December 08, 2021

Everything You Need to Know About Betting on College Football

The US has a fondness for college football that non-US nations might not understand.

In a survey of 2,200 people between September 13 and 16th, 2020, the results of which were reported on the consumer and market data company Statista, 22% declared they were avid college football fans.

Why might college football attract such a fanbase?

Everything You Need to Know About Betting on College Football: eAskme
Everything You Need to Know About Betting on College Football: eAskme

One reason is that games are fresh, enjoyable and all about the sporting spirit.

College football teams develop a closer relationship with the fans as the region gets behind their local college team(s). There's also the relationship with the teams.

Now that the US Supreme Court has made it possible for states to decide whether they wish to legalize sports betting, you may wish to participate in those states that permit wagers on college games.

Below is a look at everything you need to know to bet on a college game.

Understanding college football:

College football sure gives you plenty of choice of where you wish to lay your wager.

College teams play in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, which is divided into four levels:

  • Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS)
  • Football Championship Subdivision (FCS)
  • Division III
  • Division II

The top-level is the FBS and comprises 130 teams and 10 conferences.

College football teams compete throughout fall and winter for the chance to win the Bowl Championship Series (BCS). Conference winners battle in Bowl games at the end of the season to win the Bowl Championship.  

Understanding the betting markets:

As you'll see when betting on college basketball at DraftKings, there are many markets; the same is true of college football.

Online sportsbooks offer all types of bets, giving you the chance to bet on different aspects of the game.

Below are some common markets you can enter to bet:

Moneylines:

This is the traditional market, in which you bet on the outright winner of the game.

Each team will have a plus or a minus and a number next to them on the betting lines, indicating whether they're a favorite and how much you'll win if you place $100 on the team.

For instance, +295 on a team would return that amount, including your original stake, because they're less of a favorite to win, whereas -$390 tells you the team is heavy favorites, and you'd have to bet that amount to win $100.

Spread betting:

In this type of betting, the sportsbooks will set a spread, and a team must win or lose, depending on how you bet, by more than a certain number of points for you to win.

If a team has +9.5, for instance, by their name, they must avoid losing by 10 points or chalk up a straight win in the game, whereas a team that has -10 by their name must win by more than that for you to win.

Totals betting:

This is plain sailing. The sportsbooks set several total points they expect to be scored during the game. You take the "over" if you think it will be more, you take the "over."

If you think it will be less, you take the "under."

Parlay betting:

Parlay betting increases the excitement by allowing you to bet on more than one outcome as part of the same bet.

If all the outcomes result in your favor, you win more money, whereas the bet is over if just one outcome goes against you. The odds can multiply quickly so using a parlay calculator can help you evaluate your bet by calculating your return.

Teaser betting:

You can adjust the spreads to suit you in this form of betting.

Just like parlay betting, you can bet on multiple outcomes all at once as part of the same bet.

Props betting:

Props betting is a fun form of betting in which rather than bet on outcomes, you can better on other aspects of the game.

Examples could be whether a player misses a field goal or throws an interception.

Live betting:

Not had the chance to place a wager before the game?

That's when live betting comes in.

The sportsbook will set live odds and let you bet during the game.

Futures betting:

In this type of betting, it's possible to bet on events that haven't happened yet, such as who will win the following season.

Betting strategy:

When betting on college games, there are lots of aspects to consider.

These include:

The weather and location:

The climate where the game takes place could make it harder to run and pass and catch the ball.

Pace:

Has the team been running many plays this season? It could affect the scoring.

Rivalries:

How fierce is the rivalry between the two teams? Major rivalries can mean close games.

Injuries and player issues:

Have any key players been injured?

Have there been any stories of rifts between players and the coaches?

If players feel the coach has slighted them or not treated them well, they may not perform as well as normal.

Home advantage:

Does a team have a strong record at their home field?

Do the fans come out in force to cheer on their team, or is the home support a little light?

Conclusion:

Betting on college football is highly enjoyable, and it can help to study a team's form and some of the issues above to gain an idea of how the team may perform during their clashes on the field.

Regardless of how you wager, the one result you can be sure of is a good sporting contest with plenty of excitement.

If you still have any question, do share via comments.

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