The line item in question appears on many, if not all, NCAA Football betting menus, and its abbreviation, UF+150, translates to “Underdog plus 150.” Odds makers assume that this is just another meaningless sports betting jargonism. Not so! According to those in the know, this is a combination phrase that stands for something rather special.
History Of The Phrase
The use of “UF+150” in sports betting actually goes back many years. That’s because, traditionally, underdogs have been popular in sports, and punters seeking an advantage have turned to backing them.
Take 1936, for instance. That was the year that the Atlanta football squad, which is now the National Football League’s (NFL) Atlanta Falcons, became an underdog in the form of the University of Georgia (UGA) Bulldogs. The game was played that year at the conclusion of UGA’s regular season, and the final score was 7-0 in favor of the underdog Falcons.
In any case, even though the bettor lost that game, the concept behind backing the underdog was sound. After all, studies have shown that people tend to undervalue the odds of winning when the likelihood of losing is high. This has been referred to as the “human equation.” So, in theory, backing the underdog should make you feel better about a wager, because you’re basically saying that you have more faith in your side than the bookmaker does.
What Is The Underdog Factor?
The concept behind betting on underdogs is simple. As the name would suggest, an underdog is a team that is expected to lose. In theory, the theory being that no one expects the “underdog” to win, the odds should be in the bettor’s favor. The more dramatic the team name, the greater the perceived chance of victory. So, for example, if you were betting on the Chicago Cubs in the 2016 World Series, you would obviously be placing a very large wager, as the name would imply.
Although there’s no set number of upsets that must occur before a team can be considered an underdog, there is such a thing as an upset underdog. These are teams that win more often than expected and, as a result, the theory goes, the odds against them should be in their favor.
How Does The UF+150 Phrase Work?
When applied to a wager on NCAA football games, the Underdog factor and UF+150 combine to create what is known as an “upset factor”. Let’s say, for example, that you have a wager on LSU versus Oklahoma in an upcoming game. If you check the betting odds, you will see that they are very, very short, as expected. After all, LSU is a heavy favorite, whereas Oklahoma is an underdog. So, according to the bookmaker, you should have little or no faith in the Sooners’ chances of winning. But you may feel differently, based on the team’s recent performance. If you believe, for whatever reason, that LSU will take the game then, all things considered, you would be better off avoiding the wager altogether.
On the other hand, if you think that Oklahoma will come out on top then, the upside is that you will be rewarded handsomely. Here’s how the UF+150 plays out:
Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that you believe that Oklahoma will come out on top in the game between LSU and Oklahoma. In that case, you would be wise to invest in the underdog, LSU, as opposed to the favorite, Oklahoma. After all, if you believe that the Sooners will win then, the only way you can lose is if LSU scores a phenomenal amount of points. In that scenario, the Over/Under (O/U) for the game would be set at 7.5 points.
Key Takeaways
Backing the underdogs has long been a popular strategy in sports betting. Its popularity continues to grow as we approach the end of the year and the beginning of the next, with teams like the New York Giants, Los Angeles Rams, and Dallas Cowboys all being popular picks for the postseason. More and more people are realizing that underdogs often provide the best opportunity for profit in the long-term.
Although the strategy behind betting on underdogs can be rather straightforward, applying the strategy correctly can be difficult. As was the case with the 2016 World Series, where the Chicago Cubs defied the odds and beat the favorite, the New York Yankees, for the pennant, sportsbooks may fiddle with the lineups and rotations of the teams they list as underdogs to create an unfair advantage for themselves.
Simply put, if you think that the underdog is going to win, then go with them. By all means, back them. By doing so, you will improve your odds of profiting from the wager. But, if you think that they are going to lose, then perhaps avoid the wager altogether. At the very least, make sure that you are aware of the situation before you commit to the action.