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

5:00 PM

70%30%

+16.5-102

-16.5-110

5:00 PM

55%45%

-10.5-102

+10-110

5:00 PM

54%46%

-13.5-107

+13+100

5:00 PM

28%72%

+2.5+100

-2.5-110

5:00 PM

30%70%

+16.5-105

-17-105

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5:00 PM

60%40%

8%92%

+52%

+1.5-105

PK-114

5:00 PM

29%71%

-7-105

+6.5-102

5:00 PM

48%52%

+2.5-105

-2.5-114

5:00 PM

65%35%

-23-110

+23-107

5:00 PM

38%62%

-11.5-105

+10.5-106

5:00 PM

65%35%

-7-105

+7-105

6:00 PM

9%91%

-11.5-108

+10.5-105

6:00 PM

49%51%

+17.5-105

-17.5-105

6:00 PM

22%78%

+4.5-110

-4-108

6:30 PM

43%57%

+9.5+102

-10.5-105

7:00 PM

47%53%

+2.5-105

-2.5-110

7:00 PM

48%52%

-2-110

+2.5-105

7:00 PM

26%74%

+27.5-105

-28-105

7:30 PM

54%46%

+1.5-115

8:00 PM

45%55%

+9.5-110

-9-110

8:00 PM

53%47%

-3-105

+2.5+102

8:00 PM

50%50%

+4-113

-3.5-105

8:00 PM

17%83%

+9.5-108

-8.5-110

8:00 PM

38%62%

+9.5-110

-8.5-112

8:30 PM

21%79%

+8-110

-7.5-108

8:30 PM

64%36%

+3.5-113

-3-115

8:30 PM

38%62%

-7-110

+6.5+100

8:30 PM

48%52%

-1.5-110

+2.5-120

8:30 PM

52%48%

-2.5-108

+2.5-105

8:30 PM

77%23%

-14-105

+14-108

8:30 PM

56%44%

+6.5-108

-6.5-110

8:30 PM

50%50%

+2.5+100

-2.5-115

8:30 PM

63%37%

+1.5-108

-1-110

8:30 PM

81%19%

-4-105

+4.5-113

8:30 PM

34%66%

+10.5-105

-11.5-105

8:45 PM

49%51%

-21.5-110

+21.5-105

9:30 PM

55%45%

+1.5-115

-1.5-102

11:30 PM

46%54%

+13.5-110

-13.5-106

12:00 AM

70%30%

+4-107

-4-110

12:00 AM

63%37%

+8.5-110

-7.5-115

12:00 AM

43%57%

+28-108

-28.5+105

12:30 AM

28%72%

+6.5+102

-7.5+100

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12:30 AM

52%48%

7%93%

+45%

-5.5-108

+5.5-105

12:30 AM

60%40%

+7-105

-7.5+100

12:30 AM

48%52%

+21.5-105

-21.5-110

12:30 AM

31%69%

+29.5-105

-30.5-105

1:00 AM

31%69%

-13.5-105

+13.5-110

2:00 AM

37%63%

-7.5-105

+7.5-110

3:30 AM

67%33%

-3.5-108

+3.5-109

3:30 AM

61%39%

-32.5-106

+32.5-110

4:00 AM

28%72%

+7.5-105

-7.5-105

Final

45%55%

-14-108

+13.5+100

Final

70%30%

-10-108

+9.5+100

Final

51%49%

+4-110

-3.5-115

Final

61%39%

+5.5-114

-3.5-115

Final

71%29%

-5.5-109

+6-110

Final

57%43%

-10.5-104

+13.5-120

Final

41%59%

-7-105

+7-110

Final

50%50%

-7.5+100

+14.5-155

Final

61%39%

-2-114

+2.5-105

Final

48%52%

-16.5-105

+16-105

Final

29%71%

+20.5-110

-20.5-105

Final - OT

43%57%

PK-113

+1.5-114

Final

26%74%

+3.5-125

+1.5-108

Final

59%41%

-28.5-102

+28-105

$Texas Team Icon$

Final

41%59%

-2.5-110

+2.5-105

Final

63%37%

-2-105

+2.5-115

Scheduled	Open	Best Odds	% of Bets	% of Money	Diff	Bets
5:00 PM Ball State BALL 379 Miami (OH) M-OH 380	+15.5 -15.5	+16.5-102 -16.5-110	70% 30%
5:00 PM Ohio State OSU 363 Michigan MICH 364	-5.5 +5.5	-10.5-102 +10-110	55% 45%
5:00 PM Iowa State ISU 411 OK State OKST 412	-15.5 +15.5	-13.5-107 +13+100	54% 46%
5:00 PM Clemson CLEM 357 S. Carolina SC 358	-5.5 +5.5	+2.5+100 -2.5-110	28% 72%
5:00 PM Colorado COLO 391 K State KSU 392	+11.5 -11.5	+16.5-105 -17-105	30% 70%
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5:00 PM Kentucky UK 353 Louisville LOU 354	+6.5 -6.5	+1.5-105 PK-114	60% 40%	8% 92%	+52%	10,592
5:00 PM Miami (FL) MIA 369 Pittsburgh PITT 370	-7.5 +7.5	-7-105 +6.5-102	29% 71%
5:00 PM Houston HOU 397 Baylor BAY 398	+1.5 -1.5	+2.5-105 -2.5-114	48% 52%
5:00 PM Texas Tech TTU 341 West Virginia WVU 342	-22.5 +22.5	-23-110 +23-107	65% 35%
5:00 PM Toledo TOL 377 C. Michigan CMU 378	-8.5 +8.5	-11.5-105 +10.5-106	38% 62%
5:00 PM E. Carolina ECU 345 FL Atlantic FAU 346	-5.5 +5.5	-7-105 +7-105	65% 35%
6:00 PM FIU FIU 403 Sam Houston SHSU 404	-10.5 +10.5	-11.5-108 +10.5-105	9% 91%
6:00 PM UCF UCF 421 BYU BYU 422	+16.5 -16.5	+17.5-105 -17.5-105	49% 51%
6:00 PM UTEP UTEP 381 Delaware DEL 382	+4 -4	+4.5-110 -4-108	22% 78%
6:30 PM GA Southern GASO 349 Marshall MRSH 350	+4.5 -4.5	+9.5+102 -10.5-105	43% 57%
7:00 PM LA Tech LT 417 Missouri St MOST 418	+3.5 -3.5	+2.5-105 -2.5-110	47% 53%
7:00 PM W. Kentucky WKU 419 Jax State JVST 420	-3 +3	-2-110 +2.5-105	48% 52%
7:00 PM Georgia State GAST 343 Old Dominion ODU 344	+23.5 -23.5	+27.5-105 -28-105	26% 74%
7:30 PM Arkansas St ARST 359 App State APP 360	-1.5 +1.5	+1.5-115 +1.5-115	54% 46%
8:00 PM LA-Monroe ULM 405 Louisiana UL 406	+13.5 -13.5	+9.5-110 -9-110	45% 55%
8:00 PM Boston Col BC 373 Syracuse SYR 374	-3.5 +3.5	-3-105 +2.5+102	53% 47%
8:00 PM Middle Tenn MTSU 423 N. Mexico St NMSU 424	+4.5 -4.5	+4-113 -3.5-105	50% 50%
8:00 PM UAB UAB 389 Tulsa TLSA 390	+7.5 -7.5	+9.5-108 -8.5-110	17% 83%
8:00 PM S. Alabama USA 401 Texas St TXST 402	+6.5 -6.5	+9.5-110 -8.5-112	38% 62%
8:30 PM Army ARMY 385 UTSA UTSA 386	+6.5 -6.5	+8-110 -7.5-108	21% 79%
8:30 PM Cincinnati CIN 393 TCU TCU 394	+4.5 -4.5	+3.5-113 -3-115	64% 36%
8:30 PM Oregon ORE 433 Washington WASH 434	-11 +11	-7-110 +6.5+100	38% 62%
8:30 PM Kennesaw St KENN 435 Liberty LIB 436	-2.5 +2.5	-1.5-110 +2.5-120	48% 52%
8:30 PM Wisconsin WIS 415 Minnesota MINN 416	+2.5 -2.5	-2.5-108 +2.5-105	52% 48%
8:30 PM Penn State PSU 371 Rutgers RUT 372	-10.5 +10.5	-14-105 +14-108	77% 23%
8:30 PM Troy TROY 399 Southern Miss USM 400	+6.5 -6.5	+6.5-108 -6.5-110	56% 44%
8:30 PM Vanderbilt VAN 347 Tennessee TENN 348	+5.5 -5.5	+2.5+100 -2.5-115	50% 50%
8:30 PM Wake Forest WF 361 Duke DUKE 362	+4.5 -4.5	+1.5-108 -1-110	63% 37%
8:30 PM Missouri MIZ 407 Arkansas ARK 408	-1.5 +1.5	-4-105 +4.5-113	81% 19%
8:30 PM LSU LSU 383 Oklahoma OU 384	+8.5 -8.5	+10.5-105 -11.5-105	34% 66%
8:45 PM JMU JMU 351 Coastal Car CC 352	-20.5 +20.5	-21.5-110 +21.5-105	49% 51%
9:30 PM Florida St FSU 339 Florida FLA 340	+12.5 -12.5	+1.5-115 -1.5-102	55% 45%
11:30 PM Oregon St ORST 437 Washington St WSU 438	+12.5 -12.5	+13.5-110 -13.5-106	46% 54%
12:00 AM Maryland UMD 365 Michigan St MSU 366	+4.5 -4.5	+4-107 -4-110	70% 30%
12:00 AM VA Tech VT 375 Virginia UVA 376	+11.5 -11.5	+8.5-110 -7.5-115	63% 37%
12:00 AM Rice RICE 355 S. Florida USF 356	+23.5 -23.5	+28-108 -28.5+105	43% 57%
12:30 AM Northwestern NW 413 Illinois ILL 414	+7 -7	+6.5+102 -7.5+100	28% 72%
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12:30 AM Alabama BAMA 387 Auburn AUB 388	-5.5 +5.5	-5.5-108 +5.5-105	52% 48%	7% 93%	+45%	29,045
12:30 AM UNC UNC 367 NC State NCST 368	+2.5 -2.5	+7-105 -7.5+100	60% 40%
12:30 AM UCLA UCLA 431 USC USC 432	+9.5 -9.5	+21.5-105 -21.5-110	48% 52%
12:30 AM Charlotte CHA 409 Tulane TULN 410	+28.5 -28.5	+29.5-105 -30.5-105	31% 69%
1:00 AM SMU SMU 427 California CAL 428	-10 +10	-13.5-105 +13.5-110	31% 69%
2:00 AM UNLV UNLV 439 Nevada NEV 440	-9.5 +9.5	-7.5-105 +7.5-110	37% 63%
3:30 AM Fresno State FRES 425 San Jose St SJSU 426	+2.5 -2.5	-3.5-108 +3.5-109	67% 33%
3:30 AM Notre Dame ND 429 Stanford STAN 430	-29.5 +29.5	-32.5-106 +32.5-110	61% 39%
4:00 AM Wyoming WYO 441 Hawaii HAW 442	+10.5 -10.5	+7.5-105 -7.5-105	28% 72%
Final Bowling Green BGSU 303 UMass MASS 304	-16.5 +16.5	-14-108 +13.5+100	45% 55%
Final W. Michigan WMU 301 E. Michigan EMU 302	-5.5 +5.5	-10-108 +9.5+100	70% 30%
Final Navy NAVY 311 Memphis MEM 312	+4.5 -5.5	+4-110 -3.5-115	51% 49%
Final Kent State KENT 321 N. Illinois NIU 322	+5 -5	+5.5-114 -3.5-115	61% 39%
Final Iowa IOWA 319 Nebraska NEB 320	-5.5 +5.5	-5.5-109 +6-110	71% 29%
Final Utah UTAH 323 Kansas KU 324	-10.5 +10.5	-10.5-104 +13.5-120	57% 43%
Final Ohio OHIO 315 Buffalo BUFF 316	-5.5 +7	-7-105 +7-110	41% 59%
Final Ole Miss MISS 317 Mississippi St MSST 318	-7.5 +7.5	-7.5+100 +14.5-155	50% 50%
Final Air Force AFA 327 Colorado St CSU 328	-2.5 +2.5	-2-114 +2.5-105	61% 39%
Final Georgia UGA 329 GA Tech GT 330	-12.5 +12.5	-16.5-105 +16-105	48% 52%
Final Temple TEM 395 North Texas UNT 396	+18.5 -18.5	+20.5-110 -20.5-105	29% 71%
Final - OT San Diego St SDSU 331 New Mexico UNM 332	-1.5 +1.5	PK-113 +1.5-114	43% 57%
Final Boise State BOISE 333 Utah State USU 334	-1.5 +1.5	+3.5-125 +1.5-108	26% 74%
Final Indiana IU 337 Purdue PUR 338	-27.5 +28.5	-28.5-102 +28-105	59% 41%
Final Texas A&M TA&M 335 $Texas Team Icon$ Texas TEX 336	+4 -4	-2.5-110 +2.5-105	41% 59%
Final Arizona ARI 325 Arizona St ASU 326	PK PK	-2-105 +2.5-115	63% 37%

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.