What is the difference between college football and NFL betting?

NFL vs NCAA Betting

While bets are being placed on the same sport, there are many differences between college football betting and placing wagers on the NFL. Both have a huge following, with thousands of fans rooting for their favorite teams. The popularity of football in the US presents a huge market when it comes to online sports betting. The rules of the games remain the same and many of the top NFL players have come from successful college teams, but in some ways, betting on these two different football options comes with differences. Let’s take a deeper look into how betting on college football differs from NFL betting.

🏈More NFL Public Action
📈Football Betting Action
💰Difference in Popular Bets
📊Factors That Influence Odds

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More NFL Public Action

The NFL draws many bettors which leads to more public action. In many cases, public action will have an impact on the odds that are set by the sportsbook. This is done to keep the action balanced and minimize losses for the sportsbook. However, major shifts that are due to public betting are not as common in the NFL. This is due to the amount of media coverage that delivers limitless data for games and teams. Sportsbooks usually have precise lines for NFL games.

With college football, bettors have a better chance of finding value in bets

Since NFL games are so popular, the betting volume exceeds that of college bets being placed. Sportsbooks will put their efforts into setting the lines for NFL games over college games. The NFL lines are often tight due to the sheer number of bets that are being placed. With college football, bettors have a better chance of finding value in bets.

Football Betting Action

College football and NFL games are both widely popular, though sportsbooks often focus on the professional leagues. While there are some great options when it comes to placing bets on college games, many prefer to wager on the NFL, where they are more familiar with teams. Experienced bettors will often choose to place their wagers on NFL games for a variety of reasons. The main ones are:

NFL:

Consistency: Professional players perform at a consistently high level. This predictability makes NFL games more appealing to experienced bettors.
Information Availability: The smaller number of teams (32) and extensive media coverage make it easier to research player stats, matchups, and team dynamics.
- Example: Researching a game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles is straightforward due to the wealth of data available from official sources, analytics platforms, and media outlets.

College Football:

Volatility: College teams vary greatly in skill, coaching styles, and strategies. This makes outcomes harder to predict and requires more in-depth research.
Team Numbers: With over 100 teams in Division 1, there are significantly more games each week, increasing variability and potential upsets.
- Example: A game between Alabama and a smaller college team may see mismatched odds and unpredictable results due to differences in team quality and preparation.

Difference in Popular Bets

Those who are fans of football betting will have a basic understanding of the types of bets that can be placed. While NFL and college games both support the same betting options, there are some bets that are more common. Each sportsbook will provide a list of bet types when any football game is selected. As mentioned, the bets are often the same, but the popular options differ among bettors.

NFL Popular Bets

Anyone new to the world of NFL betting will want to stick with moneyline bets. These are very simple to place and involve choosing which team will win the game. Moneyline bets are the most popular bets placed on any NFL game. However, those who have more experience with betting will prefer point spreads instead of moneyline wagers.

The point spread displays the favorites with negative spreads and the underdogs with positive spreads. When betting on the point spread, one will have to decide if the favorite team will be able to win by more than the listed spread number. When betting the spread on the underdog, the team must lose by fewer than the displayed points or win the game.

College Football Popular Bets

Like the NFL, the main bets of point spreads and moneyline wagers remain popular choices. However, there are often cases where college games involve mismatched teams. This can lead to better moneyline odds as well as spreads. College games tend to be higher scoring as well, which will be reflected when looking at totals bets. One difference between betting on college and NFL games is that parlays are more common with college games. Parlay bets combine multiple wagers on a single bet sip and all must win for the bet to yield profits. Since college lines can offer more value, parlay bets can yield massive profits when successful.

Factors That Influence Odds

When betting on football, the strategy that is used may be altered by the number of teams. With college football, there are more than 100 teams. This means there are more games per week and a variety of match-ups. In many games, the teams are not evenly matched, which will deliver some unexpected results. This can add to the excitement of betting, but can also make choosing a bet more difficult.

With the NFL, there are just 32 teams involved and it becomes easier to predict performance. NFL players have more experience and enhanced skills that make their game performances more predictable. The difference in the number of teams is one factor that can affect odds as well as any betting strategy that is used.
Aside from team numbers, the size of teams and the skill levels will influence how sportsbooks set odds. With the large number of college teams, it becomes more difficult to track abilities. Odds will shift if one team is facing another and there are significant differences in skill and talent.
When betting on NFL games, the smaller number of teams and the higher level of skill means that the odds are often stable. While the teams may be easier to analyze and compare, the odds are tighter than with college football betting.

Conclusion

Betting on football is an exciting experience and with sportsbooks offering odds for just about every game, there are endless opportunities. When placing bets it is important to know about the differences mentioned above. College football and NFL betting may seem the same, but the slight differences can have a huge impact on the odds. College football betting does provide some valuable advantages, including the increased number of games, greater line value, and diverse betting options.

Is it better to bet on college football or the NFL? Since college football comes with an unpredictable nature, it can be easier to place wagers and earn profits from the NFL. However, college football betting is known to offer a higher return on investment than NFL wagering. In the end, it all comes down to personal preference and experience placing online football bets.