What is a point spread in college football betting?

If you're just getting into betting and reading content about it, you'll see the phrase "point spread" mentioned over and over. It's the most popular type of bet in U.S. sports betting, and it's essentially a wager on the margin of victory or defeat in a game. It's especially important within the college football gambling world given the sheer amount of blowouts, especially early in the season. It was invented decades ago to deal with that exact problem: If you're betting on the margin, games can be exciting in the fourth quarter even if a team is up by 30 points. The lines are pretty easy to understand: A sportsbook will list a spread for a game, and the underdog will have a plus sign while the favorite will own a minus sign. If Ohio State was -14 vs. Minnesota, the Buckeyes would "cover" the game if they won by 15 or more points. The Gophers would cover if they won the game or just lost by 13 or fewer points. If Ohio State won by exactly two touchdowns, it would be deemed a push, which triggers a refund.

What is a total or over/under bet in a college football game?

If you don't believe in either team in a game, but you're confident there will be a shootout given poor defenses or some other factor, totals or over/unders are right up your alley. These are bets on how many points will be scored in a game by both teams. Sportsbooks will list a number, and you can bet "over" or "under" that number to win. Sportsbooks list totals for individual teams, too, and you can also bet different timeframes, like the total for just the first half of a matchup.

How do moneylines work in college football betting?

Moneyline bets are also quite popular, and they're extremely simple, too. With these, you're just wagering on which team will win. It doesn't matter how many points are scored or the margin of victory -- just a win at the end of the game. The odds can be tricky at first, but think of American odds in terms of $100 payouts. If Wisconsin is -190 vs. Penn State, you would have to wager $190 to profit $100 if the Badgers were to win. On the Penn State side, the odds might be +150, which means a $100 bet would profit $150. If mental math isn't your thing, check out our betting calculator, where we'll highlight your potential payout for any bet.

Where Can I Bet on College Football?

If you’re in a U.S. state with legal, online sports betting, there are many choices for any given Saturday college football slate. The bet365 promo code and welcome offer are among the best in the sports betting market. By combining reliable tech and reasonably priced odds — notably, the best moneyline and spread pricing on average on the market — bet365 continues to grow. DraftKings is a household name at this point. They started off as a daily fantasy sports (DFS) company a decade ago, and since sports betting launched in 2018 they've quickly established themselves as one of the top sportsbooks in the country. Sign up using the DraftKings promo code ! FanDuel is the other DFS-turned-sportsbook giant. They're a trusted name in the space, and they really excel with futures markets. If you're a first-time bettor looking to sign up, take advantage of the FanDuel promo code ! BetMGM is a big name because of its hospitality wing and hotels in Vegas, and they also excel as a sportsbook, offering odds in most legal U.S. states. You can sign up for the first time using the BetMGM bonus code ! ESPN launched in late 2023 and is a stellar new sportsbook option for prospective users. Get started by registering with the ESPN BET promo code ! If you'd like to try out a social sportsbook, consider signing up with Fliff and using the Fliff promo code ! Flliff allows users to place bets using virtual currency called "Fliff Coins" and "Fliff Cash." Unlike traditional sportsbooks, Fliff has a sweepstakes model that makes it accessible in regions where traditional sports betting is restricted. Check out our sportsbook reviews for more information on what’s available in your state and exclusive sign-up bonuses and promo codes.

NCAAF Public Betting & Money Percentages

Odds Settings

FREEMoney Percentages

9:30 PM

70%30%

53%47%

+17%

-6-110

+6.5-115

10:00 PM

31%69%

47%53%

+16%

+14-108

-14.5-104

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10:00 PM

N/A

11:00 PM

-7.5+102

+7.5-112

11:00 PM

N/A

11:00 PM

31%69%

+11.5-105

-11.5-110

11:00 PM

31%69%

+18.5-110

-18.5-108

11:00 PM

N/A

11:30 PM

+20.5-110

-20.5-110

11:30 PM

+33.5-104

-33.5-118

11:30 PM

+36.5-105

-36.5-115

12:00 AM

+21.5-110

-21.5-110

12:00 AM

39%61%

+18.5-110

-18-110

Alabama St

ALAST

UAB

12:30 AM

N/A

1:00 AM

80%20%

-6.5-110

+6.5-105

1:00 AM

34%66%

+17.5-105

-17.5-110

2:00 AM

+16.5-110

-16.5-110

10:00 PM

+17.5-105

-17.5-115

11:00 PM

41%59%

+17.5-110

-17.5-108

11:00 PM

44%56%

-7-105

+6.5-102

B-Cookman

BCU

FIU

11:00 PM

N/A

11:00 PM

40%60%

+20-110

-20.5-105

Wagner

WAG

Kansas

11:30 PM

N/A

11:30 PM

+45.5-115

-45.5-105

12:00 AM

64%36%

-4-110

+4-105

12:00 AM

71%29%

-2.5-108

+2.5-110

1:30 AM

-10.5-110

+13-110

2:30 AM

+12.5-110

-11.5-110

4:00 PM

+14.5-110

-14.5-105

Merrimack

Kent State

KENT

4:00 PM

+6.5-105

-6.5-115

$Texas Team Icon$

4:00 PM

63%37%

+2.5-110

-1.5-112

4:00 PM

+16.5-102

-17.5-105

4:00 PM

N/A

4:00 PM

40%60%

+13.5-105

-14-105

4:00 PM

+6.5-115

-5.5-112

VMI

Navy

NAVY

4:00 PM

N/A

4:00 PM

81%19%

-11.5-110

+11.5-108

4:45 PM

11%89%

+8-113

-7.5-110

Fordham

FOR

Boston Col

6:00 PM

N/A

6:00 PM

N/A

6:00 PM

N/A

6:30 PM

30%70%

+22.5-108

-23-110

7:00 PM

+38.5-110

-38.5-110

Holy Cross

N. Illinois

NIU

7:30 PM

N/A

7:30 PM

+44.5-105

-44.5-108

7:30 PM

71%29%

-13.5-110

+13.5-108

7:30 PM

+15.5-110

-15.5-110

7:30 PM

N/A

7:30 PM

+39.5-110

-39.5-108

7:30 PM

-2.5-105

+2.5-102

Maine

Liberty

LIB

8:00 PM

+25.5-110

-25.5-110

8:00 PM

+27.5-110

-27.5-110

8:15 PM

N/A

8:30 PM

N/A

Illinois St

ILS

Oklahoma

10:00 PM

+35.5-110

-35.5-110

10:00 PM

+12.5-110

-12.5-105

10:00 PM

+37.5-105

-37.5-115

Weber State

WEB

JMU

10:00 PM

+25.5-110

-25.5-110

11:00 PM

+36.5-105

-36.5-115

11:00 PM

+10.5-110

-10.5-110

11:00 PM

N/A

11:00 PM

N/A

11:00 PM

27%73%

+22.5-110

-21.5-112

11:00 PM

N/A

11:00 PM

+25.5-105

-25.5-115

11:00 PM

N/A

11:00 PM

+19.5-115

-19.5-105

11:30 PM

55%45%

+4.5-115

-4-108

11:30 PM

+34.5-105

-35.5-105

11:30 PM

+36.5-110

-36.5-110

11:30 PM

N/A

SE Louisiana

SEL

LA Tech

11:30 PM

+13.5-118

-13.5-104

11:30 PM

+6.5-110

-5.5-113

11:45 PM

+38.5-110

-38.5-105

12:00 AM

+13.5-105

-13.5-105

12:00 AM

+14-110

-14-105

12:00 AM

+5.5-115

-5.5-105

Portland State

PRST

BYU

12:00 AM

+37.5-105

-37.5-115

12:00 AM

+25.5-110

-25.5-110

E TA&M

ETAM

SMU

1:00 AM

+46.5-110

-46.5-110

1:00 AM

+19.5-110

-19.5-110

1:30 AM

+2-109

-1-110

2:00 AM

+28.5-105

-28.5-115

2:00 AM

+10.5-110

-10.5-110

2:30 AM

+13.5-105

-14-105

2:30 AM

+3-106

-3-108

3:00 AM

-6.5-108

+6.5-105

3:00 AM

+19.5-105

-20.5-105

7:00 PM

+8-110

-7.5-107

11:30 PM

58%42%

-2.5-105

+2.5-109

12:00 AM

-3.5-105

+3.5-114

Final

41%59%

+2.5+102

-3-105

Idaho State

IDS

UNLV

Final

30%70%

+30.5-110

-30.5-108

Final

27%73%

+13.5-102

-14-108

Final

54%46%

+10-110

-10.5-102

Final

47%53%

+2.5-112

-1.5-118

Scheduled	Open	Best Odds	% of Bets	% of Money	Diff	Bets
FREEMoney Percentages
9:30 PM Boise State BOISE 143 S. Florida USF 144	-9.5 +9.5	-6-110 +6.5-115	70% 30%	53% 47%	+17%	9,496
10:00 PM Ohio OHIO 149 Rutgers RUT 150	+10.5 -10.5	+14-108 -14.5-104	31% 69%	47% 53%	+16%	5,740
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10:00 PM Lafayette LAF Bowling Green BGSU		N/A N/A
11:00 PM Wyoming WYO 147 Akron AKR 148	-8.5 +8.5	-7.5+102 +7.5-112
11:00 PM Delaware St DLS Delaware DEL		N/A N/A
11:00 PM E. Carolina ECU 141 NC State NCST 142	+12.5 -12.5	+11.5-105 -11.5-110	31% 69%
11:00 PM Jax State JVST 145 UCF UCF 146	+16.5 -16.5	+18.5-110 -18.5-108	31% 69%
11:00 PM St. Francis (PA) STF LA-Monroe ULM		N/A N/A
11:30 PM TN-Martin TNM OK State OKST	+22.5 -22.5	+20.5-110 -20.5-110
11:30 PM Elon ELO Duke DUKE	+29.5 -29.5	+33.5-104 -33.5-118
11:30 PM C. Arkansas CARK Missouri MIZ	+36.5 -36.5	+36.5-105 -36.5-115
12:00 AM Stephen FA SFA Houston HOU	+23.5 -23.5	+21.5-110 -21.5-110
12:00 AM Buffalo BUFF 153 Minnesota MINN 154	+17.5 -17.5	+18.5-110 -18-110	39% 61%
12:30 AM Alabama St ALAST UAB UAB		N/A N/A
1:00 AM Nebraska NEB 151 Cincinnati CIN 152	-6.5 +6.5	-6.5-110 +6.5-105	80% 20%
1:00 AM Miami (OH) M-OH 155 Wisconsin WIS 156	+17.5 -17.5	+17.5-105 -17.5-110	34% 66%
2:00 AM Stony Brook SBK San Diego St SDSU	+12.5 -12.5	+16.5-110 -16.5-110
10:00 PM Tarleton TAR Army ARMY	+18.5 -18.5	+17.5-105 -17.5-115
11:00 PM Kennesaw St KENN 161 Wake Forest WF 162	+17.5 -17.5	+17.5-110 -17.5-108	41% 59%
11:00 PM App State APP 159 Charlotte CHA 160	-8.5 +8.5	-7-105 +6.5-102	44% 56%
11:00 PM B-Cookman BCU FIU FIU		N/A N/A
11:00 PM W. Michigan WMU 171 Michigan St MSU 172	+17.5 -17.5	+20-110 -20.5-105	40% 60%
11:30 PM Wagner WAG Kansas KU		N/A N/A
11:30 PM W. Illinois WIL Illinois ILL	+39.5 -39.5	+45.5-115 -45.5-105
12:00 AM GA Tech GT 167 Colorado COLO 168	-4.5 +4.5	-4-110 +4-105	64% 36%
12:00 AM Auburn AUB 163 Baylor BAY 164	-2.5 +2.5	-2.5-108 +2.5-110	71% 29%
1:30 AM UNLV UNLV 165 Sam Houston SHSU 166	-13.5 +13.5	-10.5-110 +13-110
2:30 AM C. Michigan CMU 157 San Jose St SJSU 158	+10.5 -10.5	+12.5-110 -11.5-110
4:00 PM FL Atlantic FAU 183 Maryland UMD 184	+16.5 -16.5	+14.5-110 -14.5-105
4:00 PM Merrimack MC Kent State KENT	+8.5 -8.5	+6.5-105 -6.5-115
4:00 PM $Texas Team Icon$ Texas TEX 187 Ohio State OSU 188	+3 -3	+2.5-110 -1.5-112	63% 37%
4:00 PM Ball State BALL 169 Purdue PUR 170	+16.5 -16.5	+16.5-102 -17.5-105
4:00 PM Duquesne DUQ Pittsburgh PITT		N/A N/A
4:00 PM Syracuse SYR 181 Tennessee TENN 182	+12.5 -12.5	+13.5-105 -14-105	40% 60%
4:00 PM Northwestern NW 203 Tulane TULN 204	+6.5 -6.5	+6.5-115 -5.5-112
4:00 PM VMI VMI Navy NAVY		N/A N/A
4:00 PM Mississippi St MSST 205 Southern Miss USM 206	-12.5 +12.5	-11.5-110 +11.5-108	81% 19%
4:45 PM Toledo TOL 191 Kentucky UK 192	+10.5 -10.5	+8-113 -7.5-110	11% 89%
6:00 PM Fordham FOR Boston Col BC		N/A N/A
6:00 PM Robert Morris RMU West Virginia WVU		N/A N/A
6:00 PM Central Conn CCSU UConn UCONN		N/A N/A
6:30 PM Old Dominion ODU 175 Indiana IU 176	+23.5 -23.5	+22.5-108 -23-110	30% 70%
7:00 PM E. Kentucky EKU Louisville LOU	+40.5 -40.5	+38.5-110 -38.5-110
7:30 PM Holy Cross HC N. Illinois NIU		N/A N/A
7:30 PM Nevada NEV 173 Penn State PSU 174	+45.5 -45.5	+44.5-105 -44.5-108
7:30 PM Alabama BAMA 211 Florida St FSU 212	-12.5 +12.5	-13.5-110 +13.5-108	71% 29%
7:30 PM South Dakota SDAK Iowa State ISU	+16.5 -16.5	+15.5-110 -15.5-110
7:30 PM Bucknell BUCK Air Force AFA		N/A N/A
7:30 PM Marshall MRSH 189 Georgia UGA 190	+39.5 -39.5	+39.5-110 -39.5-108
7:30 PM Temple TEM 179 UMass MASS 180	-1.5 +1.5	-2.5-105 +2.5-102
8:00 PM Maine ME Liberty LIB	+26.5 -26.5	+25.5-110 -25.5-110
8:00 PM Montana St MOS Oregon ORE	+27.5 -27.5	+27.5-110 -27.5-110
8:15 PM Alabama A&M AAM Arkansas ARK		N/A N/A
8:30 PM Chattanooga CHT Memphis MEM		N/A N/A
10:00 PM Illinois St ILS Oklahoma OU	+35.5 -35.5	+35.5-110 -35.5-110
10:00 PM Coastal Car CC 185 Virginia UVA 186	+12.5 -12.5	+12.5-110 -12.5-105
10:00 PM Albany ALB Iowa IOWA	+32.5 -32.5	+37.5-105 -37.5-115
10:00 PM Weber State WEB JMU JMU	+21.5 -21.5	+25.5-110 -25.5-110
11:00 PM Charleston So CCH Vanderbilt VAN	+35.5 -35.5	+36.5-105 -36.5-115
11:00 PM SE Missouri SEM Arkansas St ARST	+11.5 -11.5	+10.5-110 -10.5-110
11:00 PM Long Island LIU Florida FLA		N/A N/A
11:00 PM N Alabama UNA W. Kentucky WKU		N/A N/A
11:00 PM UTSA UTSA 213 Texas A&M TA&M 214	+20.5 -20.5	+22.5-110 -21.5-112	27% 73%
11:00 PM Morgan State MGN S. Alabama USA		N/A N/A
11:00 PM North Dakota UND K State KSU	+30.5 -30.5	+25.5-105 -25.5-115
11:00 PM Austin Peay APSU Middle Tenn MTSU		N/A N/A
11:00 PM Nicholls St NIC Troy TROY	+22.5 -22.5	+19.5-115 -19.5-105
11:30 PM LSU LSU 219 Clemson CLEM 220	+3 -3	+4.5-115 -4-108	55% 45%
11:30 PM Missouri St MOST 217 USC USC 218	+32.5 -32.5	+34.5-105 -35.5-105
11:30 PM New Mexico UNM 177 Michigan MICH 178	+34.5 -34.5	+36.5-110 -36.5-110
11:30 PM AR-Pine Bluff APB Texas Tech TTU		N/A N/A
11:30 PM SE Louisiana SEL LA Tech LT	+14.5 -14.5	+13.5-118 -13.5-104
11:30 PM UTEP UTEP 193 Utah State USU 194	+3.5 -3.5	+6.5-110 -5.5-113
11:45 PM Georgia State GAST 207 Ole Miss MISS 208	+36.5 -36.5	+38.5-110 -38.5-105
12:00 AM Rice RICE 215 Louisiana UL 216	+14.5 -14.5	+13.5-105 -13.5-105
12:00 AM E. Michigan EMU 209 Texas St TXST 210	+14 -14	+14-110 -14-105
12:00 AM Ab Christian ACU Tulsa TLSA	+4.5 -4.5	+5.5-115 -5.5-105
12:00 AM Portland State PRST BYU BYU	+28.5 -28.5	+37.5-105 -37.5-115
12:00 AM Lamar LAM North Texas UNT	+23.5 -23.5	+25.5-110 -25.5-110
1:00 AM E TA&M ETAM SMU SMU	+46.5 -46.5	+46.5-110 -46.5-110
1:00 AM Bryant U BRY N. Mexico St NMSU	+19.5 -19.5	+19.5-110 -19.5-110
1:30 AM GA Southern GASO 199 Fresno State FRES 200	+2.5 -2.5	+2-109 -1-110
2:00 AM N. Arizona NAZ Arizona St ASU	+28.5 -28.5	+28.5-105 -28.5-115
2:00 AM Idaho IDHO Washington St WSU	+11.5 -11.5	+10.5-110 -10.5-110
2:30 AM Hawaii HAW 197 Arizona ARI 198	+13.5 -13.5	+13.5-105 -14-105
2:30 AM California CAL 221 Oregon St ORST 222	+2.5 -2.5	+3-106 -3-108
3:00 AM Utah UTAH 201 UCLA UCLA 202	-4.5 +4.5	-6.5-108 +6.5-105
3:00 AM Colorado St CSU 195 Washington WASH 196	+19.5 -19.5	+19.5-105 -20.5-105
7:00 PM VA Tech VT 229 S. Carolina SC 230	+9.5 -9.5	+8-110 -7.5-107
11:30 PM Notre Dame ND 231 Miami (FL) MIA 232	-3 +3	-2.5-105 +2.5-109	58% 42%
12:00 AM TCU TCU 233 UNC UNC 234	-3 +3	-3.5-105 +3.5-114
Final Iowa State ISU 305 K State KSU 306	+3.5 -3.5	+2.5+102 -3-105	41% 59%
Final Idaho State IDS UNLV UNLV	+21.5 -21.5	+30.5-110 -30.5-108	30% 70%
Final Fresno State FRES 309 Kansas KU 310	+14 -14	+13.5-102 -14-108	27% 73%
Final Sam Houston SHSU 307 W. Kentucky WKU 308	+9.5 -9.5	+10-110 -10.5-102	54% 46%
Final Stanford STAN 311 Hawaii HAW 312	-1.5 +1.5	+2.5-112 -1.5-118	47% 53%

Because of its popularity and sheer volume of games, there are fewer sports in the world that have as much money bet on them every year than college football. That will only continue to grow, too, as sports betting works itself into the mainstream and more states legalize betting and come online.

With more public money entering the market, there's more opportunities to spot edges on bets using The Action Network's data and tools.

How to Use Public Betting and Money Percentages in College Football Betting

We house betting data from numerous U.S. online sportsbooks, including "percentage of bets" and "percentage of money" on every college football game and major bet type.

Percentage (%) of bets: The percentage of wagers on a particular side of a game. For example, if Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt had 20,000 total bets that we've tracked and 12,000 of those are on the Vols, we'd say that Tennessee has received 60% of the bets.
Percentage (%) of money: This is the same thing except for the money. If we know the total handle, we can then calculate the percentage of money on one side or another of a bet.

Combining those two factors can help college football bettors eye bets that might be worth making. The reason is because not all bets are the same amount of money. Some bettors might place just $10 on a game, while professional bettors -- sometimes called "sharps" -- might wager $10,000.

Thus, the difference between the percentage of money and the percentage of bets can often highlight the games in which pro bettors are getting down action. And, well, they're professional and bet high amounts for a reason: It could be a good bet to take those sides.

It's also important to look at the total number of bets we're tracking, which you can see on the far right of the table above. The reason is that you don't want to put too much stock in a money vs. bet difference that has a small sample of bets. Utilizing all four factors -- bet percentage, money percentage, bet vs. money percentage (the delta), and total bets -- is recommended when using betting data to gain an advantage.