How to Read College Football Betting Lines

Reading College Football Point Spreads

Betting lines for college football vary widely from NFL odds. It's rare to see an NFL team as more than a two-touchdown favorite. In college football, you'll see 20 and 30+ -point favorites every Saturday. One reason why is because there's a small gap in the talent level of NFL teams. Even the worst pro football teams are loaded with players who were stars at the high school and college levels. That's not the case in college football. Some teams have multiple players who will be scouted and drafted to play in the NFL, while others have whole rosters that will never get a sniff at the pros.

The same applies to totals. NFL totals are usually in the 37-45 range while college football can feature totals in the 60s and 70s. Sure, the college game is played with similar rules as the NFL. But the skill level, along with the styles of play, can be very different, with all of that reflected in the odds.

CFB Odds

College football betting odds are posted in sportsbooks with numerous numbers attached to one game.

You'll see them written like this:

For sports in the United States, the team at the top (Penn State) is the visitor and the team at the bottom has home field. The only deviation from this is if the game is being played at a neutral site. The books may place an asterisk (*) next to it to denote a neutral site or a notation such as "bowl game". The O stands for "Over" and the "U" stands for "Under."

Favorite Betting Odds

In every college football matchup one team is favored and the other is the underdog. In the above example, Penn State is a 9.5-point favorite. Favorites are denoted by the minus sign (-). If a wager backs the Nittany Lions, Penn State would have to win by 10 or more points to cash a winning ticket. The (-115) denotes the amount needed for the gambler to win $100. To win $100 backing Penn State, the bettor would have to wager $115, then root for the Lions to win the game by double-digits.

Underdog Odds

The underdog has the + next to the odds. In our example above, that's West Virginia at +9.5 (-105). The underdog gambler can wager $105 to win $100.

One reason college football underdogs are popular plays for serious bettors is that the backer has two chances to cash. If the Mountaineers lose anywhere from 1-to-9 points, such as in a 31-27 final, the underdog covers the +9.5 point spread. If the Mountaineers pull the upset and win the game, the dog still wins the bet. Surprises happen all the time in college football with many factors coming into play, such as home field, emotion, situations, weather, and rivalry games.

What are Chalk, Steam, and Whales?

Chalk is a large favorite. In the early days of horse racing, bookies would write the odds on a chalkboard. Chalkboards have been replaced by computers and video walls with instant updates, but chalk is an old-time betting term that still sticks. Today, it refers to significant favorites.

"Steam" is a big money move on a game. If a college football team goes from a 10-point favorite to 14, it means the sportsbook is getting overloaded with money on the favorite. It could be from making a weak opening number or a small group of whales (big gamblers) pouring money onto one side at multiple locations, forcing the oddsmakers to adjust. It's important to assess big money and line moves carefully, however. Sure, it could mean a smart gambler who bets big has found value in a bad opening line. But not all whales are smart gamblers. It could also mean that a below-average gambler simply has a lot of money to throw around and not worry about losing it the way most of us would. It doesn't necessarily mean that big money is coming from someone with significant insight or inside information.

Totals

Another number attached to college football odds is the total: Penn State -9.5 (-115) O 51.5 (-110). The "O 51.5" means wagering OVER the total of 51.5. 51.5 is the projected total amount of points scored by both teams in the game, including overtime, if that occurs. A 31-27 final would be 58 total points, going OVER 51.5.

Wagering UNDER the total would be found in the second line: West Virginia +9.5 (-105) U 51.5 (-110). "U" means UNDER 51.5 total points while (-110) is the amount needed to wager to win $100. Oddsmakers often put a half-a-point on totals. The game can't end with a final score of 30 to 21.5. This eliminates the possibility of a tie, also known as a "push". Sportsbooks don't care for pushes because it means returning the bettor's money along with missing out on the 10% cut/profit they count on.

Money Lines

Point spreads aren't the only way to bet on the outcome of a college football game. Apart from the spread bet, a moneyline is another option where you bet to win on the team that would win the game. Money Lines are listed with a plus or minus sign as well:

"ML" refers to the money line. Backing Penn State at -450 on the money line means you lay (i.e. risk) $450 to win $100. To collect, Penn State simply must win the game—the point spread doesn't come into play.

If you think West Virginia is capable of pulling the upset, you could back them on the money line at +310, laying (risking) $100 for a return of an extra $310 if they win the contest.

Money lines vary depending on the point spread. A small favorite of -3.5 points would be around -135 on the money line, while the underdog at +2.5 would have a money line around +115. High college football point spreads, such as a 30-point favorite, usually don't have money lines offered. Since those games are mismatches with the favorite expected to win, it becomes more of a liability for sports books. Wagers would start throwing big favorites on the money line into various parlays, while only sharps would take a shot with big money line underdogs. That would hinder the ultimate goal of the oddsmakers: to get roughly equal action on both sides.

College Football Betting First-Half Odds

The more numbers the oddsmakers post, the more money they hope to attract for their bottom line. First-Half bets are a part of this, though not as popular as wagering on the full game. If Penn State is -9.5 for the game, they would be around -5 for the first half. Some coaches often play it conservatively in the second half, sitting on a lead, which can allow for backdoor covers.

First-Half totals, the combined score of both teams at halftime, are posted as well. Wagers think about a first-half wager if they like the UNDER for the game but want to eliminate the possibility of overtime, which gives an edge toward the OVER.

College Football Odds Props

Props, or proposition wagering, are posted on individual players. Like totals, CFB props usually have a half-a-point attached so someone is going to win: the bettor or the bookie.

Here are a few examples of prop bets:

• A quarterback prop can be: OVER/UNDER 1.5 TD passes.
• A common running back prop can be listed as: OVER/UNDER 95.5 rushing yards.
• How Many Catches Will a star WR have: OVER/UNDER 4.5 receptions.

Props aren't offered on every game. They're usually reserved for bowl games or TV showdowns between high-profile teams. Average bettors try props for fun but serious bettors can identify weaker numbers in props than with the side or total.

CFB Futures

Future bets are available for college football before the season starts. These are win totals for the season, such as Alabama OVER/UNDER 10.5 wins or Georgia Tech OVER/UNDER 5.5 wins. There are also odds posted on who will win the national championship and even the Heisman Trophy. The odds will be listed as 5-to-1, 11-to-1, or 30-to-1. 30-to-1 means winning 30 times what you bet, such as $10 to win $300. The downside is they are difficult to hit and it will take a whole season to collect your money.

Double-Checking Your Bet On College Football

Finally, for every wager that you make—whether online or in person at the sports betting window—it's essential to pause and examine your ticket carefully. Make sure it's the bet that you intended to make. Mistakes can be made by the book, like placing OVER when you wanted the UNDER. If there's an error, it needs to be corrected immediately.

If you're at a sportsbook speaking with a ticket writer, it's best to use the number attached to the game instead of the team.

For instance, if you like the underdog, don't say "$50 on West Virginia." Experienced bettors would say, "$50 on 201." The ticket writer is punching in numbers on a board, not team names. Someone wagering on the total should say, "$50 on 200 to go OVER the total." Stating the game number limits potential mistakes. Once the game starts, you're locked in. And with real money on the line, you want to be locked in with the correct bet after all the time you've put in trying to find the best bets on the board!

Now that you know more about how to read College Football Betting Lines, grab free CFB picks for the best chance of winning your bets for the maximum payout.