NCAA football has been growing in popularity for some time. With the advent of the internet, more interest has befallen on college sports, with college football certainly winning its fair share of viewers.
For many fans unacquainted with college football, the whole thing can be a little puzzling. I know this because I can remember being one of those people. I just couldn’t grasp why so many fans packed into stadiums which could host international soccer games to cheer schools that they had no real affiliation with. However, once initiated, it is clear to see what all the buzz is about.
I must admit that I was a fan of betting on college football before I was a fan of college football. I would be inclined to think that most other people start the other way around. Then again, I always put frothed milk in the cup before my coffee in the morning, so it’s probably best not to read to much into that.
I certainly haven’t forgotten the place of ignorance where I started from, so for those who are unsure what college football is, allow me to provide a brief synopsis before I dive into the tips.
The first documented game of college football was played all the way back in 1869 between what are now the Tigers of Princeton University and Scarlet Knights of Rutgers. Although that game is classed as the first college game in history, the rules reportedly appeared to be more along the lines of what we would expect in rugby rather than football. The game really gathered pace when the forward pass was introduced in the early 1900’s. After this, Ivy League schools began to dominate the sport. Over the next few decades, college football expanded to include the Pacific Conference, the Southwest Conference, the Big Eight Conference, and the Southeastern Conference. Pretty soon, things were really taking shape for the game.
The Ivy Leagues still had a stranglehold on the game, but a small school in the midwest would then emerge to challenge the elite in the East, Notre Dame. Push through the next 20 years or so and things were rapidly evolving. In the early 1950’s, Army Cadets – now known as Army Black Knights – revolutionized the game by assigning specialist offense and defense players to the mix.
Oklahoma was then the dominant force for much of the 50’s, before social reforms saw more African American players introduced to many of the dominant Southern teams. The modernization of the game really started to kick in come the 1980’s, with Miami and Penn State showcasing the best of the technical side of the game. In the 90’s, the technical approach was the center of the game, with a cerebral passing game taking center stage.
In the 2000’s, things took an even greater leap forward. Modern technology brought more and more eyes to college football, with more money and support afforded to the game. Today, the infrastructure and level of support for college football are so refined that it would shame professional sports in other countries around the world. The interest in betting lines certainly helped a lot.
One question I always get asked by those with a little interest in college football is the difference between Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Here is how it works:
There are three divisions in college football, but four levels of competition in total. These are:
Naturally, Division I is the most popular in the U.S. and is also the elite division in college football. The ten stadiums ranked highest for capacity host college football games and there is a lot of money in the competition. The top teams in the country play in Division I.
There are 12 games in addition to championship weekend played in the top tier of college football, which is the FBS. In the FCS, there are 11 games per season (which changes depending on years with 14 Saturdays from the first game and the end of November).
FBS teams also play in bowl games, post season. This explains the “bowl” part in the name of the division. The postseason involves a tournament format consisting of 24 teams, with eight teams, allowed a bye. Depending on rankings, some teams must host until a title game.
FBS teams are permitted up to 85 players who receive full scholarships, while FCS teams come in lower, at 63. Ivy League schools, however, don’t have scholarships, so this also affects things/
FBS football scholarships are all full versions, while FCS teams do things differently. There is a specific value of a scholarship per each of the 63 offered. However, teams can stretch this to offer partial scholarships in some cases, with no more than 85 players receiving full or partial scholarships.
FBS teams’ financial clout dwarves that of their FCS counterparts, and there are a number of reasons why. Firstly, they generate more cash via broadcast rights and other deals of the same ilk. With this comes the ability to afford better standards from grassroots up to coaches, scholarships, and more.
Aside from the fact that the FBS is the premier college division, with more interest by way of a larger fanbase, the game is still played the same way. Rules are rules and they still apply regardless of being an FBS or FCS player. There is no doubt that players from either division are good enough to make the NFL. 18 former FCS players made the 2018 draft, which is a solid number.
There are also games held between FBS and FCS teams, providing there is no protest by conferences. These games can generate a lot of money for FCS teams and help to keep things ticking over.
You’re probably thinking to yourself, “how about those tips, Michael?” I think it’s time to look at the first one. Strap in.
I can’t stress this one often enough, regardless of how simple it may seem. Comparing lines from sportsbook to sportsbook may only yield you small differences here and there. Sometimes you will get lucky, however, and find much better value if you shop around a little. The most important thing when it comes to comparing lines is considering how the small differences can help you turn a profit. Even if you can find a 0.5 to 1-point difference, this could realistically be the difference in a win or a loss.
Comparing lines doesn’t have to mean trawling through sportsbook after sportsbook with a fine-tooth comb, either. These days, there are ever-growing numbers of odds comparison sites that have been set up for this sole purpose. Use the tools that are there to help you, always take even the most remote of advantages you can, and, of course, thank me later.
From the first minute of my day in my first job all the way back in the wonderful 1990’s, all I could think about was getting paid. I was making around $6 per hour and was calculating how much I would be paid, in my head, every subsequent day until payday. Of course, when I received my check, I was disappointed. There was a sizeable amount taken for taxes, of course.
Think of it this way: with vig, you need to win over half of your bets in order to make a profit. Without vig, that figure is 50%. Every time you take, for example, Notre Dame at -110 vs. Army Knights at -110, you are undercutting potential profit. If you can find lines with no vig – or even lower vig – you are giving yourself a 50/50 chance when it comes to betting on games. Sounds better, right?
This is not pro football, but that doesn’t mean you have to bet like an amateur. Your approach to betting on college football will likely determine how successful you are in turning a profit when it comes to the end of the season. Thinking like an amateur – betting on “instinct” and superstition – is far likely to work against you than using logic and methodology.
As coincidence would have it, he is consistently bottom of the table when it comes to making successful picks. I don’t think he has ever turned a profit in the 6 seasons I have known him to bet on college football. Don’t be like this guy, seriously. It’s a surefire way to lose and lose often. There are many things which can affect a game and the number of points scored, which makes it important to:
Heavy rainfall makes for tougher conditions. Tougher conditions slow players down. Slower players score fewer points and the game itself will generally suffer as a result. What does mean for your bets? It could certainly play a factor in any of the Over/Under picks you may have.
Waiting even closer to game day should confirm that conditions will be adverse. If the lines haven’t been affected, this is your chance to put your money where your mouth is and make some money on a bet that less points will be scored. If a team is suffering from profligacy, this could also slow them down even further, which might lead to you betting heavily on the other team. It’s the simple things, trust me.
This one is hugely important in football betting, whether it is NFL or college football. The problem is that not many gamblers do enough to understand it and it can seriously work against them.
With form, you should be studying the following:
All of this information plays a part in many games. Oddsmakers factor the points above (and more) to create bets. As such, you should also be studying form to see if there are any patterns which you could potentially use to your advantage. This approach might seem very methodical. That’s because it is. The question is, do you take gambling seriously, or would just prefer to bet blindly on favorites?
If your answer is the former, studying form is essential for betting on college football. Most sportsbooks have this information available to gamblers on their websites. If not, it is very easy to find and won’t take days out of their precious time to get the info you need.
Put simply, the team who make more big plays usually ends up winning the game. This is the case in over 85% of college football games, as statistics show. As such, it can really pay to get stuck into the numbers and stats before placing your bets.
When studying a team’s PPP, you should also take into account their opponents’ defense. Both of these contrasting factors can really indicate how a game might go. Paying attention to the finer details is crucial if you want to be a successful college football gambler. There is absolutely no doubt about it.
Where PPP and defense can also help is in Over/Under bets. If you see a particular disparity between offensive strength and defensive weakness, there is an opportunity to put your money where your mouth is and potentially collect. If the stats are backing up your prediction, then why not take a shot?
There are a lot of stats to support the idea that betting against the public is a great way to get ahead. By using this particular strategy, you will be going against the grain, so to speak, of what the public deem to be the best bets.
The important thing to consider when betting against the public is the amount of bets and level of interest in a game. College football, unlike the NFL, does not have tons of bets riding on every game. In fact, many games will not have significant interest from a betting perspective, which can make this strategy weaker than if it was applied to a game where every fan with a wallet is betting on.
There is always scope to take advantage of the bookmakers taking advantage of public bettors, however. At times, the underdog will be afforded a more attractive spread in order to even things out a little and ease their exposure. If you can identify a price which seems to be valuable in games with major betting activity, this could work out very profitable, indeed.
In all my years of betting on sports, the most common error I have identified among gamblers is their propensity to bet with their hearts. In other words, putting money down on teams they have a connection with, or believing that their midnight revelation about a glorious comeback is a sign from God. Most of the time, it’s a sign that you need to put the bottle down and go home, Danny.
If you want to be a successful gambler, the first thing you will need to do is run your operation like a business. Shrewd decisions, judiciousness, minimizing risk; these kinds of things will definitely help you to develop a smart and measured approach when betting. It can be too easy to fall into the trap of making those romantic bets and screwing up all of the progress you have made prior to a mistake.
As I covered above, study form. Consider all the factors at play. Use your head and you will find things begin to make more sense.
It is no secret among my friends and family that I love college football and there are fewer sports that I prefer betting on. One of the things I particularly enjoy about college football is introducing friends to my passion, especially those who didn’t grow up in the U.S. Although this is effectively amateur sports, the money, stadia, infrastructure, and fanbase put many pro sports from around the world to shame.
In order to attain even a moderately frequent level of success – which is not winning all the time but winning just over half the time – takes patience. It requires a gambler to be smart and opportunistic, looking at the bigger picture rather than being narrow-minded. Above all, it requires betting with the head and not with the heart and making even the smallest margin of advantage work for them.
Good luck!
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