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

12:00 AM

43%57%

58%42%

+15%

-7.5-109

+7.5-105

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12:00 AM

55%45%

49%51%

+6%

-2.5-110

+2.5-105

12:30 AM

53%47%

+2.5+102

-2.5-112

1:00 AM

36%64%

-4.5-110

+4.5-105

3:30 AM

72%28%

+2.5-104

-3-102

5:00 PM

74%26%

+3.5-105

-3.5-110

5:00 PM

46%54%

+4.5-110

-4-110

5:00 PM

63%37%

+7.5-110

-7.5-105

5:00 PM

61%39%

+17-103

-17.5-105

5:00 PM

24%76%

+54.5-110

-54.5-110

5:00 PM

73%27%

+31.5-110

-31.5-105

5:00 PM

17%83%

+2.5+100

-2.5-115

5:00 PM

57%43%

-17.5-110

+17.5-105

5:00 PM

63%37%

+9.5-102

-10.5-105

5:45 PM

89%11%

+43.5-105

-44-109

6:00 PM

8%92%

+13.5-105

-13.5-110

6:00 PM

43%57%

+6.5-102

-7-105

6:00 PM

50%50%

-12.5-105

+12+100

7:00 PM

45%55%

+27.5-110

-28-105

7:00 PM

52%48%

+6.5-105

-6.5-110

7:00 PM

N/A

7:00 PM

64%36%

+27.5-105

-27.5-110

7:00 PM

46%54%

+6.5-110

-6.5-105

7:30 PM

51%49%

-4.5-110

+4.5-105

8:00 PM

27%73%

-1-110

+1.5-114

8:00 PM

72%28%

-7.5-102

+7-105

8:00 PM

22%78%

-21.5-110

+21.5-108

8:00 PM

92%8%

+6.5-104

-6.5-112

8:00 PM

41%59%

+3-102

-3-110

8:30 PM

47%53%

+9.5-108

-8.5-115

8:30 PM

69%31%

PK-110

+1.5-115

8:30 PM

9%91%

-2.5-110

+2.5-108

8:30 PM

53%47%

+16.5-102

-16.5-114

8:30 PM

63%37%

+9.5-105

-9.5-110

8:30 PM

43%57%

-7-105

+6.5+100

$Texas Team Icon$

8:30 PM

61%39%

+9.5-110

-8.5-110

8:30 PM

13%87%

+35.5-105

-35.5-108

8:30 PM

59%41%

-1-110

+2.5-115

8:45 PM

27%73%

-7.5-115

+8-108

9:00 PM

57%43%

+10.5-105

-11.5-105

9:00 PM

37%63%

+17+100

-17.5-105

9:00 PM

46%54%

+14-109

-14.5+100

9:00 PM

45%55%

+1.5-112

-1.5-102

9:00 PM

44%56%

-14-105

+13.5-105

9:15 PM

72%28%

+24-105

-24.5-102

9:30 PM

N/A

10:00 PM

12%88%

+17.5-105

-17-112

12:00 AM

31%69%

+2.5-105

-2.5-110

12:00 AM

74%26%

+16.5-110

-16.5-104

12:00 AM

94%6%

-3.5-105

+3.5-110

12:00 AM

36%64%

+9.5-105

-8.5-108

12:30 AM

29%71%

-3.5-118

+4.5-115

12:30 AM

51%49%

-7.5-105

+7.5-110

12:30 AM

77%23%

-3-105

+3.5-120

12:30 AM

72%28%

-18.5-105

+18.5-110

12:45 AM

20%80%

+21.5-104

-21.5-110

1:00 AM

65%35%

-7-108

+6.5+102

1:00 AM

63%37%

-2.5-110

+2.5-105

3:30 AM

91%9%

-10.5-109

+10.5-110

3:30 AM

35%65%

+2.5-104

-3-105

3:30 AM

22%78%

+12.5-110

-12.5-104

Final

51%49%

+2.5-110

+7-105

Final

80%20%

+2.5-104

-2.5-108

Final

19%81%

+33.5-102

-34.5-105

Scheduled	Open	Best Odds	% of Bets	% of Money	Diff	Bets
FREEMoney Percentages
12:00 AM C. Michigan CMU 109 Kent State KENT 110	-7.5 +7.5	-7.5-109 +7.5-105	43% 57%	58% 42%	+15%	15,741
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12:00 AM Miami (OH) M-OH 107 Buffalo BUFF 108	-2.5 +2.5	-2.5-110 +2.5-105	55% 45%	49% 51%	+6%	17,099
12:30 AM Louisiana UL 113 Arkansas St ARST 114	+2.5 -2.5	+2.5+102 -2.5-112	53% 47%
1:00 AM Florida St FSU 115 NC State NCST 116	-2.5 +2.5	-4.5-110 +4.5-105	36% 64%
3:30 AM Hawaii HAW 117 UNLV UNLV 118	+3 -3	+2.5-104 -3-102	72% 28%
5:00 PM Minnesota MINN 201 Northwestern NW 202	+3.5 -3.5	+3.5-105 -3.5-110	74% 26%
5:00 PM Kansas KU 195 Iowa State ISU 196	+3.5 -3.5	+4.5-110 -4-110	46% 54%
5:00 PM Missouri MIZ 155 Oklahoma OU 156	+7.5 -7.5	+7.5-110 -7.5-105	63% 37%
5:00 PM Delaware DEL 133 Wake Forest WF 134	+17.5 -17.5	+17-103 -17.5-105	61% 39%
5:00 PM Samford SAM Texas A&M TA&M	+55.5 -55.5	+54.5-110 -54.5-110	24% 76%
5:00 PM Rutgers RUT 119 Ohio State OSU 120	+31.5 -31.5	+31.5-110 -31.5-105	73% 27%
5:00 PM Louisville LOU 187 SMU SMU 188	+1.5 -1.5	+2.5+100 -2.5-115	17% 83%
5:00 PM Miami (FL) MIA 151 VA Tech VT 152	-15.5 +15.5	-17.5-110 +17.5-105	57% 43%
5:00 PM Tulsa TLSA 127 Army ARMY 128	+9.5 -9.5	+9.5-102 -10.5-105	63% 37%
5:45 PM Charlotte CHA 157 Georgia UGA 158	+45.5 -45.5	+43.5-105 -44-109	89% 11%
6:00 PM Washington St WSU 139 JMU JMU 140	+13.5 -13.5	+13.5-105 -13.5-110	8% 92%
6:00 PM Baylor BAY 169 Arizona ARI 170	+4.5 -4.5	+6.5-102 -7-105	43% 57%
6:00 PM Old Dominion ODU 131 GA Southern GASO 132	-9.5 +9.5	-12.5-105 +12+100	50% 50%
7:00 PM Mercer MER Auburn AUB	+31.5 -31.5	+27.5-110 -28-105	45% 55%
7:00 PM Nevada NEV 167 Wyoming WYO 168	+10 -10	+6.5-105 -6.5-110	52% 48%
7:00 PM E. Illinois EIL Alabama BAMA		N/A N/A
7:00 PM Ball State BALL 147 Toledo TOL 148	+22.5 -22.5	+27.5-105 -27.5-110	64% 36%
7:00 PM Missouri St MOST 189 Kennesaw St KENN 190	+4 -4	+6.5-110 -6.5-105	46% 54%
7:30 PM Marshall MRSH 125 App State APP 126	-3.5 +3.5	-4.5-110 +4.5-105	51% 49%
8:00 PM Liberty LIB 185 LA Tech LT 186	-1.5 +1.5	-1-110 +1.5-114	27% 73%
8:00 PM UConn UCONN 121 FL Atlantic FAU 122	-7.5 +7.5	-7.5-102 +7-105	72% 28%
8:00 PM S. Florida USF 197 UAB UAB 198	-18.5 +18.5	-21.5-110 +21.5-108	22% 78%
8:00 PM Sam Houston SHSU 183 Middle Tenn MTSU 184	+4.5 -4.5	+6.5-104 -6.5-112	92% 8%
8:00 PM N. Mexico St NMSU 179 UTEP UTEP 180	+2.5 -2.5	+3-102 -3-110	41% 59%
8:30 PM Kentucky UK 207 Vanderbilt VAN 208	+7.5 -7.5	+9.5-108 -8.5-115	47% 53%
8:30 PM Jax State JVST 215 FIU FIU 216	-1.5 +1.5	PK-110 +1.5-115	69% 31%
8:30 PM E. Carolina ECU 205 UTSA UTSA 206	-4.5 +4.5	-2.5-110 +2.5-108	9% 91%
8:30 PM Michigan St MSU 203 Iowa IOWA 204	+15.5 -15.5	+16.5-102 -16.5-114	53% 47%
8:30 PM USC USC 181 Oregon ORE 182	+12.5 -12.5	+9.5-105 -9.5-110	63% 37%
8:30 PM Duke DUKE 145 UNC UNC 146	PK PK	-7-105 +6.5+100	43% 57%
8:30 PM Arkansas ARK 173 $Texas Team Icon$ Texas TEX 174	+10.5 -10.5	+9.5-110 -8.5-110	61% 39%
8:30 PM Syracuse SYR 217 Notre Dame ND 218	+34.5 -34.5	+35.5-105 -35.5-108	13% 87%
8:30 PM Southern Miss USM 213 S. Alabama USA 214	-3 +3	-1-110 +2.5-115	59% 41%
8:45 PM Tulane TULN 123 Temple TEM 124	-6.5 +6.5	-7.5-115 +8-108	27% 73%
9:00 PM Georgia State GAST 211 Troy TROY 212	+10.5 -10.5	+10.5-105 -11.5-105	57% 43%
9:00 PM K State KSU 163 Utah UTAH 164	+1.5 -1.5	+17+100 -17.5-105	37% 63%
9:00 PM OK State OKST 129 UCF UCF 130	+14.5 -14.5	+14-109 -14.5+100	46% 54%
9:00 PM TCU TCU 159 Houston HOU 160	PK PK	+1.5-112 -1.5-102	45% 55%
9:00 PM Michigan MICH 143 Maryland UMD 144	-11.5 +11.5	-14-105 +13.5-105	44% 56%
9:15 PM Coastal Car CC 153 S. Carolina SC 154	+24.5 -24.5	+24-105 -24.5-102	72% 28%
9:30 PM Furman FUR Clemson CLEM		N/A N/A
10:00 PM LA-Monroe ULM 199 Texas St TXST 200	+17.5 -17.5	+17.5-105 -17-112	12% 88%
12:00 AM Pittsburgh PITT 141 GA Tech GT 142	+3.5 -3.5	+2.5-105 -2.5-110	31% 69%
12:00 AM Colorado St CSU 161 Boise State BOISE 162	+17.5 -17.5	+16.5-110 -16.5-104	74% 26%
12:00 AM New Mexico UNM 219 Air Force AFA 220	-1.5 +1.5	-3.5-105 +3.5-110	94% 6%
12:00 AM Nebraska NEB 149 Penn State PSU 150	+7.5 -7.5	+9.5-105 -8.5-108	36% 64%
12:30 AM Tennessee TENN 137 Florida FLA 138	+4 -4	-3.5-118 +4.5-115	29% 71%
12:30 AM Illinois ILL 191 Wisconsin WIS 192	-10.5 +10.5	-7.5-105 +7.5-110	51% 49%
12:30 AM California CAL 171 Stanford STAN 172	-5.5 +5.5	-3-105 +3.5-120	77% 23%
12:30 AM North Texas UNT 193 Rice RICE 194	-17.5 +17.5	-18.5-105 +18.5-110	72% 28%
12:45 AM W. Kentucky WKU 209 LSU LSU 210	+22.5 -22.5	+21.5-104 -21.5-110	20% 80%
1:00 AM Arizona St ASU 165 Colorado COLO 166	-4.5 +4.5	-7-108 +6.5+102	65% 35%
1:00 AM BYU BYU 135 Cincinnati CIN 136	+3.5 -3.5	-2.5-110 +2.5-105	63% 37%
3:30 AM Washington WASH 175 UCLA UCLA 176	-9.5 +9.5	-10.5-109 +10.5-110	91% 9%
3:30 AM Utah State USU 221 Fresno State FRES 222	+1.5 -1.5	+2.5-104 -3-105	35% 65%
3:30 AM San Jose St SJSU 177 San Diego St SDSU 178	+12.5 -12.5	+12.5-110 -12.5-104	22% 78%
Final W. Michigan WMU 105 N. Illinois NIU 106	-6.5 +8.5	+2.5-110 +7-105	51% 49%
Final Akron AKR 103 Bowling Green BGSU 104	+4.5 -4.5	+2.5-104 -2.5-108	80% 20%
Final UMass MASS 101 Ohio OHIO 102	+29.5 -26.5	+33.5-102 -34.5-105	19% 81%

College football is one of the most bet-on sports in the United States, with billions wagered every season. As more states legalize sports betting and more bettors go online, NCAAF public betting continues to grow in popularity. Understanding how the public is wagering can help you identify potential edges and make smarter bets.

In this guide, we’ll break down public betting data, explain the difference between percentage of bets and percentage of money, and show how to use these insights to your advantage.

What is NCAAF Public Betting?

Public betting refers to the wagers placed by the general betting population on college football games. Tracking public betting trends helps you see which teams or sides most bettors favor. However, the public isn’t always right, which is why professional bettors, also known as “sharps,” often take the opposite side.

By combining public betting data with money percentages and total bet volume, you can get a clearer picture of where the smart money is going.

Tips for Interpreting NCAAF Public Betting

Look for games where the delta between bet and money percentages is large — these often indicate professional interest.
Avoid overvaluing data from games with small sample sizes of tracked bets.
Use public betting data alongside other tools, such as line movement, team stats, and matchup analysis, to make informed decisions.

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.

Why the Difference Matters

The difference between the percentage of bets and the percentage of money — sometimes called the “delta” — can highlight games where professional bettors are placing high-stakes wagers.

Scenario: 60% of bets on Tennessee but 80% of the money on them suggests sharp action favoring Tennessee.
Sharps bet large amounts for a reason: it could indicate a more favorable line or value that casual bettors might overlook.