How to Handicap College
Football
Do you know how to
handicap college football?
Key Points
– Handicapping NFL
games and college football games is different.
– There are a number
of things to consider when a bettor handicaps a college football game.
Learning
to Handicap College Football
Football bettors
love betting on both the NFL and on college football, but there are distinct
differences between the two. Bettors should understand these differences as it
helps in learning how to handicap college football.
For starters, there
are only 32 NFL teams. That number balloons to 130 when talking about FBS
(Football Bowl Subdivision) teams. Several FBS teams also schedule FCS
(Football Championship Subdivision) teams that will find themselves on betting
boards throughout a college football season.
To get the most out
of a season, here are some tips when you begin to handicap college football.
Editor’s
Choice: Betting NFL Point Spreads
Specialize
in What You Know
As mentioned, there
are over one hundred teams in FBS college football. There are five Power
conferences made up of what could be considered the best programs in the
country. There are five more conferences made up of what would be the
equivalent of mid-major programs in college basketball.
Every FBS program
has 85 scholarship players and, with walk-ons, usually a roster of around 100.
The differences in skill level from the best teams to the worst teams is
tremendous. There is simply too much variance between teams. That is why
bettors will see a lot of double-digit point spreads.
To have the best
chance of winning more college football bets, one of the things you can do is
to specialize. With so many ways to bet on football, it’s impossible
to be good at them all.
Usually,
specializing is done by conference. Bettors can become an expert on an entire
conference or a few conferences. That way, a bettor limits his research to a
certain number of teams that is far less than 130.
Emotion
There is much more
emotion involved in NCAA football than there is in the NFL.
Teams play better at home because of huge, lively home crowds. Teams that have
lost a few games and maybe have some issues with a head coach who might get
fired might pack it in late in a season.
As mentioned, CFB
bettors will see plenty of double-digit spreads. CFB bettors have to learn not
to be afraid of those double-digit spreads in certain cases.
Our last article
featured 2022 NFL futures update. See where your team
stands.
A Broad
Perspective When You Handicap College Football
In handicapping
college football, there are so many variables. One thing that is consistent is
a team’s schedule. Bettors can gain valuable information from looking who a
team plays, where they play them, and at what point of the season they play a
particular opponent.
Schedules are very
unbalanced in college football. You might have a 6-0 team favored over a 3-3
team, for example. The 3-3 team has three losses by less than a touchdown to
three teams in the nation’s Top-10. Meanwhile, the unbeaten team has played two
FCS teams. Your college
bookie will know all these stats.
As you learn how to
handicap college football, look at things from a broader perspective. How a
team’s running game matches up against a team’s run defense might not be enough
to help you make a good betting decision.
The
Numbers
There are all sorts
of statistics that can be found online for college football bettors to use in
handicapping games. Two of the most important are turnovers and time of
possession. Teams that turn the ball over too much don’t win as often. Teams
that win the turnover battle in a game win over 80 percent of the time.
Time of possession
isn’t what it used to be with all the pass-happy, up-tempo type offenses in
college football. Still, it can give you an idea of how a team likes to play.
There are still some teams - Army comes to mind - that pound the ball on the
ground and shorten games.
These numbers, as
well as some others, can help as bettors handicap college football games.
Line
Shopping is a MUST to Handicap College Football
If you had to limit
yourself to just one option to improve your college football winning percentage
and bankroll, it would be line shopping. Always ensure that you get
the best line on your college football wagers.
That extra
half-point is usually the thing that separates a winner from a loser in college
football. During the CFB season, bettors will find sportsbooks offering a wager
on an underdog at +14. The majority of sportsbooks are offering the bet at +13.
Why?
Well, the
sportsbooks at +14 are begging for more action on the underdog or they think
bettors would still take the favorite at -14. Regardless of the reasoning,
college football bettors that find these differences should look at the juice.
If it is the typical -110, it’s a good idea to take the “off line” or in this
case the underdog at +14.
This type of
situation will typically happen closer to the day of a big game. It might even
be hours before kickoff. The only way you would find this bet is if you were
shopping the line. Shop all your college football lines for the best pricing.
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