College
Football Point Spreads
The
most popular way to bet on college football is the point spread, also known as
the spread or line. Sportsbooks determine a number that will help level the
playing field in an attempt to get equal amounts of betting action on either
side. Perhaps the biggest difference between betting the National Football
League and college football are the size of the point spreads due to a lack of
parity creating huge mismatches. Lets look a little deeper into college
football point spreads and what to watch for.
Key NFL Betting
Numbers and How to Use Them
Maybe
the best part of betting the spread is that it allows you to bet on either
side, no matter who you think will actually win the game. But remember point spreads don’t represent the
same value in the NFL and NCAAF. Only 7 games have had a point spread of 20 or
greater in NFL history, with the largest spread being 27, while most weeks on
the college football schedule will have more than 30 games with point spreads of
20 or more.
While
it’s true there are many more games played in college than the NFL, it is
important to know that a spread of 14 in the NFL represents a huge favorite,
while a 14-point spread in a game featuring a top college team is not that big
of a favorite. This is probably the single biggest difference between betting
the NFL and college football. All numbers are not created equally.
Another
reason betting the point spread in college football is so popular is because
most recreational bettors do not have time or energy to spend on handicapping games. The spread essentially
gives a 50/50 chance to win, making it easier to choose a side, even if you are
guessing. With this 50/50 proposition, moneymaking opportunities are a plenty.
But make sure you temper expectations.
When
looking at college point spreads, you always need to consider why a sportsbook
is giving a team the points they are. Let’s look at this example:
LSU
+9½-110 (underdog)
Auburn -9½-110
(favorite)
Learn the basic of
understanding of how to read sports betting odds
This
game has Auburn hosting LSU in Week 3 of the 2018 college football season, and
are a 9½-point favorite. What this means is before the opening kickoff, in the
betting world, the score is LSU 9.5 – Auburn 0. Both teams come into this one
2-0 and ranked inside the top 12, so why 9 and a half points? Oddsmakers are
very smart, and perhaps we will never know exactly what factors they take into
account when determining the spread for any game.
Most
recreational bettors place wagers to add a little more excitement to a game
they plan on watching with friends and family, and not a lot of homework is put
into it. On the flipside, if you want to be profitable at sports
betting,
you have to develop a systematic approach to figuring out which factors will be
important to you, and find out why a spread is at a certain number.
It
is also important to keep key numbers in mind when betting college point
spreads. 3, 7 and 10 are the most common differences in game scores. While
these numbers are not quite as important in college ball as they are in the NFL,
it is still important to keep them in mind.
The Sports Consensus
- Teaser Betting Can Be Fun and Exciting
When
betting on college football point spreads, two other tips I will leave you with
are to shop for lines and be selective. If you want to win regularly when
betting on sports, you need to find an edge, any weakness and exploit it.
Remember the amount of college games there are compared to the NFL. Online Sportsbook do not have the time
to spend like they do on every NFL game, so go find the weakness and expose it
in your favor.
I
understand a lot of this information is common sense, but sometimes we all need
a reminder of the little things. Don’t get caught up in factors that won’t have
an impact on the outcome of a game. Be selective, and remember that value can
be found outside of the Power 5 Conferences too. Good luck this college football
betting season, and I hope these few ideas will help you win more bets.
