How to bet on NCAA football: Best promotions, best bets on college football - January 2024

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The Georgia Bulldogs beat the TCU Horned Frogs to secure their second consecutive CFP Championship on January 9. As we transition into the CFB offseason, players can review some of the best options for betting on college football.

The Action Network will review the best and easiest ways to wager on college football through the premier sportsbooks in the country to give bettors a better chance on Monday and next season.

Best CFB promotions

Rank Betting Site Bonus States Claim

1

Bet $10+, Get $40 in Bonus Bets (up to $200)over your first 5 Days!

• TN, CO, OH, KY, MA, MD, WV Only.
• New users only, 21 or older. Full T&Cs apply.

Get Bonus

2

Get a 20 percent deposit match up to $1,500! With bonus code TRIB1500

• AZ, NJ, IN, CO, IA, IL, LA, MA, MD, MI, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY only.
• New customers only. Must be 21+. Welcome offer not available in NY & DC. Full T&C apply.

Get Bonus

3

Bet $5, Get $150 Paid in bonus bets

• CO, OH, LA, NJ, IA, KY, VA, only.
• New customers only. 18+ in KY, must be 21+ in all other states. Full T&C apply.

Get Bonus

4

Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets!

• AZ, CO, IA, IN, IL, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, PA, OH, TN, VA, WV, WY Only.
• New users only, 21 or older. Full T&Cs apply.

Get Bonus

5

Get up to $1,000 in bonus bets with code TRIBUNE1000

• AZ, CO, IN, IA, IL, KS, KY, LA, MA, ME, MD, MI, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA, WY, WV
• New customers only. Must be 21+. Full T&C apply.

Get Bonus

More on CFB sports betting

The best CFB betting options

Fanatics Sportsbook

While Fanatics, the apparel giant, is new to the sports betting landscape they have a generous Bet and Get offer new customers as they move away from the beta app.

Currently, new users who place a cash wager of at least $10 can get $40 in FanCash as bonus bets each day, for their first five days amounting to $200 total.

Notably, desktop users will be asked to complete a brief survey before they can download the sportsbook.

BetMGM

Currently, this exclusive 20 percent $1,500 deposit match offer can be claimed by any new bettor in virtually any BetMGM state, using the bonus code TRIB1500. To claim this offer, new users will need to meet a 10x wagering requirement within the first 30 days of registering their account, meaning that they need to bet 10 times the amount of sports bonuses received within the first 30 days of registering their account.

This promotion is not available in Kentucky, New York and Washington D.C.

New players can get their first stake back in bonus bets — up to $1,500 — if their initial wager doesn’t hit with the bonus code TRIB1500, bettors in the Bluegrass State can take advantage of this offer. They offer future odds on the national champion and the Heisman Trophy winner as well as on conference champions.

While this promotion is available in most legal BetMGM states, Kentucky bettors cannot claim this offer. New bettors in Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia can claim a $200 bet and get with a $10 cash wager on any market. This promotion is accessible using the bonus code TRIBUNEGET.

BetMGM’s live betting can help you make adjustments as the game changes with a huge variety of live statistics.

FanDuel

FanDuel’s current new customer offer is structured as a Bet and Get promotion. New users can get $150 in bonus bets with a $5 cash wager on any market.

Their excellent odds on a variety of college football games makes watching a mid-major just as entertaining as an SEC rivalry.

• Get the FanDuel offer

Caesars Sportsbook

Caesars Sportsbook has a reputation for high stakes with hefty payouts, but they also offer great odds on college football matchups in a wide array of markets.

Caesars Sportsbook welcome offer is another Bet and Get promotion with a similar threshold.

New users can get their complete stake back in bonus bets — up to $1,000 — when they sign up with the promo code TRIBUNE1000.

Legal CFB betting states

College football betting is in a somewhat gray area even in legal sports betting states. Many states that have legalized sports betting feature specific restrictions surrounding betting on college sports.

For example, while Colorado has legalized sports betting, including collegiate betting, you cannot place player prop wagers. In Connecticut and some other states, collegiate betting is permitted but not on in-state college teams.

Overall, navigating the regulations on college betting can be difficult. Bettors can use the table below as an overview of the legality of college sports betting by state.

Popular college bets

As previously noted, the restrictions around collegiate betting vary compared to the relatively uniform parameters for professional betting. Some states allow online sports betting but do not allow college wagering; some states bar player props while others allow college sports betting but only on out of state teams.

In legal states, moneyline and spread bets are immensely popular among college football bettors and football bettors in general. Spreads can be tougher to predict in college football because of the increased amount of blowouts, some expected and some unexpected, that occur in an average college football season compared to an NFL season.

Totals bets, often referred to as over/under bets, are also very popular among football bettors, especially college football bettors because the average points-per-game totals are much higher among the premier college teams than the professional teams. For example two of the best offensive teams in the NCAA this year, Tennessee and Ohio State, average almost 15 points more a game than the highest scoring NFL team this year, the Chiefs, who have averaged just under 30 points a game.

Futures bets are quite popular among college bettors as well, especially at the start of the regular season or the CFP. Parlays are available for some college betting but, as noted below, they are significantly riskier.

Player props are not available in all legal online sports betting states as only a handful of states have allowed for player props even with legalized collegiate sports betting.

Types of bets

Moneyline

A moneyline wager is the standard outcome bet. It’s simply a bet on who will win. If you were to wager on the Jan. 9 National Championship game. Georgia is favored so the moneyline is -450 compared to TCU on the moneyline at +350.

If you wagered a $100 on TCU and the Horned frogs came out victorious, you would win $350. Conversely, you would need to wager $450 on Georgia to win $100 because they are heavily favored.

Spread

Spread bets are also fairly common, especially in football where the scores are somewhat easier to predict than basketball and there are more points than baseball. A spread wager is a bet on the amount the victor wins by.

It will be displayed as a negative number next to the favored team. For example, Georgia is a roughly 12.5-point favorite against TCU in the National Championship. If a bettor feels that is too generous, that TCU’s high-powered offense will be able to keep the game closer, they would wager on the Horned Frogs to cover the spread. That means they’re wagering on TCU to lose by less than 12.5 points.

If they wager on Georgia to cover, they would be betting on the Bulldogs to win by more than 12.5 points. If the game ends with the exact spread given by a particular book, the wager would result in a push and the bettor would receive their stake back.

Totals

A totals bet, often called an over/under bet, is a wager on the total amount of points scored by both teams in the game.

Critically, in a totals bet, you’re not trying to guess the exact amount of points scored but rather if the points scored by both teams will go above or below the amount allotted from the books.

Classically, over/under bets were specifically on final score but with new developments in sports betting, totals bets have become more specialized. Now, users can place over/under bets on the amount of yards a player will run for or the amount of three pointers a team will make.

Over/under bets are incredibly popular among football bettors because the total points are often easier to predict in football than baseball or basketball.

Totals bets are often very popular with soccer bettors as well. Many sportsbooks offered totals bets throughout the tournament.

Parlays

A parlay wager can be on virtually anything, from the stats of a specific player combined with a certain outcome of a game, or the outcome of two or more games or the stats of two players. Because of the higher risk with pairing two or more bets together, the parlay payout is much higher.

A parlay bet can include as many bets (in this context called legs) as you choose, the more legs of the bet the higher the potential payout and the higher the risk.

The enticing payout from parlays can be deceptive, as the multiple legs make the bet significantly riskier.

Futures

Futures bets are a wager on the future outcome of a team or player. The are often on a season long scale rather than a daily or evenly weekly timetable.

They are also often in play with a specific team or player award.

For example, prior to the first game of the year, many sportsbooks release team futures which are the odds on a given team to make the CFP or win the championship. These odds are often updated throughout the year to include a particular team’s record, injuries and a variety of other factors.

Similarly, some books offer player futures where bettors can wager on how a particular player will perform that season, who will win the Heisman or other awards.

Futures can often be very fun during conference championship week or playoff time, but overall they are most often in play at the start of each season.

FAQ

Is betting on college football legal?

Short answer, yes college football betting is legal in several states, review the table above for more information about which states allow for collegiate betting. Notably, some states that do allow college betting have specific restrictions about what kind of bets are allowed or who you are allowed to bet on.

For example, many states that have legalized collegiate betting do not allow for betting on in-state teams. Additionally some states that have legalized online collegiate betting do not allow for player props.

What is the easiest way to bet on CFB?

Placing your bets on college football is as easy as any other sport. First, review the offers by sportsbooks to determine what the best option is for you based on your state and the bets you want to place.

What are the best bets for CFB?

In terms of payouts, the best college football bets would likely be a parlay as the payouts increase with the risk. However, if you’re looking for something with a bit lower risk that could still payout high, look at team futures.

The options are competitive especially at the start of the year and if you feel your team has the juice for a late season run, put a little bit down for a more entertaining season.

21+ and present in OH. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER

OH only. 21+. New users and first wager only. Must register with eligible promo code. Bet amount of qualifying wager returned only if wager is settled as a loss. Maximum bet credit $1,500; must be used within 14 days of receipt. See Caesars.com/promos for full terms. Void where prohibited. Know When To Stop Before You Start.® Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.