College Bowl Odds, Spreads, Money Lines and Totals

The Sporting News
 

College football betting is a booming market during the regular season but hits another level entirely during Bowl season.

The best college football betting sites will have every bet type available and often post a wider variety of prop bets to match the hype of the College Football Playoff and National Championship games. 

Below find the latest odds for the most important bowl games and the College Football Playoff National Championship plus more on how to sign up and bet college bowl games online.

College Football Playoff National Championship odds

Below are the latest odds to claim the 2024 college football national title. If you see odds you like, click them to visit the corresponding sportsbook, open an account, and start betting. 

What bets can I make on the CFP and bowl games? 

Because of football’s popularity at top online betting sites, most bowl games will feature expanded selections of betting markets. These are the common college football betting lines:

  • Bowl game moneylines: The moneyline is the simplest bet you can make on a college football bowl game. Your only responsibility is to choose which team you believe will win. The favorites are indicated by negative odds, while the underdog will have positive odds. 
  • Bowl game point spreads: In point spread betting, you’re wagering on the game with a spread factored in. The favorite must win by the point spread or more, while the underdog needs to either lose by fewer points than the spread or win the game outright. 
  • Bowl game totals: The totals bet, commonly known as the over/under, requires you to determine whether the combined score of both teams will end up over or under a predicted total. With this bet type, you’re not concerned with which team wins or loses the game. 
  • Bowl game props: These can be team or individual player prop bets, such as which team is winning at halftime or the total number of receptions a player collects. Consider them side bets made with the sportsbook about events or statistical milestones that happen in the game.
  • Bowl game parlays:Parlays are multi-leg bets on a single bet slip. All parts of the parlay must be successful for the bet to win. These offer larger payouts, but the chances of winning compared with those of an individual bet are greatly reduced.
  • Bowl game futures: Futures wagers are based on events that have yet to happen and can be applied to the CFP National Championship nearly year-round. They can also be placed on conference champs and individual awards such as the Heisman Trophy.

How to bet on college football bowl games

Betting on NCAA football bowl games has never been easier, thanks to online betting sites sprouting up across the country. 

Create an account with any of the best sports betting apps to start betting. It’s a quick process. Below, we outline the steps for opening your own account. 

  1. Choose your sportsbook: If you’re not sure which sportsbook is the right fit for you, browse our reviews to see the pros and cons of each, as well as the current offerings for new customers. When you find the sportsbook that best suits your needs, simply click on a link from our site to visit the homepage of your chosen sportsbook.
  2. Register for an account: On the homepage, you’ll find a button that says “sign up” or “register.” Once you click that, you’ll be taken to a form for providing personal information such as your name, birth date, email address, and the last four digits of your Social Security number. You’ll also be required to accept the sportsbook terms and conditions, which we recommend you read.
  3. Collect your welcome bonus: As a new customer, you’ll receive a welcome bonus. This varies from sportsbook to sportsbook, so do some homework before deciding where you want to register. Read through the playthrough requirements for any sports betting bonus or promo so you’re aware of any restrictions it may involve.
  4. Make a deposit: Now that you have an account, you need to fund it by making a deposit with the sportsbook. Online betting sites have a variety of ways you can fund your account or make withdrawals.
  5. Start betting: Now, you can place a bet. Simply click on a bet to add it to your bet slip, adjust how much you want to wager, and then finalize your bet. 

What is the College Football Playoff? 

The College Football Playoff starts with the New Year’s Six bowl games, of which two act as semifinal games to determine which teams will play in the National Championship. 

Those six games, also known as the NY6, include: 

  • Rose Bowl Game presented by Capital One (Pasadena, California)
  • Allstate Sugar Bowl (New Orleans, Louisiana)
  • PlayStation Fiesta Bowl (Glendale, Arizona)
  • Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (Atlanta, Georgia)
  • Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic (Arlington, Texas)
  • Capital One Orange Bowl (Miami Gardens, Florida)

These six games are the most iconic and important bowl games in all of college football and usually invite the top-rated teams in the country to play. Currently, two of them, on a rotating basis, act as the semifinal games for the CFP.

However, that will expand to include quarterfinal games as of the 2024-25 season when the CFP expands to a 12-team format.

How does a team qualify for the NY6 bowl games? 

A selection committee ranks the best four teams in the country and selects them for the College Football Playoff semifinal games. Those teams compete for a chance to play in the National Championship. 

The other four NY6 bowl games are typically given to champions from the Power Five conferences and the top-rated teams and champions from the Group of Five conferences. 

What is the College Football Playoff National Championship? 

The CFP National Championship is the final game in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision season, crowning the country’s best team. The winners of the two CFP semifinal games square off in this contest, usually slated for a Monday in early January. 

The game, which started in 2014 after replacing the Bowl Championship Series, attracts millions of viewers. That popularity also makes it one of the most-wagered-on sporting events in the country.

The championship games are scheduled as follows for the next few years: 

  • 2023-24: Jan. 8 in Houston
  • 2024-25: Jan. 20 in Atlanta
  • 2025-26: Jan. 19 in Miami

Again, you can see the schedule being pushed later into January once the CFP field expands to 12 teams in 2024-25.

Which schools have won the CFP National Championship? 

The College Football Playoff National Championship has been taking place since 2015. Here are the previous winners.

  • 2022-23 season: Georgia Bulldogs
  • 2021-22 season: Georgia Bulldogs
  • 2020-21 season: Alabama Crimson Tide
  • 2019-20 season: LSU Tigers
  • 2018-19 season: Clemson Tigers
  • 2017-18 season: Alabama Crimson Tide
  • 2016-17 season: Clemson Tigers
  • 2015-16 season: Alabama Crimson Tide
  • 2014-15 season: Ohio State Buckeyes

College bowl games FAQ

How many college bowl games are there annually? 

The bowl game season lasts three weeks and consists of 43 games, including the NCAA football national championship. 

What are the New Year’s Six bowl games? 

The New Year’s Six is a series of high-profile bowl games. They include: 

  • Rose Bowl Game presented by Capital One (Pasadena, California)
  • Allstate Sugar Bowl (New Orleans)
  • PlayStation Fiesta Bowl (Glendale, Arizona)
  • Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (Atlanta)
  • Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic (Arlington, Texas)
  • Capital One Orange Bowl (Miami Gardens, Florida)

What is the best time to bet on the College Football National Championship? 

Choosing when to bet on the NCAA football national championship comes down to risk versus reward. Making your bets when the lines are first released gives you the best odds and potential winnings but with precious little information.

You might back a team that’s clearly not going to win by Week 4. 

The longer you wait, the clearer the picture becomes, thanks to data and team performance, but the odds tighten up because sportsbooks are using that same information to make adjustments. You’ll have a more educated choice, but the odds will be less favorable.