NCAA Football Odds & Spreads

NCAA Football odds explained

When you arrive at an online sportsbook, you will see NCAA football odds given in the American format. A team will be given positive or negative odds, with the former serving as the underdog and the latter serving as the underdog. 

The number given to the underdog shows how much you stand to win from a $100 bet, while the number given to the favorite shows how much you would need to bet to win $100. Here’s an example: 

Ohio State Buckeyes (-150) vs. Ole Miss (+180) 

NCAA Football Lines

The above example is known as a moneyline (or line for short) and is a form of straight-up betting on NCAA football. Your job is to simply pick the matchup’s winner, and it doesn’t matter how many points are scored or which players score them. The above example shows that the Buckeyes are clear favorites, and a $150 bet would return a profit of $100. If you fancy Ole Miss for the upset, a $100 bet will return a profit of $180. This is the easiest way to bet on NCAA football and is a great way to get used to the market. 

NCAA Football Spreads

To spice things up a little, you can opt for an NCAA football spread bet. This is a way of leveling the playing field, as the favorite is given a handicap, while the underdog is given a certain number of points as a headstart. Here’s what a spread bet involving the Buckeyes might look like: 

Buckeyes -7.5 (-120) vs. Kansas State +7.5 (+125) 

Here, the Buckeyes remain the favorites, even though they start the match with a 7.5 handicap. Provided that the Buckeyes win by at least eight points, you will win your bet. However, if you back Kansas, provided that they don’t lose by more than seven points, you will win your wager. As you can see, NCAA football spread betting is a great way to level the playing field and makes things interesting as you pick your winner.

Recap: NCAA Football odds & spreads

If you’re new to sports betting, there’s no reason not to dig a little deeper than the major sports leagues to add value to your betting slip. By extending your betting to NCAA Football, you can back the Buckeyes and other top schools as they compete out on the field, offering you more ways to make a profit on the football this coming season.