2023 NCAAF Betting Odds

College Football is a world of its own.

Don’t think for a second that you can just take it for granted and take it as if it is the NFL because you will have another thing coming.

Yes, the NCAAF is different but just as exciting.

If you know how to bet on College Football, you can make boatloads of money added to your bankroll.

Not only that, but NCAAF can make your Saturdays a fun time to sit on your couch, crack a few beers, and get some money.

So, read below as we pick apart every single piece of information you need to know to bet on College Football betting lines.

Let’s roll -tide- into the info! See what we did there? Yeah…

College Football Betting Odds Explained

In this guide, we will cover every base of College Football betting odds.

From the unusually high handicapping spreads to the other College Football popular betting odds, we are going in-depth into all of them.

We also will give you strategies and betting systems.

We cover playoff and National Championship NCAAF betting tips as well.

College Football Handicapping

The NCAAF season can be tricky.

That’s why it’s important to be careful and not go blind-betting like crazy on College Football.

The more you study, the better chances there are for you to win money.

Thankfully for you, we get a lot of tips and info to handicap the NCAAF. Before getting into in-depth tips, we must make a disclaimer.

This is a volatile sport.

No one-single approach will get you to the promised land. There are too many programs, too many conferences, and too many games.

Let’s get to the tips:

Focus On The Lower-Level Conferences

In College Football, there are conferences that are way too powerful in comparison with the other ones. The oddsmakers focus on these.

The SEC, Big12, Big 10…where the big programs are, the more action, and the more attention from the oddsmakers.

This coincidentally means that the smaller conferences are somewhat overlooked.

These conferences are the fountain of wealth, as they give you an edge on good betting lines.

Check Your Motivations

Remember, these are not pros yet. Some of them will never be.

They are young men, and students, and they aren’t playing to win a Super Bowl or make millions in a contract extension.

Their motivation is very different from the players in the NFL. Consider who is eyeing an NFL future, which programs look to nurture them, or which ones are small, hobby-like football teams.

Also check on who is the coach, that makes a big difference at this level.

Schedule And Let-Down Spots

Kind of hand-in-hand with the motivation point.

Teams that have a strong opponent in two weeks’ time often overlook their current foes. This leads to upset wins.

Likewise, the teams that come off a massive, emotional win against a top team, might just be riding a higher wave than their reality marks.

They usually crash down the following week.

Checking the matchups not only on the corresponding week, but the next ones will help you out.

Stats Can Trick You!

In the NFL, where the level of competition is much higher, stats are a very useful tool. That’s not always the case with College Football.

The levels of competition are so different and volatile that stats are usually gloated and sugarcoat a team’s holes.

Schedules can put an average defense as the best-ranked D in the league. Be careful about trusting these numbers.

Focus On College Over/Under Bets

Point spreads are the bread and butter for most bettors. However, seeing the large spreads there are in College Football, you might want to look at the Totals instead.

For instance, they are easier to predict. It’s easier to figure out whether a game goes in combined points scored than who will win a game.

Sharp bettors attack the totals, so they have lower limits than spreads, but it’s a much better market to focus on.

Live Betting On NCAAF

Bettors will have lots of edges when live betting during the College Football season.

This is overlooked by some bettors who love the pre-match wagers. Don’t get lost and jump on the bandwagon of the in-play NCAAF betting.

How About The Correlated Parlays?

As an advice, don’t bet on them blindly.

Many times, sportsbooks won’t even take correlated parlays. Nevertheless, they have value.

The combination of the favored team plus over, and underdog plus under is the main focus here. The outcomes are usually linked to one another.

Use Various Sites To Bet On NCAAF

At first, this will allow you to shop lines and get the best odds for you.

But you can also have money at a reduced juice sportsbook, one with higher limits, and another one going into a more recreational space.

This allows you to get the best lines, and therefore, the best payout.

Seek Those Deposit Bonuses

This is not exclusive-College Football advice, but a general one. This is a way to get your bankroll going with a big boost.

Most sportsbooks will offer you welcome bonuses. Whether they are extra cash or free plays, get the advantage of those.

It’s Different In Bowls’ Season

The sportsbooks set higher limits in bowl games, especially those that are involved in the College Football Playoffs.

This is your time to bet.

Top handicappers make their money in this period. Make the most of the limits and get big winnings.

Popular College Football Online Bets

Yes, handicapping is one of the preferred methods to bet, but it’s not the only one.

Let’s talk about those markets you can explore besides handicapping.

But first, let’s recap some:

Point Spreads

NCAAF spreads are the most popular ones. The rules of it are the same as in the NFL. The spread numbers, though, are really different.

The NCAAF provides much higher scores, so don’t be surprised if you see plenty of double-digit favorites on a given Saturday.

Totals

As advised above, this might be the best handicapping market to use.

Totals are the combined number of points scored between both teams playing in the gridiron.

Also known as Over/Under bets, totals can be high in College Football. They also take into consideration an eventual overtime quarter.

Futures

Future bets allow you to place a wager whose outcome is decided at a later date.

Futures in College Football will typically include which player will win the Heisman Trophy.

Of course, the one that gathers the most attention is which program will win the National Championship.

Moneylines

The easiest way of betting there is. Pick the winner straight up. No spreads, and no margins.

If you bet on the winning side, you get the cash.

The favored side will have a negative odds number, which means that you need to lay that number on the line to win $100 in return.

As for the underdog, the plus number in the odds equates to the payout you’ll get based on a $100 bet.

Parlays

Since the College Football slates are very extensive, you can make some well-studied parlays.

A parlay must have two or more individual wagers, all blend into one big, high-payout bet.

You can play them with spreads, totals, moneylines, or a mix of all of those.

The kicker is simple; you need to win all individual wagers to get the payout. If one leg misses, the whole parlay is dead.

Teasers

Similar to the parlays, teasers consist of two or more bets put together.

The great thing about them is you have an altered point spread or total that plays highly in your favor.

Of course, since there is a higher shot of you cashing on it, the payout is way lower, but it’s still a great way to bet and make your bankroll grow.

Prop Bets

College Football props are an increasing market.

The fun part of them is that you do not depend on the game outcome per se.

You are betting on events within the events. Prop betting has two big sides: player props and team props.

Player props focus on individual performance.

For instance, you can bet on how many passing yards Oklahoma’s QB Spencer Rattler will have on a given game.

Team props focus on how a team performs. An example of a team prop maybe what’s the point range they will end the game on.

For example, Clemson will end the matchup with 38-45 points scored.

Live Betting

We touched on the subject of live betting a bit already.

This is a reminder that live betting is a betting style you need to ride on. You can make a lot of money betting as the games develop.

It also adds a bit of spice than just watching the game. An overall great experience.

College Football Betting Strategy

Since College Football is such an unpredictable, high-octane sport to bet on, we will give you some strategies so you can maximize your bets on it.

Remember, being the best data analyst ever won’t ensure any success in a league like this.

The NCAAF is a different animal. You need to bet where value is available at a decent rate and with the “lesser” risks.

Let’s take a look at some of the best strategies to bet on College Football.

Effective Bankroll Management

We cannot stress this enough, don’t go overboard with your bets.

This is a marathon, not a sprint. There’s a little tool called “unit bet size”.

This is a bettor’s bankroll divided by the total number of bets they want to place.

The purpose of this is that bettors know how much of their cash they’re risking on each wager. This prevents them from over-bet due to emotional impulse.

Say your bankroll is $1000 for the season. A unit bet size of $10 would allow you 100 bets.

Once you become more comfortable with the sport and get a grip on how the bets work, they can decide to bet multiple units on games they find value in.

You can put two or three units in a contest where the trust is high.

Betting, such as karma, can be a you-know-what. There will come a time when you will get into a losing streak.

Managing the bankroll in a disciplined way will protect you from the damage.

Condense The Card

A “card” is the number of weeks of games offered by the bookmakers.

If a bettor stares at a bunch of odds of 60 different NCAAF games, the normal outcome is being scared or overwhelmed.

Condensing means you filter them into a more manageable stack of odds in front of you.

Cut out those games where you have no knowledge or interest in.

Other tactics can be cutting road favorites, who often disappoint bettors.

Line Moves, You Move

NCAAF fans are as emotional as a teenager.

Hence, once the public starts betting, the line will move. Don’t be a teenager.

Wait for the line to move in your direction, so you get better value. Another reason that can shift the lines is injuries, or changes in staff, for example.

As a hint, if you are betting on the underdog, wait for the line to move your way and get the best price available.

Oddsmakers want a balance of bets coming for each side. Betting on the dogs comes to better terms once the oddsmakers push to bet on them.

Guys, Do Your Homework!

We can’t stress this enough.

You won’t be able to sustain winnings in a bet if you don’t make research. Being lazy when betting will only result in you losing money.

Placing bets to get an edge on College Football requires work.

Research is important, and thankfully, the College Football teams play a week apart.

You have time to watch the lines move, see injury reports, and plan your bets.

Find Weaknesses And Take Advantage Of Them!

Come along with doing your homework.

Look for specifics in teams. Identifying what makes a team vulnerable or what makes them strong can help you bet as it helps you with the matchups.

So, make it count as you go betting in the College Football season.

Betting On College Football Playoffs & National Championship

Oh, this is one of the best times of the year to bet.

Plain and simple. When the College Football Playoff and Bowl season comes around, it’s time to bet my friends.

The Playoffs are a high-stakes end to a long season that pits the best teams in the nation against one another until only two remain.

Those two teams play in the National Championship Game.

Another cool thing, by this time, you have a season-long database and information to analyze and place your bets.

You will know the strengths, weaknesses, and ceilings of these teams. All things that help you out when placing a bet.

There are a lot of markets, the limits are higher than ever like we just told you, it’s the perfect time to put some money on the line and collect the goods.

It’s where you get a boost in your bankroll with, for example, bet 10 win 200 at BetMGM, or leap into another level of richness.

Either way, if you bet smart, you can win tons.

It also narrows down the teams so you can place future bets on who will win the National Championship.

Which lowers the payouts but gives you a better percentual chance at picking the winner of the whole thing.

Plus, by betting online, not only can you get bigger deposit bonuses, but find competitive odds.

Markets increase in limits and in quantity, so you have more wagering options.

Live betting is also great. Props are pretty much endless at some sportsbooks.

And, since you know already about these teams, you know where to bet to get an edge.

Advanced College Football Betting Systems

There are different systems you can use when betting on College Football.

We advise studying them carefully because there are lots of systems that can turn into a bad tactic.

Here are some of the most popular ones, though.

Buying Low On Bowl Teams

A lot of College Football bettors use this system.

It consists of betting on bowl teams from the previous year in the first weeks of the new season, more specifically in the first one.

You need to bet on them when the line moves against them. For example, if it moves from +3 to +5, or -3 to -2.

Since 2005, teams in this situation have had a 54% of effectiveness in the ATS record.

The reason this system is so appealing is that you are getting talented teams and programs at a discount price.

The system is at its best when the bowl team is playing its first game at home, or on neutral ground.

Overs When It’s A Hot Gameday

So this one is popular, but we recommend taking it with a grain of salt. In college, hot temperatures lead to increased scoring.

That’s what this system is all about.

The reasoning behind it is that hotter temperatures decrease air density.

Hence, QBs can throw down the field way more easily, and the kicker’s range expands. Both things increase the opportunity of scoring.

Also, the players get tired faster, so defenses allow more big plays.

Since 05, games with 85 degrees or more temperature have gone with the Overline 55% of the time.

If you’re buying on this system, we advise you to bet on non-conference matchups, since teams don’t know each other well.

Also, avoid windy conditions, since this makes the game harder for offenses.

It’s not nice to rely on the weather, especially in these situations, where it’s not visible to the eye.

You only see sunny days, but it’s not like you see mud or rain physically affecting the teams.

It is a system that might work but relying on it heavily is not practical.

Hop In The Road Dogs Bandwagon

Public bettors can’t help themselves on betting the chalk. Most take the favorites ATS.

This leads to oddsmakers shading the lines, which translates to underdogs getting value.

Add the fact that recreational players overrate the home-field advantage factor.

Here’s where you can exploit going against the public and bet small on-road underdogs to win the games straight-up.

Little risk, huge rewards if done correctly.

Small visiting dogs are less than 50% on record, but since we’re betting on plus money, we are still making profits.

Study the dogs you are placing the bets on thoroughly since we want bets with an actual chance to win.

Remember, the levels can be so big that if you go blind betting on underdogs, you will end up empty-handed.

You need to study which teams have the most balance between value and actual chances of winning.