If you had to guess which college football teams covered the point spread most often during the 2018 season, which teams would you guess? Most people would probably guess top-tier teams like Alabama and Clemson.
But in reality, teams like Florida International, UAB, BYU, Syracuse, and Louisiana-Lafayette all performed better against the spread than Alabama and Clemson.
That goes to show you just how difficult sports betting can be when it comes to college football. It’s sometimes the teams you least expect that perform the best against the spread. It’s why you need to be open to betting on all 129 FBS football teams when you bet on college football games.
There are other steps you need to take to be a successful college football better, too. Here are five college football betting tips that’ll help you win more often.
1. Do Your Homework on Teams Before the Season Starts
The 2019 college football season will kick off on August 24 when Florida and Miami meet up for a game at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. Don’t wait until August 23 to start doing your homework on the various college football teams.
To be successful in sports betting, you need to know as much as you can about all of the teams that you’re going to bet on. Spend your summer consuming college football previews so that you’re ready to go when August 24 comes around.
2. Check on College Football Lines Early in the Week
Once the college football season kicks off, it’ll be important for you to get into the habit of checking college football betting lines as early in the week as possible.
Many sports bettors struggle to do this since they get caught up betting on NFL games on Sunday afternoons and Monday nights. But by monitoring college football lines from Sunday morning through Saturday morning every week, you can spot trends and see which lines offer the most value.
3. Don’t Be Afraid to Bet Against the Public
Throughout the season, there are going to be times when it seems like everyone is betting on one particular team to cover the spread. It’s not uncommon to see 60, 70, or even 80 percent of people bet on the same team.
This is when you should consider “fading the public” and going against the grain with a bet. If you notice that almost everyone appears to be betting on, say, Miami +7.5 to beat Florida in Week 1, taking Florida -7.5 might be a good move.
4. Look for Value in Games Featuring Small Conference Teams
The majority of the people who bet on college football games bet on teams from the so-called “Power Five” conferences. This includes teams from the:
- ACC
- Big Ten
- Big 12
- Pac-12
- SEC
Since these conferences drum up so much interest among sports bettors, most oddsmakers spend a substantial amount of time focusing on the betting lines associated with them.
You can use this to your advantage by betting on games that feature teams from smaller conferences like the American Athletic Conference, the Mid-American Conference, and the Sun Belt Conference. You might find games in these conferences with lines that are just begging to be exposed.
5. Turn to Professional Sports Handicappers for Help
Sports betting can start to feel like a full-time job for some people. There aren’t enough hours in the day for them to do the necessary research on different teams and their matchups throughout the season.
If you don’t have time to do the research it takes to make the best possible college football bets, lean on the experts for help. You can buy sports picks from professional sports handicappers and gain an edge without doing much work on your own.
Rely on This Sports Betting Guide This College Football Season
When it comes to betting on college football, it’s important to remember that the college football season is a marathon, not a sprint. It lasts for 15 weeks, and there are so many things that change over the course of the season.
The team that covers the spread every week from Week 1 through Week 4 might not be the same team by the time Week 5 rolls around. You’ll need to adjust your bets accordingly and learn to roll with the punches throughout the season.
Keep this sports betting guide in your back pocket to guide you, and reach out to the pros for help when you need it. Sign up for one of our college football packages to get exclusive access to the best picks every week.