Figuring out what's going on in the heads of 20-year-olds is just one challenge of college football betting. (Photo credit: Schlüsselbein2007 / Foter / CC BY)
Fall Saturdays are a whole lot more interesting when you’ve got some money riding on the bevy of NCAA football games offered each week.
Here are 6 college football betting tips to help you make some cash while enjoying the action:
1. Remember key numbers
College football doesn’t have the parity of the NFL, so it’s hardly a rarity to see point spreads as high as the 20s, 30s or even 40s.
But it’s still important to keep in mind the football key numbers, especially multiples of seven.
If Florida is a 28.5-point favourite, for example, it means the Gators need to win by more than 4 touchdowns. If you can get them at -28 or better, you won’t lose your bet if they only win by four majors.
3 and 7 remain the biggest key numbers in football betting, so try not to get on the wrong side of these spreads.
However, the kicking games aren’t quite as reliable in college as they are in the NFL, so there’s no guarantees all those extra points and short field goals will go through the uprights.
2. Consider the motivation
Sure, Ohio State could easily beat the crap out of Akron.
But do the Buckeyes necessarily want to?
That’s important for you to keep in mind when thinking about doing college football betting on heavy favourites.
Often times, once a powerhouse team has built an insurmountable lead, it’ll take its foot off the gas, run the ball and even put in some backups to prepare for next week.
You don’t want to be laying 40 points when your team is up by 35 and just trying to stay healthy.
But it might be worth laying the big points if your team’s coach is upset about a bad effort the previous week or if your team is motivated to absolutely annihilate the opposition.
3. Look at the schedule
Let-down games are a big thing in football handicapping at any level, but perhaps even more so in college football betting.
Like we said earlier, there isn’t as much parity in college football, so there are certain games on each team’s schedule that they’ll be a lot more focused and jacked up for.
After an emotional game against a top-ranked opponent, you can understand how a team might not be as focused in practice for a game against Louisiana-Lafayette.
Or, if a big game awaits next week, teams can often be caught overlooking this week’s opponent.
4. Bet at the right times
Generally speaking, money usually comes in on the favourites in college football betting, particularly the big-name schools.
So it’s important to get your bets down at the appropriate times, depending on who you’re betting on.
If you like the popular favourite like Alabama or Michigan State, it’s probably best to bet on them early in the week before the point spreads move.
If you like the underdog that no one else wants to bet on, however, it’s a good idea to wait until right before game time and see if you can catch an extra point or two on your spread picks.
5. Shop around
Beating point spreads is difficult enough, so make sure you’re getting the best possible number you can.
It’s crucial to have accounts at several different sportsbooks so that you can shop around and find the best number.
Sportsbooks often post different point spreads and totals on college football betting games, and even the extra half-point you might find can turn a loss into a push or a push into a win.
6. Practice money management
Anything, and we mean anything, can happen in college football.
That’s why it is absolutely critical to make sure you stay disciplined.
Just because you lost the first couple games of the day does not mean you have to make it all up with a bigger bet on the next game.
Sports betting is a marathon, not a sprint, and there will be plenty of opportunities to make your money back over the rest of the season.
We recommend betting no more than 5 per cent of your bankroll (we prefer 1-2 per cent) on each bet and also keeping your bets at the same amount no matter how much you like the pick.