Football Odds Explained

College football point spreads explained: While the NFL is the most wagered upon sport in North America, college football is the most exciting brand of football you can watch on TV. How football odds work - this is where the complicated part of football betting comes. When wagering on a football game, you will have three basic choices - line, point spread and total, all three commonly referred to as 'odds'. Let's look at all three types of football odds with an example.

Learning how to read college football betting odds should be much easier for everyone with the help of our team here at ExplainBettingOdds.com College Football is one of the most popular sports in the United States, and offers one of the most exciting regular seasons and postseasons around. In fact, there might not be a more hotly debated sport, and discussions surrounding the rankings, and who is #1 has only sparked college football betting odds over the last several years, with oddsmakers forming a ton of betting lines for the sport. And there are many ways and different lines in which you can wager on college football. The goal of this page is to layout the different college football betting odds that you can expect to see for the weekly matchups, as well as some of the year-long odds that are typically available at online sportsbooks. No longer do you have to be in Las Vegas to place a legal wager. There are a number of online sportsbooks that feature college football betting odds, right at your fingertips through your computer.

What Is The Point Of College Football Betting Odds?

Oddsmakers make college football betting odds for a number of different reasons. First and foremost, college football is especially popular in the US and Americans have shown in the past that football is the country’s favorite sports to bet on so there is a huge market there. College football betting odds also make it so that each game is competitive from a bettor’s standpoint. These odds are heavily researched before the start of a game which is why it is often difficult to choose which side of the line to put your money on. Betting odds for college football also make it easier to see which team is favored to win a certain matchup and which team is the underdog. With all these factors in play it’s no wonder online sportsbooks cater to college football fans each year.

College Football Point Spreads Explained

Betting on the point spread in college football is likely one of the most common wagers made by a bettor. Oddsmakers will look at a game, research the two teams involved, and then come up with a number to install the spread at. A favorite and underdog are established. The favorite, the team predicted to win the game, is set with the points in which they will have hypothetically give points to the underdog. On the opposite side, the team predicted to lose the game, the underdog, receives the points. This point spread is established to even the playing field. It is essentially saying that oddsmakers believe that the favorites are X number of points better than the underdog, and to make things even, this is the number of points the spread will be. This number is researched thoroughly by oddsmakers before officially coming out. It is by no means a random shot in the dark. You would be surprised to find how close the oddsmakers are on the whole.

But, point spreads are not made for the entire game only. In fact, oddsmakers install a number of spreads for college football games, breaking the matchups down even further. A bet made on these lines work just as they would when betting on the spread for the whole game.

College Football Quarter Lines Explained

Oddsmakers can set down what are known as quarter lines, or quarter spreads. These are pretty much how they sound. Teams are set in the role of the favorite of the underdog for a single quarter in the game, with a spread installed. There is a favorite and an underdog, for which the bet will be won by placing a wager on the correct team to cover the line. These quarter lines will obviously be much closer than the overall game line, but just as much research goes into a game. Do teams have fast starts? Slow starts? All of these factors play into a quarter betting line.

NCAA Football 1st Half Betting Odds

Oddsmakers will also set down a point spread for halftime, meaning the opening half of play going into the break. Typically, we will see this line cut in half from the overall game line established. The bet is placed on the favorite or the underdog covering the installed line for the first half. Once the first half is done, the bet is complete. The second half of play has no bearing on this wager.

College Football Halftime Betting Odds

Betting on the two halves are pretty much the same thing as the halftime line, but the second half is available. Bets can be placed on the first half, second half, or both. A point spread will be set typically during halftime for the second half, as a variety of factors can have an effect on the second half, including injuries, and the flow of the game.

College Football Moneline Bets Explained

Other types of wager formed for college football games are moneyline bets. These are straight wagers just like the point spread, though with a big difference. Whereas on the point spread you wager with points, the moneyline is simply betting on the winner of the game straight up. There is no point spread involved with the moneyline. If you think Florida State will be Florida, you bet on Florida State without any point. Sounds easier right? It certainly is. But oddsmakers are not just going to hand you over money. The payouts on a moneyline can be quite a bit different than on the point spread. Since there is nothing evening the playing field, a wager on the favorite pays out quite a bit less. On the flip side though, you have the potential to make a lot more money betting on the underdog getting no points on the moneyline, because there is nothing to even things out.

Vegas Football Odds Explained

College Football Over / Unders Explained

The game total is the third main betting line formed for each game. This is the combined point total for both teams in the matchup. Oddsmakers will look at the two teams involved in the game, research recent trends, maybe a history of the games between these two teams, and then come up with a point total for the game. That number is installed, and the bets are made on the actual total of the game going above or below that installed game total. Since there are just two options, payouts on this wager are generally right around Even Money.

College Football Team Props Explained

College football team prop betting lines are other types of wagers that can be set for a game, season, or other facets of the sport. As for the majority of team proposition lines, they are created for each game. These prop betting odds can cover a wide range of topics. Typically, college football team props are wagers made on outcomes that do not directly relate to the outcome of the game. They are bets made within a game. For example, the team to score the first touchdown in a game could be a bet. Once the team scores the first touchdown, the bet is done; the rest of the game doesn't matter. This is just one example, but college football games could have many prop betting lines.

How To Bet College Football Player Props

Just like with team props, college football player props are also wagers made for games or the season. When made for a game, these player props are almost always performance-based for specific players in the game. For example, the total number of passing touchdowns for a quarterback in a game might be a wager that can be made. The actual result of the game in terms of the score doesn't really matter; it's how the quarterback performed and whether or not he went above or below his installed total on the betting line.

Explanation Of Live College Football Betting Odds

In-game wagering for all sports is becoming extremely popular, and live college football betting odds are reflective of that. Live college football betting odds are similar to ones that are presented before the game starts. But, rather than closing off any bets at kickoff, these betting lines update and change as the game goes on. There can also be odds that show up just for a specific drive or for a specific play. They are quick to appear and quick to shift, meaning you have to be a decisive bettor in order to take advantage of these wager types. Many of them come in the form of prop bets, but you may see others as well throughout the course of a game. Just make sure that you’re paying attention to the given matchup and that you have access to your sportsbook close at hand.

College Football Playoff / Championship Betting Odds

Throughout the course of the year, online sportsbooks will have CFP Championship betting odds for the national championship in college football. This is a wager placed on a team to win the national title. These odds are up almost year-round, from the completion of the College Football Championship Game the year before, to the final week in the regular season the following year. These odds can change quite a bit obviously during the season, as teams rise and fall.

College Football Wager Types

We've discussed the different betting lines that you will see for college football, but there are also several different wager types that can be made. These can be straight bets like we talked about or can be linked like with a parlay. But that is not all; there are also things that you can do to adjust a betting line, such as a teaser and a pleaser. But we will get into that on other pages you see here below.

Where To Find College Football Betting Odds

You may have watched ESPN one day and thought to yourself, “Where are they getting these college football betting odds that they keep talking about?” While they often use odds given inside of the famous Las Vegas Caesars Sportsbook, you can find the same if not better odds at a sportsbook inside your state or online. Several states have legal ways to bet on college football inside their casino sportsbooks or mobile betting apps. However, all the websites you see posted below also offer college football betting odds for just about every matchup on Saturdays during the Fall.

Bovada Sportsbook - Best Sportsbook With College Football Games

The thing that most players look for when sign up for sportsbooks is trying to see how many sports does the sportsbook offer. The more sports the sportsbook offer, the more games will be there for players to bet on. Bovada is one of the few sportsbooks that have all sports that players look for and that includes college football. This is one of the most exciting sports that Bovada has up for all the players to bet on.

With college football, there are so many games going on in one day and the season is over three months long. This means that money can be won with plenty of betting options. With many games, live betting feature that is on Bovada will be very exciting and there will be so many options. Even with most of the games being very close there will still be some upsets and expect for Bovada to have the bets that could clearly help players profit. Bovada is the site to go when it comes to betting on college football games.

BetOnline Sportsbook - College Football Games Top Option On BetOnline

BetOnline sportsbook has been known to have all the college games for players to bet on. There are so many different games here that the features that BetOnline are always busy. The traffic here is very busy and that has a lot to do with college football games that are always going on. All day Saturday, games are flowing and at some point, there is an upset that does come up as well.

The thing that gets a lot of player's attention on BetOnline is the banking methods that are offered which means it is easy to get money on your account before the FSU and Miami game gets kicked off. Players look forward to picking the method so when the game kicks off they can pick their wager before it kicks off. BetOnline also has live betting features so in case some bets are not set before kick-off, they could show up after they kick off in the live betting option. BetOnline has it all!

SportsBetting Sportsbook - SportsBetting Has College Football Games To Bet On

College football season is one of the best seasons that fans love to pay attention to. The reason for this is because at least every weekend, there is always an upset and the best word that bettors like to here is upsets. Upsets do mean a lot of money for the most part. SportsBetting is known to cash out players with a lot of money that take chances on these upsets that eventually happens.

These are just a few options that SportsBetting offers and all players have to be is 18 and older to sign up and have an account. The mobile betting feature and live betting feature is also there for the most players to pick from. SportsBetting has it all for a lot of players and the thing is there are also a lot of bonuses that new and current players will get. Check out the site before the big college football games are played!

MyBookie Sportsbook - College Football Games Highlighted On MyBookie

Alabama Roll Tide and Clemson Tigers are the two teams that have been playing pretty well and have been taking over college football playoffs for a while. There are times where there will be a lot of college football upset games going on and MyBookie will have all the games that players can bet on that could end up being a lot of money cashed out to players. Even those the Tigers and Roll Tide are the top tier teams in college football, other teams still can win bettors money and that also means that MyBookie has to have these other teams on their sportsbook.

College football is a big sport on MyBookie and this is just one of the sports that players take a risk on and make a lot of money on. A lot with these teams comet he prop bets that could convince players this is the best online sportsbook to sign up for. Along with all games and prop bets are a lot of bonuses for these college football games. Once a player is all in on MyBookie, there is no reason for them to look anywhere else!

For the novice sports bettor, understanding how sports betting odds work can be one of the most confusing sets of numbers you've ever dealt with. For those who have just started betting on sports, to know how the odds work is of key importance for a profitable and enjoyable betting experience. We are here to give you an overview of the basic styles of betting odds, how you can read the different formats, and how to use them to your favor.

Football Odds Lines Explained

While you may still be confused at the end, the only way you are going to learn how to play with odds is by adapting the appropriate information and utilizing it firsthand. To this degree, we have found various sports betting sites where you can utilize these options to the fullest extent. And, if you ever have any questions, please drop us a line at webmaster@explainbettingodds.com where we can answer all of your questions through email.

Different Types Of Betting Odds Explained

Quick Explanation Of How To Read Sports Betting Odds

• Point Spread - If A Football Team Is -7, Then That Team Must Win By 8 Points To Win The Bet.
• Over / Under ' AKA The Total' - If An Over / Under Is 42 In A Football Game, The Combined Total Amount Of Points Both Teams Must Score Needs To Be Over 43 Points To Win The Wager.
• Moneyline Betting Odds - If The Money Line Has “Team A” at -150 Betting Odds Against The Colts, I Must Bet $150 To Win $100 And If Team A Wins, Then I Would Win My Bet.There are three forms of regular betting odds that you will see at every sportsbook that you visit, whether online or in person. These are the ones that you see right off the bat and the ones that really matter when you are betting on sports. If nothing else, you have probably heard them talked about by either your friends or TV broadcast on ESPN or other channels.

How To Read And Understand MoneyLine Betting Odds

First there are the moneyline betting odds , which is the bet on who will win the event outright with no point spreads or other variables. You simply pick the team you think will win and place the bet. However, without using the odds, the payouts are usually much different then they would be with the odds in place.

When betting on the moneyline, the favorite will always have a negative symbol in front of the number and the underdog will always have a plus sign in front of it (an example is -150 favorite or +150 for the underdog).

How To Read The Point Spreads

Next, we come to what may be the most common type of sports betting odds, which is the point spread. They put point spreads up for all of the main sports such as football, basketball, hockey, baseball, and others. This is called 'The Spread' and it basically tells you which team is favored and by how much. When betting the spread, you are betting that a team will win by a certain number of points, runs, or whatever. Here is an example to help you understand point spreads in football.

If you are Betting The Point Spread On 'Team A' in Football - Favored by -6 - This means 'Team A' must beat the other team by 7 points or more to win the bet.

If You Are Betting The Point Spread On 'Team B' in Football Game - Underdog that is getting +6 points - This means as long as 'Team B' does not lose by 7 or more points, then you will win the bet. If Team A wins, but only by 3 points, then you will still win and get paid.

How To Read The Over / Under Betting Odds

There is also the total score or the over/under, and this line lets you bet on whether or not the total score between all competitors will go above or below a predetermined amount. You simply look at what the Over / Under is and then bet on which you think it will be. There are over and under betting odds for pretty much every sport including baseball, football, hockey, UFC, Basketball, Horse racing, and much more.

The over/under betting odds, or the totals, work differently for each sport. If the number is 42 in a football game and you bet the over, you would need 43 points total between the two teams. In baseball betting, it is the number of runs scored that sets the total. The UFC over/under betting odds are which round the fight will end. Hockey totals are how many goals will be scored between both teams.

With the spread and the total, you will occasionally see that the odds are distributed with 'half points,' which are in place to prevent a 'push,' or no one winning or losing the bets. As long as there is a winner or loser, the sportsbooks will make their money on the juice and be happy.

What To Know About Vegas Betting Odds

The truth of the matter is that Vegas pretty much sets all of the sports betting odds for the entire world. All of the world’s leading experts work for the big casino companies in Las Vegas, and all of them work together to set the odds for different sports. Anytime you hear someone asking or talking about Vegas odds, they are simply talking about the odds and nothing specifically related to Vegas. All of the online sportsbooks use services that simply use the Vegas odds as a starting point for events. Then their own systems will adjust the spread depending on how people are betting at their sportsbook. Ultimately a sportsbook wants 50% of the bets on each side of a game so that they can simply make money on the juice.

Exotic Betting Odds Explained

Exotic bets are there to make for a more entertaining betting experience, but they work somewhat differently compared to the straight bets. But, the original point spread is still used in all these bets no matter how you look at it.

Parlays are essentially a combination of two or more bets into one, such as three teams winning their respective matches. These parlays are usually a long shot since so many teams have to win, but in the end, they are also some of the highest paying games. You can pick teams to cover the point spread, over or unders, or moneylines in a parlay and sometimes you can mix in different sports.

Pleasers are some of the highest paying bets, as they take the spread and then subtract points, making it harder to succeed. Then you also have to combine them into another bet of the same type in order to win. The payouts are huge, but it is not likely that these will come in unless you have the utmost luck or some sort of inside knowledge.

Teaser bets bets are the exact opposite, in that you can adjust the spread to be more favorable, thus lowering your payout but increasing your chances of winning. Either way, these are some of the more exciting ways for you to wager.

There are also 'If-Bets', which allow you to combine two bets. The first bet has to win for the second bet to have action. If the first bet fails, the second bet doesn't come through. If you win the first bet, you can then use the winnings on the second bet, essentially building your bankroll.

Different Formats Of Betting Odds

How To Read American Betting Odds

American odds have become incredibly commonplace, despite the fact that they are not as easy to read as other formats. As an example, American Odds read like this:

Odds To Win Super Bowl:

• Team A: -150
• Team B: +200
• Team C: +600
• Team D: +1000

With American odds, the number represented is how much you have to bet to win $100. If the number is preceded with a '+' sign, then you would risk less than $100 to win a wager worth $100. And, the opposite is true when the number is preceded with a '-' where the bettor would have to risk more than $100 just to win $100 of the wager.

In the example above, you can see that Team A has the lowest number of the group and are considered to be the favorite to win this bet. If you wagered on Team A to win the Super Bowl and they end up winning, you are going to need to risk more than $100 to win $100 as indicated by the '-' symbol preceding the payouts. In this particular example, a bettor would need to wager $150 to win $100.

On the opposite side of that, the other 3 teams in contention all pay better than 1 to 1 odds (risk less than $100 to win $100). Team B is at +200: risk $50 to win $100. Team C is at +600: risk $16.67 to win $100. Team D is at +1000: risk $10 to win $100.

These can be a little bit confusing but if you just pay attention to the + or - symbol then you should not have any issues. And, with a little bit of manipulation, you can see how these odds will pay if the wager ends up being a winner and that is what we're all here for... to win.

How To Read Fractional Odds

Fractional betting odds are the easiest to understand. Just about every single sportsbook that caters to Americans has the option available for fractional odds. And, while they may seem daunting at first, you don't really need to understand complex fractions in order to utilize these odds. Let's look at an example:

Odds To Win Fight:

• Fighter A: 4/7
• Fighter B: 3/2

In order to best understand these lines, you first need to look at the ratio to 1. In the example above, 4/7 odds is less than 1 and the opposite can be said for the other side as 3/2 is more than 1. Once you have determined this, you can figure out the favorite.

To figure out which side is favored, you simply need to figure out which is the lower number. In this case, Fighter A is at 4/7 odds which is less than 1 and Fighter B is at 3/2 odds which is more than 1. Fighter A's wager is the clear favorite as it is the lower number.

So, how do you figure out what these pay? Again, we refer back to 4/7 being less than 1, and 3/2 being more than 1.

Anytime fractional odds are displayed at a value of less than 1, the bettor must risk more than they intend to win if the wager is a winner. And, the opposite can be said for if a fractional value is more than 1... that bet will pay more than what is risked.

As we said before, 4/7 odds are less than 1 so in this case, the bettor must risk $7 to win $4 from the wager. Then, 3/2 are more than 1 so when risking $2, the bettor will win $3 off the wager. As you can see, the payouts are in the fractional odds, you just need to know which way they go based on if they represent a value greater than or less than one.

Understanding Betting Odds That Use Decimals

Decimal odds are slightly more confusing than most other types of odds. In fact, we prefer not to use them when we bet but that is just our preference. Regardless, we are going to give you a little insight into these lines, as we want to give you insight about all of the common types of odds available.

If you look into these odds, you will definitely come out a little bit confused unless you are from Europe where these odds are commonly used than American or Fractional odds. The multiplication game is not as straight forward with decimal odds. Let's take a look at another example:

Odds To Be Next President:

• Candidate A: 1.50
• Candidate B: 2.45

When looking at decimal based odds, the same thing applies to them as all the other forms of odds when trying to determine the favorite... whichever is the lowest number is favored. In the example above, the favored candidate is Candidate A at 1.50 however Candidate B is only a little bit behind at 2.45

Figuring out the payouts is where decimal odds can get tricky, but you'll soon learn a little trick that will make these very easy to understand.

The best way to start off look at these odds is to consider them to be monetary amounts based on what you will win if you wager $1 or one euro, one pound, etc... which includes the original wager. Be sure to keep that in mind when looking at the other odds types.

If Candidate A wins the election, every $1 wagered will win $.50 plus the original $1 wagered which equals $1.50 or 1.50 odds.

Candidate B: every $1 wagered earns $1.45 which equals $2.45 or 2.45 odds.

Now That You Know How To Read Sports Betting Odds

Now that you understand how to read odds, you will then want to see how they are adapted to the different betting lines. With the straight wagers and exotic wagers alike, you will find that these odds are worked into the lines. After you figure out how to read the odds, you will then have to figure out the different types of bets that you can find through most sports betting sites. The different types of bets use odds somewhat differently, but in the end, it is all fairly similar.

We have created special pages that explain how to read the betting odds on a variety of sports. The reason for this is that some sports have betting odds available that others do not. Some sports betting odds can be broken down into a half or quarters while others are just for the entire duration of a match or game. For instance, you cannot really compare the NASCAR or PGA odds with NFL, and vice versa. Each page is crafted specifically for an individual sport making it easier for bettors to learn the ins and outs of betting on whichever sport they choose.

Online Sportsbooks With The Best Sports Betting Odds Available

Now we come to the online sportsbooks + sports betting sites that actually offer the odds we are explaining. There are plenty of betting sites out there, but we have decided to list only those we felt were of the highest level of quality. When personally and individually tested these sportsbooks in order to figure out exactly what they have to offer. In the end, we decided to play with those offering the highest paying odds, the most diverse set of betting types, and a fairly wide range of different sports. Throw in the big bonuses and easy financial transfers and what you get is one of the best sets of betting sites on the Internet.

Bovada Sportsbook - More Betting Odds Than Other Sports Betting Sites

Its already know that Bovada is one of the better online sportsbooks for players to sign up for. The fact that there are so many betting options on this sportsbook makes it known to be a better site as well. Most of the time players look for sites that have the total package which is what Bovada has. Players will flock towards Bovada and one main reason for that is because of the betting odds that are offered to players.

The odds offered on Bovada are her for a player to place big-time bets and make a lot of cash. This makes it very easy for players to pick which bets they want to place. Because of these great betting odds offered, it is known that players are cashing big on parlay bets. More players have a lot got involved in live betting as well because these odds that are here on Bovada are better than other sites they have visited. Because of these betting odds offered, the attention Bovada will get will only increase!

BetOnline Sportsbook - New Bettors Get Bonuses On Every Deposit You Make For Life

There is no doubt that BetOnline has a lot of players that have accounts with them. There are many reasons for that and this list of players will continue to grow and will for the right reason. Even though the age requirement of 18 and older to sign up is one thing that players notice when it comes to BetOnline, the betting odds are something that also grabs a lot of attention as well. These betting odds that are here on the prop bets and are much better than most other online sportsbooks.

Knowing how betting odds work is important and that also will make it easier to understand why BetOnline has the best betting odds for all players. These close odds are what players like and most of the time this will decide what bets they place. With a team being slight underdogs with those odds definitely makes players think if they want to place a bet on those teams and these upsets can end up earning players a lot of extra money! BetOnline odds are very good and makes players consider both sides.

MyBookie Sportsbook - Betting Odds The Best Here On MyBookie

Mybookie is clearly known to be one of the better sites for many players. The number one thing that players check out when they sign up for online sportsbooks is what kind of bets that it offers and there is no doubt that MyBookie has any bet that players can think of. With so many different betting options comes the betting odds as well. The odds here for are taylor made for players. This means that these odds are very good for players because they are close and have players considering to take the upset over the favorite sometimes.

Taking the upset sometimes over the favorite can be the way that players can capitalize big. Something as simple as picking the Miami Heat over the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA could be considered because of the close the betting odds could be on MyBookie. The great thing about sports is nothing is guaranteed and upsets are often happening so taking an upset sometimes could be very beneficial on MyBookie. This also goes picking the favorite as well. Slight favored could mean to put a lot more money down and lead players to win more. MyBookie is known for great betting odds.