Most gamblers that bet NCAA odds stick to side wagers but you can definitely look at other options when you are betting college football odds this season. NCAA football odds are very easy to understand. The most common type of NCAA odds is the pointspread where a team is either laying points or receiving points. Let’s take a look at how the pointspread works and how to better read college football odds.
NCAA football odds in terms of a pointspread might look like this: Colorado +7, Nebraska -7. If you wanted betting action on Colorado, the Buffs would have to either win the game in an outright upset or lose the game by less than seven points in order to “cover the spread” and win the bet versus the NCAA football odds. If you wanted betting action on Nebraska the Huskers would have to win the game by more than seven points in order to cover the spread and win the bet versus NCAA odds. If Nebraska won the game by exactly seven points, the game would be considered a tie, which is known as a “push” and all gamblers would get a full refund of their money.
Keep in mind the “juice factor” when you are looking at the college football odds. The “juice” is the extra ten-percent that you have to put up above and beyond the amount that you are trying to win versus NCAA football odds.
For example, if you wanted to take Colorado for a $500 win, you would actually have to wager $550 versus the college football odds. Let’s say that your friend on the other hand, wanted Nebraska for $500 versus the college football odds. He too, would have to bet $550 to win $500. Now let’s say that Nebraska won the game 28-24, which was by less than the seven point spread in NCAA odds. You would win the bet and get your $550 in stake money plus $500 in winnings. Your friend, on the other hand, would lose his entire $550. The sportsbook, meanwhile, would have made $50 for booking the bets versus college football odds.
NCAA football odds also include totals, money lines, parlays, teasers and even propositions.