upsets are rare in the CFP.
Where you can get some value, however, is betting on conference champions.
In 2021, Oklahoma State was behind Oklahoma, Iowa State, and Texas in the preseason futures odds for the Big 12 championship. The Cowboys, initially at +1100, ended up winning the conference championship.
In the Pac-12, USC is always going to be favored based on their popularity. But in 2021, Oregon, Washington, Arizona State, and UCLA were all ahead of eventual champion Utah, who went into the season at +1400.
When to Bet
Championship and conference title contenders tend to emerge rather quickly in college football. If you’re looking for value in conference futures – like with Oklahoma State and Utah in 2021 – place your bets prior to the start of the season.
In regard to betting on individual bowl games, it’s best to wait until a day or two before the game to place a bet. It’s common for key players to skip bowl games to avoid risking injury that could affect their NFL draft status. In other cases, players may decide to transfer out of a school before the bowl game is played. These decisions can be made up until a few days before the game. Don’t place a bowl game bet without knowing what’s happening with a team’s roster.
Single-Game Alternatives
Some prop bets – alternative bets that do not factor into the outcome of the game – are available in postseason college football games.
Prop bets can be anything from an over-under on the number of yards a quarterback throws to how many times a certain team turns the ball over.
In addition, many sportsbooks offer quarter and half lines. Instead of betting on the outcome of the entire game, you can make a total or point spread bet on each quarter or half.
Note about College Sports Betting
Many states, like New York, New Jersey, and Illinois, currently prohibit betting on games with in-state schools. For example, Illinois residents cannot bet on Illinois football games. Similarly, New York residents can’t bet on Syracuse or Fordham. Some states also expressly forbid college prop bets. See our sportsbook review and state betting pages for more information.
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Popular College Football Teams
Alabama Crimson Tide
The Crimson Tide is the most successful team of the 2000s and more specifically, over the last decade-plus. Alabama has won six national championships from 2009-20 and has a total of 18 titles in its history. Head coach Nick Saban is tied with Paul “Bear” Bryant with six titles each, but Saban is the all-time leader due to a title he won at LSU prior to coming to Alabama.
Alabama has also had four Heisman Trophy winners in this recent span of success, including running backs Mark Ingram and Derrick Henry, wide receiver DeVonta Smith, and quarterback Bryce Young. Quarterbacks A.J. McCarron and Tua Tagovailoa were both Heisman runner-ups.
Clemson Tigers
The Tigers, out of the ACC, are enjoying their most successful period in school history, making the College Football Playoff six times in a row from 2015-20 and winning it all twice. After winning a national championship in 1981, the team was largely quiet until Dabo Swinney took over as head coach.
The Tigers recorded seasons of at least 10 wins in 2012, ‘13, and ‘14 before breaking through in 2015 with quarterback Deshaun Watson. Clemson lost to Alabama 45-40 in the 2016 championship game but avenged the defeat the following season by beating the Tide 35-31 for the title.
Two years later, quarterback Trevor Lawrence led Clemson to its first undefeated season since 1981, going 15-0, beating both Notre Dame and Alabama easily in that year’s playoffs. Both Watson and Lawrence were Heisman Trophy runner-ups during their time at Clemson.
Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia has consistently been one of the best teams in both the SEC and in the nation this century. In 2021, the Bulldogs broke through to win their first national title since 1980. Since 2001, current head coach Kirby Smart and predecessor Mark Richt have led the Bulldogs to a combined 211-66 record. They have won the SEC East 10 times since 2002 and three overall SEC conference titles to show for it.
After winning the SEC over Auburn in 2017, Georgia blew an 18-point lead over Alabama and lost the national title game in overtime. The 2021 Bulldogs breezed through the regular season with a record-setting defense that allowed fewer than a touchdown per game. In the SEC title game, however, they were handed their only loss by rival Alabama. Finally, the Bulldogs beat the Tide when it counted, winning January 2022’s national title game 33-18.
While no players have won the Heisman during this 20-year run at Georgia, quarterback Matthew Stafford (2009) and linebacker Travon Walker (2022) were both top-overall NFL draft picks.
Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State won the first College Football Playoff national championship in 2014 under head coach Urban Meyer, quarterback J.T. Barrett, and running back Ezekiel Elliott. Since then, the Buckeyes haven’t won another title but have been mainstays in the playoffs, making it a total of four times and reaching the title game again in 2020.
The Buckeyes have won the Big Ten 39 times and did so four-straight times from 2017-20 – twice under Meyer and two times under current head coach Ryan Day. The team holds eight national championships, five of which were won under head coach Woody Hayes from 1954-70. Quarterback Troy Smith (2006) was the last Buckeye to win the Heisman Trophy. Prior to that, it was running back Eddie George in 1995. Running back Archie Griffin remains the only player to win the Heisman twice in 1974 and 1975.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
While Notre Dame hasn’t won a national championship since 1988, the Irish remain one of college football’s most popular teams and perhaps the most well-known worldwide. The Irish operate independently of any college football conference. They set their own schedule, playing major teams like Michigan and USC every year. They occasionally schedule games against other top-tier programs like Clemson, Texas, and Ohio State.
Lou Holtz was the coach for the team’s last of its 11 national titles in 1988. After he left in 1996, the team went through several coaches before succeeding with Brian Kelly, who was hired in 2010. Kelly led the Irish to a championship game appearance in 2012 and posted six-straight 10-win seasons from 2015-21 before leaving the program for LSU.
The list of famous players and coaches at Notre Dame is lengthy. It includes quarterbacks Paul Hornung, Joe Theismann, and Joe Montana. Also, wide receiver Tim Brown (1987 Heisman Trophy winner), and head coaches Knute Rockne and Ara Parseghian. The movie “Rudy,” one of the most popular sports films of all time, also put Notre Dame into pop culture’s spotlight.
College Football Betting Strategies
| STATE |
Bet |
|---|---|
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Become an Expert on the Smaller Conferences
Going into the 2022 season, there are 131 teams in college football’s top tier: Division 1 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). That’s more than four times the number of teams in the four major sports in North America. Due to the sheer number of teams, it’s more difficult for oddsmakers to stay on top of every team’s trends.
Popular teams and power conferences get a lot of public betting action. It’s only natural that oddsmakers focus on these games the most.
Going into a season, commit to watching games in smaller conferences like the MAC, Conference USA, and the SunBelt. Familiarize yourself with the teams and study the statistics. Soon, trends will emerge. You’ll have more institutional knowledge on these games than the oddsmakers. This will be a big advantage going in.
A good strategy here is to set your own line on each game. Then, see how it compares to the official line. Bet on the ones with the largest discrepancy in your favor.
Use Weather Patterns in Totals Bets
Because college athletes are not as skilled as their professional counterparts, certain weather conditions seem to affect them more. Take advantage of this when handicapping a college football matchup.
Take the Over in hot-weather Games
From 2005-18, the over has gone 304-251 for a 6.2% return on investment (ROI) on games with a kickoff temperature of 85. In 90-degree games, that jumps to 81-57 for a 13.8% ROI.
The thinking here is that the athletes on defense are tiring quicker in the warm weather, allowing the offenses to score easier.
Take the Under in Windy Games
In that same timespan of 2005-18, the under is 991-829 (6.1% ROI) in games where the wind is blowing at more than 10 mph. With a wind speed of at least 15 mph, that number is 270-197 (12.8% ROI).
Here, the quarterbacks’ arms and kickers’ legs are not as strong to compensate for the more difficult conditions, so scoring tends to decrease. More field goals are missed, and teams may run the ball more, which eats up more time off the clock.
Home-Field Advantage is Overvalued
At first glance, home-field advantage is a big deal in college football. The home team wins 59% of the time. When a top-ranked team gets upset, it’s typically on the road. That image of the fans rushing onto the field after a huge upset also weighs heavily on bettors’ minds.
If you bet on every home favorite from 2005-18, you would’ve gone 4630-4865 (49%) for a ROI of -5%. Being a home favorite isn’t enough. Know what else to look for.
Consider the point spread as a metric. The road underdog is worth betting on when they are getting four or fewer points. In that situation, the road dog has gone 600-508 against the spread (5.7% ROI) in the 14-season span listed above.
When should you bet a home favorite? After a bye week. Home teams coming off a bye from 2005-18 were 289-235 ATS (7.2 ROI). For ranked teams, it’s an even bigger no-brainer, as the sample size shows a record of 90-61 ATS (15.7% ROI).