College football is a way of life for many Americans. Saturdays in the fall are set aside to bet on college football and watch the rising stars in the game battle it out. On this page we look at where Americans can bet on college football, the most common bet types, the betting odds and some tips to help you win.
Where Can Americans Bet On College Football?
Your options depend on where you live. Here are the main ways to bet on college football in the United States.
Licensed Sportsbooks
Sports betting is legal in more than 35 states plus Washington, D.C., where licensed sportsbooks such as DraftKings, FanDuel and BetMGM offer odds on college football. You must be 21 or older in most states and physically located in a state where the sportsbook is licensed.
Prediction Markets
Prediction markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket let you buy and sell contracts on the outcome of college football. Instead of betting against a sportsbook, you trade with other users, and the price of a contract reflects the market’s view of how likely an outcome is. These platforms operate under federal oversight from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) rather than state gambling law, which is why they are available in most states, including states without legal sports betting.
Daily Fantasy Sports
Daily fantasy sports (DFS) apps such as PrizePicks and Underdog offer player stat contests in most states. Rather than betting on who wins, you pick whether players will go over or under a statistical projection.
Offshore Sportsbooks
Offshore sportsbooks are licensed outside the United States and accept bets from across the country. They are not licensed or regulated by any US state, which means Americans who use them have no state regulator to turn to if there is a dispute over a bet or a withdrawal.
Outside the US
In Canada, Ontario has a regulated market of licensed online sportsbooks, and the other provinces offer online betting through their provincial lottery sites. In the UK, use operators licensed by the Gambling Commission. Elsewhere, check the rules in your country before signing up with any betting site.
Types of College Football Bets
Spread Betting
Spread betting is the most common type of college football bet. This is because in college football there will often be games where there is a huge favorite and in order to even the playing field the spread is used.
The oddsmaker will set a spread amount. Bettors can then bet on whether the favorite will win by more than the spread amount or the underdog will lose by fewer points than the spread (or win outright).
Money Line (To Win)
Moneyline betting is another popular betting option, especially in the games where there isn’t a clear cut favorite. Moneyline betting is simply wagering on which team will win the game outright.
The odds associated with each outcome will be based on each team’s implied chance of winning the game.
Over/Under (Total)
Over/under betting is another type of college football bet that can be made. It involves wagering on whether there will be more or fewer points scored in the game than the “total” set by the sportsbook.
College Football Betting Odds
The American odds format is most commonly used for betting on college football games. It is important that you understand the odds in order to know your risk vs reward for the bets that you make. Let’s take a look at an example of a spread bet using the American odds format:
Missouri +10 (-110)
Texas A&M -10 (-110)
In this example the spread is 10 points and Texas A&M are the favorites. They are essentially “giving up” 10 points to Missouri to start the game (the -10 can be thought of as you subtract 10 points from Texas A&M or you add 10 points to Missouri (+10) ). Therefore, Texas A&M must win by 10 or more points, while Missouri must either win or lose by fewer than 10 points. If the game ends with Texas A&M up 10 then the bet is refunded. The (-110) indicates the odds in American format. This means that a $110 bet on either outcome would payout $100.
How To Bet On College Football Online – Step By Step
Whichever option you choose, the process of getting started is similar. Here’s a general guide.
Step 1. Choose Your Option
Decide which type of platform fits how you want to bet. Licensed sportsbooks offer the full range of bets where they are available, prediction markets let you trade contracts on the outcome, and DFS apps are built around player stats. Review the options above before signing up.
Step 2. Check The Age and Location Rules
Every platform has its own eligibility requirements. Most prediction markets and DFS apps require you to be at least 18, while licensed sportsbooks require you to be 21 in most states and physically located in the state where they are licensed.
Step 3. Create and Verify Your Account
Sign up with your legal name, date of birth and address. Regulated platforms are required to verify your identity, so you may be asked for the last four digits of your Social Security number or a photo of your ID.
Step 4. Fund Your Account
Deposit using one of the platform’s payment methods, which commonly include debit cards and bank transfers. Check how withdrawals work, and how long they take, before you deposit.
Step 5. Find The Market and Place Your Bet
Navigate to the college football or NCAAF section, select the market you’re interested in, and choose your position. Before confirming, check the price or odds and how much you stand to win, using the bet types explained above as a guide.
Step 6. Set Limits
Decide on a budget before kickoff and stick to it. Most regulated platforms let you set deposit and time limits in your account settings. If betting stops being fun, help is available 24/7 by calling 1-800-GAMBLER.
College Football Bowl Games
Check out any of these annually updated posts for specific information on betting on this year’s Bowl games.
College Football Betting Tips
Here are a couple basic tips to help you turn a profit when you bet on NCAA football this season. Check out our full 7 college football betting tips page for a more in depth analysis of how to win betting on NCAA football.
- Research – College football lines are not an exact science. In fact it is anything but with oddsmakers being forced to compare how teams have fared against other teams in the hopes that those relationships will transfer to the game being played this week. There are a ton of college football games every week and if you focus on a select few and do some serious research you should be able to find some sharp lines.
- Compare Lines – It is very important that you find the best line online for the college football game that you intend to bet on. You will often find that some bookies have different lines for the same game and if you wager at the sportsbook offering the best odds for the outcome you are predicting you can often get an extra 1 or 2 points to help you win your college football wager.
The best college football betting resource online would be ESPN in my opinion. Check it out for up to date scores, injury reports and other news from the world of NCAA football.