College Football Odds and Futures

College football betting is hugely popular in the US and around the world. As with NFL wagering, the point spread is the most popular form of NCAA football odds, while moneyline, totals and futures (odds to win the national championship) are also popular. We track hourly updates of all these types of college football odds so you can find the most current odds from the most trusted, legal US sportsbooks.

Check out the odds legend at the bottom of the current odds listing for explanations in how these various forms of odds work. There are examples and tips on how to read the information correctly. Good luck!

NCAA POINT SPREAD – Known as a line or spread, it is thought of as a predicted margin of victory by one team. Actually, the oddsmaker sets a number where he/she feels an equal number of people will want to bet on the underdog and the favorite. At the end of the game, you simply add the plus value to the underdog or subtract the minus value from gthe underdog. Check the example below.

Alabama-7.5
LSU+7.5


The negative value -7.5 indicates Bama is favored by 7.5 points. The positive value +7.5 shows the Tigers as an underdog by 7.5 points. Betting on the favored Crimson Tide means they must win by at least eight points to cover the spread. The underdog Tigers can lose by seven points and still cover the spread. If the score is 31-21 for Alabama, they won by 10 points, which is more than 7.5, so they covered the spread. If the score is 33-27 for the Tide, they win the game by six points, which is less than 7.5 points so they failed to cover the spread.

NCAA MONEYLINE – usually seen in low-scoring sports such as baseball and hockey. The team you bet on just to win the game, there is no point spread to worry about. The negative value still indicates the favorite (-200) and the positive value indicates the underdog (+170).

Alabama-200
LSU+170


Imagine the number $100 sitting in the middle of these two values and understanding the NFL moneyline is easy. A bet on the Tide at -200 means you risk $200 in order to win $100. On the underdog Tigers, you would risk $100 and win $170 if the underdog wins. You risk a little more on the favorite for a modest reward. You risk a little less on the underdog for a bigger reward.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL TOTAL – also called the over/under is a projected number of combined points that oddsmakers feel will be scored in a game. Take a look at example below.

Alabama 
 OV 49.5
LSU 


The total is 49.5, so if the final score is 40-21, that makes 61 combined points and your OVER 49.5 bet would win. If the final score is 27-17, that would be 44 points and UNDER 49.5 points. In OVER-UNDER betting, you don’t care who wins, just how many points are being scored.

NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP FUTURES – You can bet on the upcoming national championship game at any point during the season, not just the week before the big game. These odds change all the time with injuries or signings or hot streaks. Basically, oddsmakers pick the teams they feel are favored to win and those teams which are longshots and updates the list regularly.

For example, Clemson at 5-1 odds. If they win 8 in a row, their odds might go down to 3-1. If their starting QB goes down with an injury, the odds could go way back up to 25-1. You will see the NCAA national championship game futures listed as 3-1 odds or +300 (which means a $100 wager would pay $300 profit). A surprise team might be +2000 bet which means a $100 bet pays out a $2,000 profit if they win.