College football might not be as popular as the NFL, but it’s right below it since there is no minor or second-level American football league in the US. That’s why there are also many college football betting sites, and you can learn more about them below.
Why Is College Football Betting so Popular
College football is regulated by The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the same as other college sports. Without a minor league, college football takes a similar place to the minor league in baseball or the Championship football league in England.
If you add to it that college football has a long history dating back to the nineteenth century, it explains why it's a popular sport to bet on and watch. Many people have personal connections to their colleges from their school days and have followed their favourite teams throughout generations. It’s a feeling they potentially don’t have for their favourite NFL team.
College football games are often high-scoring games and, by many criteria, different from professional football games, making online college football betting attractive to many punters.
How We Rate College Football Betting Sites
College football sports betting is popular in many countries around the world, especially in the US and Canada, which is why many sportsbooks include it in their offer. We list all college football betting sites featured on our website, but you will notice that they don’t have the same rank.
We look into various aspects when rating the best college football betting sites to come up with a unified rank that tells you a bit about the sportsbook. You should also read our sportsbook reviews and look into fellow players’ reviews to learn what to expect should you decide to sign up.
The first thing we look into is the sportsbook’s licence, as we only list licensed operators on our website. Here are other aspects we consider when rating sportsbooks:
Bonuses and Free Bets
A good welcome bonus is always desirable, whether in the form of a deposit match bonus or free bets. It is often what attracts a bettor to a sportsbook because everyone likes it when they get something extra from the operator.
Other bonuses, like cashback, referral, sport-specific or accumulator/parley bonuses, are designed to retain customers. The more bonuses, the better, but they should also have reasonable terms and conditions so we can recommend them to our players.
Betting Markets
Sportsbooks typically offer many betting markets for their most popular sports, but we particularly appreciate it when operators have an above-average number of different markets for less popular options.
Even though college football is not among the most popular sports with sportsbooks outside of the USA, it is still good to see when bettors can choose from a variety of available markets.
Security and Customer Support
Implementing security measures to protect customers’ personal and financial information and keeping separate accounts for their funds are some of the basic ways sportsbooks promote security. Of course, the most important thing is to be licensed by a reputable iGaming authority.
We also test every sportsbook’s customer support to check their availability and responsiveness. Having a live chat option with agents available 24/7 is a big plus, apart from an email address and potentially a phone number.
Payment Methods
Another category where the more, the merrier line applies. Bettors should have a variety of choices when picking their payment method, starting from the basic ones like bank transfer and Visa or Mastercard to digital payment methods such as Skrill, Neteller, Apple Pay, Jeton, MiFinity and others.
In certain countries and jurisdictions, sportsbooks can accept cryptocurrencies as payment methods, so it is good to see when crypto enthusiasts also have plenty of options to choose from, making it more likely that they can use their preferred coins.
Popular Markets for College Football Betting
Popular markets for college football betting include the ones you would typically bet on if you bet on NFL games. For example, if you enjoy betting on handicaps, you can do that with college football, especially if you bet on a game where the sportsbook identifies a favourite and gives good odds on a handicap.
Here are some other markets popular for college football online betting:
Moneyline
Moneyline, or the winner market, is one of the most straightforward markets for many sports and competitions, including college football. It is a market that requires you to pick who you think will win the game, so you can use it even for Super Bowl betting, for example.
A college football match cannot end in a draw, so you will need to pick either the home or the away team to win when placing your bet.
Totals
Betting on totals means you need to predict approximately how many points will be scored in a college football game by both teams together. The bookmaker will set the total at a certain number of points, for example, 65, and you should predict if the total number will be over or under the set mark.
Spread Betting
Point spread is, in its essence, a handicap market that allows you to bet on the number of points you think one team will lose or win by, depending on whether you bet on the favourite or the underdog. If you bet on the underdog, the team can win by any margin or lose by fewer points than the spread for your bet to win.
If the favourite is at a -4.5 point spread handicap, you need the team to win by five or more points to win your bet.
Prop Bets
Before we talk about prop bets, you should know that it is illegal to bet on college football prop bets in some states, so if you live in the US, you should check that first before betting on college football online. NCAA suggested a ban on props to protect the student players and ensure fairness.
Prop bets are popular for Pro Bowl Games betting, for example, where you can bet on individual players, what the first score in the game will be, the number of this and that, and so on.
Major College Football Events
The first week of the season is always a major event for all college football enthusiasts who eagerly wait for the end of August to watch their favourite college teams.
Apart from the games in the regular season, another good opportunity for bettors is college football playoff betting. College football playoffs typically start in December, and the quarter-final and semi-final Bowls are at the beginning of January. The College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship is also played in January.
College football playoff betting sites will have the odds ready for you in advance so you can place some outright bets (or futures). Outright odds change as the event approaches or even unfolds, so you might want to keep track of them.
Is Betting on NCAA Football Legal in the US?
College football betting online is legal in most states where online sports betting is legal in general. However, prop bets are not allowed in some of those states, so our advice is to check this in advance before placing your bets at college football betting sites.
The NCAA only allows Division I athletes to get paid, and it all started after a lawsuit that was settled in May of 2024, allowing athletes who have played in Division I since 2016 to get paid. That adds a level to Division I professionalism, making the NCAA Subdivision I betting feel a bit more like the NFL betting, for example.
Bet on College Football Today
Many people have strong ties to their college football teams and tend to bet on them to show them support. We have probably all seen times before that betting on gut feeling might not be the best idea, and you should look into the available statistics and information before making your bets.
Whenever betting on competitions, whichever competition you choose, make sure to look at past results and the current shape of the teams you are betting on to make a more informed decision. College football betting sites will offer plenty of markets you can bet on, and you should choose the ones you are comfortable with and the ones that fit your betting strategy.
Read our sportsbook reviews to learn more about college football betting sites you can sign up with, choose the welcome bonus you wish to claim and remember to bet responsibly.
