College Football Odds & Betting Lines

Looking for the latest college football odds? You’re in the right spot — on this page, you can compare NCAA football odds between top sportsbooks for US players. 

Simply check out the odds table below and click through to sign up if you see a price you like. Or, keep reading to learn more about this thrilling betting market that paves the way to the NFL. And if you want to know what else is happening across the US sporting landscape, check out the latest sports betting news courtesy of our experts. 

How College Football Works

Played by student athletes, college football pits academic institutions against one another in a bid to be crowned national champions. College football is considered the second tier of football in the US, which — unlike other sports — does not have farm or feeder teams. For both coaches and viewers alike, it’s a great chance to discover fresh talent, with players’ performances directly impacting their chances of going pro.

NCAA college football is split into three divisions:

• Division I is at the top, consisting mostly of institutions with the biggest budgets and best facilities.
• Division II features smaller institutions that offer fewer scholarships.
• Division III institutions don’t offer scholarships but still field teams in college football.

Div I is split into two subdivisions:

• The Bowl Subdivision (FBS) has 133 teams split into 11 conferences. It’s structured around a regular season followed by playoffs and represents the very top level of college football.
• The Championship Subdivision (FCS) features 128 teams across 14 conferences, and also involves a regular season and playoffs. 

The majority of sports fans will want to follow the FBS as it’s the pinnacle of collegiate football. Teams that win at least six matches are eligible for a post-season bowl game, with match-ups determined based on conference. The number of bowl games continues to increase, with 60 in the calendar for the 2023–24 season — compared to just 23 when the series began in 1998. 

College football represents some tantalizing betting opportunities, but ultimately it’s much more than that. Smaller towns and cities that otherwise lack representation in professional sports can get behind familiar faces, making it easy to see why these leagues are so popular with Americans.

Biggest College Football Betting Events

With so many teams participating, it can be hard to keep up with the latest matches. Here are some key dates to stick in your diary.

College Football Playoff

A postseason invitational knockout tournament, the winner of the CFP is crowned national champion of the Bowl Subdivision. Historically, four teams have taken part — the 2023–24 season will see 12 teams compete — selected by a committee, with two progressing to the National Championship game. The Alabama Crimson Tide is the most successful team with 3 wins in total, while the Georgia Bulldogs won the 2022–23 season. 

Conference Championship Games

Teams in the FBS are split into 11 conferences, and each one has its own championship game:

• Conference USA;
• Pacific-12;
• Big 12;
• Mid-American Conference;
• Mountain West;
• American Athletic Conference;
• Southeastern Conference;
• Sun Belt;
• Southwestern Athletic Conference;
• Atlantic Coast conference;
• Big Ten.

All games for the 2023 season are set for December 2, except for CUSA and Pac-12 which will take place on December 1.  

NCAA Div 1 Football Championship

The winner of these 24-team playoffs is named national champion of the FCS. The 2022–23 season saw North Dakota battle South Dakota for the title, with the South attaining a comfortable 45–21 victory. The next match-up is set for January 7 2024, with competitors still to be decided.

NCAA Div 2 Football Championship

Determining the winner of NCAA Div 2, 28 teams compete in this postseason playoff tournament. The Ferris State Bulldogs are current champions, but Northwest Missouri State is the most successful team having won 6 of its 10 appearances. The next Div 2 championship game is set for December 16 2023. 

NCAA Div 3 Football Championship

The playoffs on the bottom rung of NCAA football are contested by 32 teams. The North Central Cardinals from Illinois took the title in the 2022 season, beating Mount Union 28–21. The 2023 Div 3 national championship game, known as the Stagg Bowl, is set for December 14.

How to Read NCAA Football Odds

Before you can bet on college football odds, you need to know how to read them! There are three formats used at online sportsbooks, which we’ve explained below.

American Odds

American odds are, unsurprisingly, the most common way to display betting prices in the US. Take an upcoming NCAA game for example:

• Louisville +118
• Florida State -142

You’ll see each number is preceded by a plus or minus. In a simple moneyline, odds with a minus typically indicate the favorite and represent the amount you have to bet to win $100. Odds with a plus, on the other hand, represent the underdog and the amount you stand to win from a $100 bet. So, a winning $10 bet on Louisville would return $11.80 in profit plus your original stake. 

Fractional Odds

Popular in the UK, this format shows NCAA odds as a fraction:

• Louisville 1.18/1
• Florida State 0.7/1 

The numerator (left number) indicates the amount you stand to win from a stake equal to the denominator (right number).

Decimal Odds

Another odds format you might see is decimal:

• Louisville 2.18
• Florida State 1.7

Here, you simply multiply your stake by the decimal odds to calculate the total return from a winning bet. So a winning bet of $5 on Florida State would return $8.50 — your original $5 stake plus $3.50 profit.

Popular College Football Betting Types

Moneyline: This is the easiest bet to understand and is ideal for beginners. With this bet who are placing money on who will win the game. Perfect if you are placing a small wager on your alma mater to win a game for loyalty reasons.

Total Points (Over/Under): A very common bet in College Football this. The Sportsbook will put up a number for the total amount of points they think the two teams will put up and you have to decide whether the two teams together will go over or under that number. If doesn't matter who scores the points, they all count the same. So if Alabama are playing Auburn and the over/under number is 39.5 - if Alabama win 40-0 or 21-19 - the over will win either way. It should be noted here that overtime counts so if a game goes to OT - those points matter and helps the over bettors and crushes the under.

Spread: If you are watching College Gameday on ESPN on a Saturday morning in the fall, you'll often hear Coach Corso say something like 'closer than the expert thinks' and this is a reference to a spread bet. A Sportsbook will look at a game and handicap the two teams accordingly to where they believe they'll get even action on either side of the line. So if they think Alabama should beat Auburn by 6.5pts as an example, Alabama will be priced up at -6.5 on the spread. At that point, you bet it like the Moneyline but with that handicap included. If Alabama win by seven or more then you win. If they lose or win by less than seven points then you will lose.

Teaser Bets: This is essentially the same as a spread bet but you can move the line for shorter/longer odds. Using the example above, if you think Alabama are going to crush their rivals by say 9.5pts or more - you can move the line to get better odds.

Parlay Bets: This bet is where you have the option to bet on multiple games on a single ticket. The upside of this is a far bigger payout but at a hugely inflated risk. You can bet on up to 15 games on one ticket. To get a payout on this one you have to win every single leg of the parlay.

Future Bets: This bet is where you are betting on an outright winner of either the playoffs or the various conferences.

Player Props: Want to get into the nitty-gritty of college football odds? Look out for player props. Here, you can bet on a specific player’s statistics over the course of a game, for example passing yards, rushing yards, receiving yards, etc. Typically, player props take an over/under format so you’ll be betting whether you think the total will pass a set number or not. 

Free Bets for College Football Odds

Whether you’re a seasoned bettor on college football or looking to get your feet wet for the first time, it’s worth looking out for free bets. These offers let you bet on NCAA odds without putting your own money on the line. They come in a range of formats, which you can read more about below.

Welcome Free Bets

The majority of free bet offers you’ll find are welcome promotions which can be taken advantage of when you sign up for a new account with a betting site. Typically, you’ll have to deposit or bet a certain amount in order to qualify, after which you’ll receive bonus bet credit of a certain value.  

Money Back Bets

Money back bets are another popular option. With these offers, if you bet on a college football game but your prediction was off, you’ll get your stake refunded as a free bet up to a certain value. While the free bet can’t be withdrawn, you’ll get another chance to land a winner. 

Matched Deposits

Matched deposits work much like free bets, but the amount of bonus bet credit you get depends on the size of your qualifying deposit. For example, a 100% match up to $100 would see a $100 deposit met with an extra $100 in bet credit. 

Insurance Free Bets

Insurance free bets are like money back bets, but are given under certain circumstances. Parlay insurance, for example, will return your stake as a free bet if your parlay loses by just one leg. 

Free Bet Clubs

For regular bettors, free bet clubs give you a chance to land weekly bonus bets when you wager a certain amount. You might get a $5 free bet when you bet at least $15 on NCAA football each week, for example.

Compare College Football Odds and Sign Up

Ready to compare NCAAF odds? Simply check out our handy table at the top of this page to find the best prices across US sportsbooks. Once you’ve found one you like the look of, just click through to sign up and place your bets. Good luck!

College Football Odds Frequently Asked Questions