Our guide on how to bet on College Football legally, the best NCAAF betting lines and the best sportsbooks for College Football betting.
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Once upon a time, the only way to place a bet on college football was if you got up and headed to Nevada. Times have changed, though, and now you can bet on college football from the comfort of your home. If you live in one of the states where it is legal, that is.
Let’s examine all things college football to get you ready for Saturdays this fall!
Where is College Football Betting Legal?
The question on all of our lips – where can you bet on college football legally in the US?
More and more states are legalizing sports betting on a daily basis, but that doesn’t mean that you can bet on college sports in all of them. For one reason or another, some states have made sure to add clauses in their betting bills that restrict betting on college sports.
So, reference our “Can I Bet On College Football in My State” list to find your state and see if they were cool enough to let you and your friends vote on college football this season.
Can I Bet On College Football in My State?
| State Where Betting is Legal | College Football Betting |
| Arizona | Legal |
| Arkansas | Legal |
| Colorado | Legal |
| Connecticut | Legal |
| Delaware | Illegal to bet on in-state teams, must place bets on other teams only at retail locations and through parlay cards |
| Illinois | Illegal to bet on in-state teams online, but permitted at retail locations |
| Indiana | Legal |
| Iowa | Legal |
| Louisiana | Legal |
| Maryland | Legal |
| Michigan | Legal |
| Mississippi | Legal |
| Montana | Legal |
| Nebraska | Illegal to bet on in-state teams, retail-only for others |
| Nevada | No |
| New Hampshire | No |
| New Jersey | Illegal to bet on in-state teams |
| New York | Illegal to bet on in-state teams |
| Ohio | Launching 2023 |
| Oregon | Illegal |
| Pennsylvania | Illegal |
| Rhode Island | Illegal |
| Tennessee | Illegal |
| Virginia | Illegal to bet on in-state teams |
| Washington D.C | Illegal |
| West Virginia | Illegal |
| Wyoming | Illegal |
Why Bet On College Football?
College Football is a great sport to bet on for a number of reasons. First of all, it is a blast to watch. Seriously. The talent varies widely, but if you are watching a team like Alabama or LSU, chances are you are getting a sneak peek at some future NFL top talent. Look at Trevor Lawrence. His whole college career he was publicized and followed from day one. It’s always fun to scope out players before they get drafted to your favorite team.
College pride is also another big draw for college football. People go NUTS for their alma mater and it creates an electric atmosphere. Some college stadiums are even larger than NFL stadiums because the fans are such die-hards. This makes watching and participating in the action much more fun.
There are also a ton of college games going on during the season compared to the amount happening in the NFL. There are 125 FCS teams in the D1 subdivision and 131 FBS teams. This translates to more than 100 games you can potentially bet on each Saturday. That should be enough to keep you busy. And don’t forget, college football isn’t just reserved for Saturdays anymore. There are games being held all week in different leagues that you can bet on if you so choose.
More on the Line Too…
And college games are just wilder than professional ones. Remember, these aren’t all future Hall of Famers. They are mostly kids looking for a chance to make a career playing ball. This means that chaos is going to be a factor in every game. And when there is chaos afoot, you can often get a leg up on the oddsmakers and take home some big paydays. Anytime you have even a small edge over the sportsbook, you should consider getting in on the action.
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How to Bet on College Football
Ok, so now you know how to bet on college football legally depending on location in the US. But how do you actually bet on the games themselves?
Here are some of the most popular college football betting markets that you can try.
College Moneyline Betting
In professional football, games are a bit harder to predict (any given Sunday and all that), but with college ball, while the games are hard to predict, there is almost always a clear underdog and favorite. This means odds will be heavily skewed toward the favorite. But again, chaos is always afoot, and upsets can and probably will happen.
With that in mind, the best way to cash out big is by making a moneyline bet on an underdog that you like. It is not uncommon to see their odds be listed at +200 or even longer. This means that a bet on an underdog that goes on to win in epic fashion will net you double your wager.
When it comes to college football moneylines, you are betting on who is going to win the game. Because of this, the favorite team has the worst odds. Often -300 or shorter. So betting $300 will only win you $100. Translation – don’t take the favorite. Instead, consider parlays to increase the risk and the payout if you are for some reason averse to betting on the underdog.
College Over/Under Spread Betting
The underdog averse might also want to consider bets based purely on the numbers, i.e., betting on the spread or the over/under. The spread will be the real test of how good the favorite is. If you’ve done your research and feel confident in your pick, betting the spread could be for you.
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The same can be said about betting the spread on an underdog, too. If you think there is a good chance that the underdog keeps it closer than oddsmakers think, you can wager on the underdog to keep it close. If the odds are right, you can potentially double your money here.
Over/under betting on college football is more difficult as oddsmakers have proven to be better about setting over/under in a spot that makes decisions more difficult. Again, if you are confident that the game is going to go really high or really low, do it. But keep in mind that college ball is high-scoring before you make your decision.
Other things to consider when betting on college ball are:
- The time of day the game is played
- The history of the matchup
- Each team’s weaknesses
As always, the key to winning in sports betting is gleaning as much information as possible. So keep it locked here for all the tips and tricks.
Notable College Betting Numbers
If you are thinking about getting in on the action, you are not alone. College football gets a surprising amount of action from sports bettors. Especially big teams like Georgia and Alabama, and in championship games. Because there are so many games and the games are widely popular, there are not many other sports that receive as many bets as college ball. Expect to see the popularity grow as more states vote to legalize betting.
Just last year, in 2021, we saw the famous Army-Navy game go down as one of the most bet-on regular season college football games ever. The game drew in tens of millions from bettors. This made it more bet on than any other regular season college game (with the exception of the Ohio State vs Michigan matchup).
It received more bets than any other event going on that Saturday, even games being played in professional sports like the NHL and NBA. In fact, the game even brought in more money than some of the NFL games that were played the next day!
College football clearly has a place at the table when it comes to sports betting and should be a part of your betting rotation if you live in a state where it’s legal.
Where Can You Bet on College Football Legally?
The following online sportsbooks in the US offer college football betting markets. Even better, you’ll get a free bet bonus to use by signing up using the ‘Claim’ buttons below. What are you waiting for?!
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