When it comes to wagering on sports, many people think about horse racing and the like. However, there is another option that has recently become incredibly popular and that is college football betting. For those who aren’t familiar, college football is the sport where large schools with big budgets play against other large schools with big budgets. The odds of winning usually favor the teams with more resources, so it is no wonder that so many people are interested in this particular form of wagering.
One of the reasons why college football betting is such a hot topic at the moment is because of the pandemic. Amidst the ongoing health concerns, people are struggling to follow sports, especially ones that are on the move, like college football. As a result, those who want to make a wager have to do so online, limiting the number of betting sites that they can visit and confusing the matter even further. With college football betting, it is all the more important to make the right choice because the margins of error are so slim. If you want to win, you need to take the time to study the teams and pick the right side. Otherwise, it’s no wonder that people are turning to lines created specifically for football betting.
It’s All About The Teams
When it comes to making an informed decision about college football betting, it is important to study the teams, rather than the games. It is a common misconception that playing a pivotal role in a game, regardless of whether it’s by officiating or scoring an eventual winner, makes that decision fair game for wagering. In fact, the odds of any given game, as defined by the vigorish (the juice) on the betting site, are completely independent of the teams’ actual standing in the grand scheme of things. In other words, the favorite in a given game does not necessarily mean that the team is a better bet to win the whole tournament. This was further exemplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, which not only prevented fans from gathering in large groups but also prevented the formation of instant teams, like in the NFL or Major League Baseball. Naturally, this posed problems for sportsbooks that relied on in-game action for generating revenue.
The key takeaway from this part of the discussion is that, even during the pandemic, it is still all about the teams. In fact, it may be even more important to pick the right team now, since the uncertainty of the pandemic has driven the search for safe and profitable options. This is also important for people who want to wager on the Superbowl, since, as the host of the game, there is no other option but to pick the winner, regardless of whether you feel that the team has a better chance of winning or losing as a standalone unit.
Learning From History
One of the reasons why college football betting is a relatively new phenomenon is that it was inspired by something that happened in the twentieth century. Specifically, in the early 1900s, underwriters, or insurance companies, were taking a beating from under-performers, known as “borrowed games,” since they had to pay up regardless of the outcome. At that point, insurance companies got together and decided that, rather than taking a financial hit, they would bet on the outcomes of certain games to generate additional revenue. This gave rise to the invention of the “point-spread,” which is still used as the basis for most sports betting in North America today. Specifically, the point spread was developed to gauge the “over/under” performance of one team (usually the favorite) against another team (usually the underdog). The idea is to avoid taking a financial hit in cases where the favorite does not perform well, but to make money when they do (or at least come close).
This idea was further refined over the years to create the NCAA football betting season. Primarily, the NCAA set up schedules whereby teams play three or four games over the course of the season, rather than the two or three that used to be the norm. This meant that, even during the offseason, there was still action to be had.
This, of course, changed during the pandemic. With fewer people engaged in physical activity, and the overall entertainment industry taking a hit, sportsbooks were looking for ways to compensate for their reduced revenue streams. What they did, in an attempt to be “sports” about it and retain some interest for consumers, was shorten the bet sizing and increase the amount of vigorish, or juice, on the wagering site. As a result, it is fair to say that college football betting, as it exists today, was forged during the pandemic.
Winning Is Still Everything
Last but not least, it is important to note that, although the odds may not be in your favor, that is not necessarily the case when it comes to picking winning teams in college football betting. The key takeaway from this part of the discussion is that you shouldn’t necessarily bet on the team you think has the best chance of winning. Instead, you should bet on the team you think is most likely to win. Sometimes the favorite is the best choice, but sometimes it’s not. You have to be able to tell the difference. This is where having a good feel for the game comes in handy, as you will be able to identify situations, such as when a given team is playing at home, or against a weaker opponent, where they are likely to outperform the odds.
In the grand scheme of things, there is no handbook that can tell you, with absolute certainty, which team will win each and every game, or match for that matter. However, there are certain strategies that can help you narrow your bets to those teams that are most likely to win, based on the rules and norms of the game itself. It is also a good idea to keep an eye on the markets, or trends, in college football and observe how teams are performing against the odds, as well as how they are performing throughout the season, rather than just relying on whatever information you might find online at the moment. This is where having a good feel for the game, coupled with an understanding of the trends, come in handy, as you will be able to identify which teams are most likely to win, given the circumstances.
To wrap things up, it is important to remember that, as with any other form of wagering, it is all about the strategy, rather than the individual game picks, when it comes to college football betting. Sometimes it’s better to be the underdog, and sometimes it’s better to be the favorite. There is no correct answer; it just depends on the situation, or set of circumstances, that you are in when making your wager.