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How to Adjust Bets Between College & NFL Games

How to Adjust Bets Between College & NFL Games

Author: Steven D. Thompson

Updated: 11/10/2024 11:21 AM

Adjusting bets between college & NFL games can be problematic, but football punters are spoilt for choice with a large variety of betting options. The sport features a lot of activity and wide popularity. It's not unusual then to see punters shuffling for opportunities to place wagers during the high profile games.

Among the most popular tournaments for American football betting are the NFL and college games. Both sports events have attracted the largest sporting attention. Bets in these football leagues are therefore very popular. However, it will be wrong to approach all the games in the same way.

Punters must come to terms with the fact that betting on the NFL is different from college football betting. While both are football games, they have certain uniqueness that could impact betting choices.

How do you then adjust your bets to accommodate the differences between these two important events? How do you create separate strategies for both the NCAA events and the Super Bowl championship?

If these and more are the questions on your mind, you're in the right place. Here in this guide by Betpack, we'll be showing you the distinctions between the NFL and college football. We'll then discuss how to utilize this info to place profitable bets on both events. We'll also be adding extra spice to help you getd placing these successful wagers.

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Table of Contents

Differences Between the NFL and College Football

The first step to adjusting bets between these football events is understanding the differences between them. While there isn't so much difference in the gameplay, there are some reasons why you should place bets on them differently. You need to understand these things to make winning bets.

Let's show you some of them:

The Difference in Team Strength

Comparing the team strength and individual player status in the NFL and college football games, it's obvious that the best players are in the NFL. The National Football League remains the most prestigious football event in all of America. Therefore, the teams constitute more skilled and experienced players.

Furthermore, the skill gap in college football is often very wide. You can easily find an average team matched up with an extremely strong squad. In such scenarios, placing bets wouldn't be much of a hurdle. The NFL, however, features more fierce competition and tighter matchups. In contrast, only a few games are highly profiled, especially in lower college conferences.

Consequently, punters need to develop solid strategies for their betting action on any NFL game. Not as though you should let down your guard for college events. However, you should note the difference in talents, athleticism, and strength in these events. With that in mind, you can adjust your bets accordingly.

Availability of Team Information

Information about teams in the National Championship game is widely available. Punters can easily get deep info about the players, coach, and other team happenings. Injury reports are also easily spread in the NFL. These help punters when placing wagers.

While information is not totally obscure in college football, searching out deep details may be an arduous task. This is especially true about teams in less popular conferences. Information about these teams is not always readily available to the betting public. Those who can search out this info may give themselves a great edge when handicapping the match.

Yet, this imbalance in the availability of information may be a problem for punters looking to bet on some teams. That is why punters shouldn't view college and NFL team bets with the same lens.

Differences in Coaching Techniques

Like there is an imbalance in information in college football, there are also gaps in coaching talents. Though there will always be good and bad coaches, the gap is a bit slimmer in the NFL than it is in college football.

Coaching skills are very important because this is what defines the gameplay of a team. Coaches in college football employ a wider range of schemes in their offensive and defensive lines. This may be to make up for the unavailability of certain talents in the team or as a result of coaching defaults.

All these contribute to the wide difference in gameplay between the NCAA football and the National Football League. That is why it's common to find college games ending in very high scores. Unbalanced matchups and wide coaching gaps often give one team a strong edge over the other, leading to higher scores in college football.

Football punters need to strongly consider all these when placing bets. For example, over/under bets would need closer attention, especially in college football, where scores can be so high.

Value of Betting Lines

NFL lines offer the best value in football betting. This is due to the large public attention on the league. The lines on NFL games are always very tight and carefully calculated. If you're thinking of spotting mistakes on these markets, you might have a hard time finding one. The game lines are heavily bet on, so bookies put in extra effort to rid them of errors.

That said, it's also less likely to find player mistakes that can negatively affect your bets in the NFL. Although mistakes are inevitable, they are less pronounced in the NFL, compared with college games where it's easy to find inexperienced players.

Therefore, punters need to carefully shuffle between the various college sports teams for teams with more elite experience when placing bets. This way, you can better protect your bets from costly mistakes from less experienced or weaker teams.

Betting Markets for NFL and College Football Betting

NFL and College games have several similar betting lines. These markets are also common in many other sports betting. Here's a quick outline of all the betting markets available for these football games:

Moneyline bets are one of the most popular bet types. Moneyline betting simply involves placing wagers on a particular team to win a match. For example, if the New Orleans Saints will be going against the Atlanta Falcons, a Moneyline wager could involve betting on the Falcons to win.
Handicap bets are also known as the point spread or line spread betting. Here, online sportsbooks assign to favourites a virtual deficit while underdogs are given an edge. Since everyone thinks that the favourites are strong contenders, bookies make it a bit hard for bets on them to win.
Over/Under is another simple bet type. Punters only need to predict whether the total points scored in a match will be above or under a certain number. As easy as it seems, punters have to be very careful when placing the wagers. This is due to the various factors that could affect the number of goals.
With futures wagers, punters can place wagers on a specific team to win the Super Bowl or a specific conference in the College Division. Here punters back a team to win a competition before the tournament getsd or during the event. A futures bet is a long-term bet; therefore, they have bigger odds.
Punters can make different betting options during a live bet. Ranging from betting on match winners, the number of goals, props bets, and so on. This betting market has heightened the thrills of football matches, giving players more wagering choices.
Props bets do not have a particular form; they can occur in several ways. It involves betting on certain happenings to be true or false. It could also come in the form of an over/under bet where punters predict whether a player's passing yards will be above or below a certain number.

Lastly, parlays and teasers are not separate betting markets; they are only a combination of some of the outlined bet types above. Parlays include a mixture of different bets. For example, punters can combine totals bets, Moneyline wagers, and handicap bets on a single slip.

College Football VS NFL Betting

The NFL is touted to be the most prestigious football event. From what we outlined above, it seems like it's more profitable to bet in the NFL than on college football. However, the NFL also does have its fair share of shortcomings.

College Football Betting
Less profitable than NFL betting
Team performances for every game are less predictable
There are more players to bet on
It is harder to find player statistics

NFL Betting
More profitable than college football betting
Team performances for every game are more predictable
There are fewer players compared to college football
There are more statistics available

Differences Between the NFL and College Football

How to Place College and NFL Bets

It's very easy to place wagers on football games. Whether you're looking to bet on college football or super bowl games, the steps are the same. Here's a simple step-by-step guide for every newbie looking to place their first football bet.

Step 1

Select a Bookmaker

It is important to find bookmakers that offer profitable betting lines for football games. You should only register an account at an online sportsbook that constantly rolls outlines for both NFL and top college matchups.

Step 2

Select a Betting Market

You should check the bookmaker for available betting markets. You can then choose the type of bet you're willing to place. Your betting option should be based on your strategy and betting preferences.

Step 3

Check Out Available Odds

Having settled for a particular bet, you should constantly check for the betting lines at your bookmaker. You can also compare the odds at various betting sites to ensure you're getting the best offers. To make the most of your bets, you can use our free betting calculators.

Step 4

Place The Bets

Now that you've done all the needful, go ahead to place your wagers. You should note that betting lines change according to current happenings and betting volume. Therefore, It's great to place bets early, especially if you're looking to bet on the favourites.

Final Words

The NFL and college football are two sports events that should be approached differently. Their uniqueness requires that punters are dynamic and proactive as they seek to make the most of their wagers. However, punters should never forget that online gambling can be highly risky. Bets should be placed with caution and moderation.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is it easier to bet on college football than NFL?

Both events have their ups and downs. While it is easier to find player statistics for NFL, it can be easier to find games to bet on in college football as it has more teams and players. Therefore, it depends on your preferences.

Is college football betting profitable?

It depends. If you are looking to make well-informed bets based on statistics and recent performances, college football may lead you to lose money instead of making money. On the other hand, it could be quite profitable if you take your chance and go with an underdog, as college football is full of surprises.

Which betting options are there available for college football and NFL?

There are many betting options available there for college football and NFL, including moneyline, handicap, over/under, futures bets, live bets, and props bets. With parlay bets, you can combine multiple betting types in one bet.

What is spreads in college football?

A point spread is used to handicap favourites, and punters who pick the favourite on a point spread must expect the team to win by more than the initial number. Underdogs, on the other hand, will pay out spread bets if the initial number or less is matched.

How does over/under work in college football?

In college football, the total points scored is usually higher than NFL. This is because the college football teams focus on attacking more than defending. Yet, since the team performances for each game are not very consistent in college football, over/under odds can be misleading in some cases.