The NFL is the biggest and most popular sport in the US, with millions of fans tuning in to watch every game. Not only is it popular to watch, but it also attracts huge numbers of cash bets. However, it’s not the only football available to watch and bet on. Most popular sportsbooks will feature college sports too, including all games across the college football season.
College football betting is growing in popularity, thanks to more states now making it legal. It’s very easy to get started, with the best sportsbooks offering safe and secure ways to sign up, make payments, and place bets. If you want to begin betting on college sports, you should first consider how to actually be successful with it.
While college football follows almost the exact same rules as the NFL, there are some differences in how you should approach it when betting. Here are some tips to help you get more out of your bets.
Understanding Betting and Odds
First things first, you’re going to need to understand how betting itself works. If you’re new to sports betting, there’s a lot to learn, and it can seem daunting at first. However, it’s a lot easier than you might think. All college football games have a number of “markets” you can bet on, which are predictions of what you think will happen.
For example, you can bet on the moneyline market, which is a straight option on which team you think will win. You can also bet on the total points or the spread, which evens the odds between the two sides.
For each market, the sportsbook creates odds. These tell you the implied probability of the outcome and also show you how much you can expect to win from your bet. For example, a bet at odds of -250 will payout $100 if your stake was $250. On the other hand, betting at odds of +600 will payout $600 if you staked $100.
Managing Your Bankroll
The key to being successful when betting on any sport is to manage your bankroll. This is the amount of money you have available to bet, and it should always be an amount that you’re comfortable losing. It’s important to remember that betting on sports comes with a lot of risk, even if you’re an expert.
Never bet more than you can afford to lose, and keep to a strict budget. Going over your budget or betting too much can quickly lead to problem gambling and financial problems. Ensure you’re being sensible and betting responsibly at all times.
You can split your bankroll up into units, which are percentages of the total amount. Each time you bet, consider how likely the outcome is and how many units you want to risk. Using percentages means that as you make money, your bets can increase, while they’ll also decrease if you lose.
Research Every Bet
Sports betting is different from any other form of gambling, as your knowledge and understanding of the game improve your chances of success. While you don’t need to be an expert in college football to win, having some knowledge is certainly helpful. You should also be researching every bet instead of relying on a gut feeling or gamblers instinct.
While college football may not be as big as the NFL, there’s still a huge amount of media coverage dedicated to it. This means you can easily find stats and information without much effort. This research will help you make more informed betting decisions.
Aside from traditional sports media like ESPN, you’ll find a lot of great information through social media platforms. Sports journalists, team pages, and even student-athletes themselves will often post things online, and this is a great way to pick up useful data before the odds move against you.
