College Football Betting Odds Explained

Learning how to read college football betting odds should be much easier for everyone with the help of our team here at ExplainBettingOdds.com College Football is one of the most popular sports in the United States, and offers one of the most exciting regular seasons and postseasons around. In fact, there might not be a more hotly debated sport, and discussions surrounding the rankings, and who is #1 has only sparked college football betting odds over the last several years, with oddsmakers forming a ton of betting lines for the sport. And there are many ways and different lines in which you can wager on college football. The goal of this page is to layout the different college football betting odds that you can expect to see for the weekly matchups, as well as some of the year-long odds that are typically available at online sportsbooks. No longer do you have to be in Las Vegas to place a legal wager. There are a number of online sportsbooks that feature college football betting odds, right at your fingertips through your computer.

What Is The Point Of College Football Betting Odds?

Oddsmakers make college football betting odds for a number of different reasons. First and foremost, college football is especially popular in the US and Americans have shown in the past that football is the country’s favorite sports to bet on so there is a huge market there. College football betting odds also make it so that each game is competitive from a bettor’s standpoint. These odds are heavily researched before the start of a game which is why it is often difficult to choose which side of the line to put your money on. Betting odds for college football also make it easier to see which team is favored to win a certain matchup and which team is the underdog. With all these factors in play it’s no wonder online sportsbooks cater to college football fans each year.

College Football Point Spreads Explained

Betting on the point spread in college football is likely one of the most common wagers made by a bettor. Oddsmakers will look at a game, research the two teams involved, and then come up with a number to install the spread at. A favorite and underdog are established. The favorite, the team predicted to win the game, is set with the points in which they will have hypothetically give points to the underdog. On the opposite side, the team predicted to lose the game, the underdog, receives the points. This point spread is established to even the playing field. It is essentially saying that oddsmakers believe that the favorites are X number of points better than the underdog, and to make things even, this is the number of points the spread will be. This number is researched thoroughly by oddsmakers before officially coming out. It is by no means a random shot in the dark. You would be surprised to find how close the oddsmakers are on the whole.

But, point spreads are not made for the entire game only. In fact, oddsmakers install a number of spreads for college football games, breaking the matchups down even further. A bet made on these lines work just as they would when betting on the spread for the whole game.

College Football Quarter Lines Explained

Oddsmakers can set down what are known as quarter lines, or quarter spreads. These are pretty much how they sound. Teams are set in the role of the favorite of the underdog for a single quarter in the game, with a spread installed. There is a favorite and an underdog, for which the bet will be won by placing a wager on the correct team to cover the line. These quarter lines will obviously be much closer than the overall game line, but just as much research goes into a game. Do teams have fast starts? Slow starts? All of these factors play into a quarter betting line.

NCAA Football 1st Half Betting Odds

Oddsmakers will also set down a point spread for halftime, meaning the opening half of play going into the break. Typically, we will see this line cut in half from the overall game line established. The bet is placed on the favorite or the underdog covering the installed line for the first half. Once the first half is done, the bet is complete. The second half of play has no bearing on this wager.

College Football Halftime Betting Odds

Betting on the two halves are pretty much the same thing as the halftime line, but the second half is available. Bets can be placed on the first half, second half, or both. A point spread will be set typically during halftime for the second half, as a variety of factors can have an effect on the second half, including injuries, and the flow of the game.

College Football Moneline Bets Explained

Other types of wager formed for college football games are moneyline bets. These are straight wagers just like the point spread, though with a big difference. Whereas on the point spread you wager with points, the moneyline is simply betting on the winner of the game straight up. There is no point spread involved with the moneyline. If you think Florida State will be Florida, you bet on Florida State without any point. Sounds easier right? It certainly is. But oddsmakers are not just going to hand you over money. The payouts on a moneyline can be quite a bit different than on the point spread. Since there is nothing evening the playing field, a wager on the favorite pays out quite a bit less. On the flip side though, you have the potential to make a lot more money betting on the underdog getting no points on the moneyline, because there is nothing to even things out.

College Football Over / Unders Explained

The game total is the third main betting line formed for each game. This is the combined point total for both teams in the matchup. Oddsmakers will look at the two teams involved in the game, research recent trends, maybe a history of the games between these two teams, and then come up with a point total for the game. That number is installed, and the bets are made on the actual total of the game going above or below that installed game total. Since there are just two options, payouts on this wager are generally right around Even Money.

College Football Team Props Explained

College football team prop betting lines are other types of wagers that can be set for a game, season, or other facets of the sport. As for the majority of team proposition lines, they are created for each game. These prop betting odds can cover a wide range of topics. Typically, college football team props are wagers made on outcomes that do not directly relate to the outcome of the game. They are bets made within a game. For example, the team to score the first touchdown in a game could be a bet. Once the team scores the first touchdown, the bet is done; the rest of the game doesn't matter. This is just one example, but college football games could have many prop betting lines.

How To Bet College Football Player Props

Just like with team props, college football player props are also wagers made for games or the season. When made for a game, these player props are almost always performance-based for specific players in the game. For example, the total number of passing touchdowns for a quarterback in a game might be a wager that can be made. The actual result of the game in terms of the score doesn't really matter; it's how the quarterback performed and whether or not he went above or below his installed total on the betting line.

Explanation Of Live College Football Betting Odds

In-game wagering for all sports is becoming extremely popular, and live college football betting odds are reflective of that. Live college football betting odds are similar to ones that are presented before the game starts. But, rather than closing off any bets at kickoff, these betting lines update and change as the game goes on. There can also be odds that show up just for a specific drive or for a specific play. They are quick to appear and quick to shift, meaning you have to be a decisive bettor in order to take advantage of these wager types. Many of them come in the form of prop bets, but you may see others as well throughout the course of a game. Just make sure that you’re paying attention to the given matchup and that you have access to your sportsbook close at hand.

College Football Playoff / Championship Betting Odds

Throughout the course of the year, online sportsbooks will have CFP Championship betting odds for the national championship in college football. This is a wager placed on a team to win the national title. These odds are up almost year-round, from the completion of the College Football Championship Game the year before, to the final week in the regular season the following year. These odds can change quite a bit obviously during the season, as teams rise and fall.

College Football Wager Types

We've discussed the different betting lines that you will see for college football, but there are also several different wager types that can be made. These can be straight bets like we talked about or can be linked like with a parlay. But that is not all; there are also things that you can do to adjust a betting line, such as a teaser and a pleaser. But we will get into that on other pages you see here below.

Where To Find College Football Betting Odds

You may have watched ESPN one day and thought to yourself, “Where are they getting these college football betting odds that they keep talking about?” While they often use odds given inside of the famous Las Vegas Caesars Sportsbook, you can find the same if not better odds at a sportsbook inside your state or online. Several states have legal ways to bet on college football inside their casino sportsbooks or mobile betting apps. However, all the websites you see posted below also offer college football betting odds for just about every matchup on Saturdays during the Fall.