College Football Futures Bets, Odds, Predictions, Picks

Check out the best futures betting markets for college football. We give you a full breakdown together with predictions, picks, and the latest odds.

College football is one of the most exciting sports to wager on. From the thrill of each play having a chance to be a touchdown to massively lopsided point spreads, our WSN experts use their knowledge of game and sports betting prowess to bring you always-free betting picks each week.

Whether you want to bet on weekly games, the College Football National Championship, or futures wagers like the Heisman Trophy winner, we’ve got you covered. 

Suppose you’re ready to get started betting on college football. In that case, you’ll want to explore our online sportsbook reviews to find your ideal college football betting sites where you can get exclusive offers that you’ll only find here at WSN.

Below, we’ll show you how to get started betting on the high-flying sport of college football. 

The NFL Stars Of Tomorrow 

Before heading off to the NFL, college football players play at least three years at the college rank to develop and hone their skills, dominating the competition. The most recent College Football National Championship between the Georgia Bulldogs and TCU Horned Frogs, which was a lopsided affair, drew 17.1 million viewers. In his debut coaching the Colorado Buffaloes, the Buffaloes and Horned Frogs in Week 1 of the 2023 season drew about eight million viewers. 

This is an incredibly popular sport where you not only get to see entertaining football but also get to observe players firsthand who are looking to take their game to the next level and get drafted to your favorite NFL teams each April. 

NCAAF Picks Against the Spread

You may have heard the phrase “against the spread” or “betting against the spread.” This refers to the point spread each game possesses. The point spread is a number generated by the sportsbook you’re playing at that indicates the gap in strength between two teams. For example, if the Alabama Crimson Tide are -7 on the point spread, the sportsbook thinks they’re seven points better than their opponent, such as the Texas Longhorns. With that, you’d wager whether the Crimson Tide can win by more than seven or bet on the Longhorns +7, meaning they need to win outright or lose by six points or less. Each point spread will also have betting odds, typically around -110, meaning you need to wager $110 to win $100, or, for every $11 you bet, you win $10. 

Over/Under NCAAF Picks

Over/under bets, also known as totals, are picking whether a game's combined number of points will exceed or fall short of the line provided. 

Let’s look at an example below. 

Per the example above, the line is 53 points. So, you’ll wager whether, at the end of the game, the Crimson Tide and Longhorns have more or less than that. If the final score is 30-24, this is 54 points, which means an “over” bet will succeed.

However, over/under bets can apply to player props, which we’ll explore below. 

Here, you’re betting on whether you think USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams will have four passing touchdowns or more or three or less. 

NCAAF Odds Moneyline Picks

We’ve gone over point spreads and totals, and you’ll be happy to know that moneyline bets are the simplest to understand.

With these, you’re not worried about anything other than picking which team will win the game outright. 

Of course, these odds can vary far and wide, especially in college football. 

For example, if the Oklahoma Sooners are -800, they’re not only the favorites, but you’d need to wager $800 to win $100. There’s plenty of disparity in college football, so you can expect many lopsided moneyline odds. 

Find out more from our moneyline betting guide. 

NCAAF Parlay & Teaser Picks

Parlays and teaser bets can go hand in hand with college football betting and provide more excitement in one betting slip. 

Parlays:

With a college football parlay, you’ll be adding multiple contests to one betslip, which does increase the potential payout, but there’s added risk. For example, if you wanted to add the Sooners at -800 and the over on the Longhorns/Crimson Tide at -110, these combine for +115, meaning you’ll win $115 per $100 wagered. However, if one of those contests loses, the entire parlay is a bust. 

Teasers:

Teasers apply to point spreads and over/under bets and can only be used in parlays. 

A common “teaser” is a six-point point spread.

Let’s look at an example:

• Texas Longhorns +7

• Oklahoma Sooners -16

These are the “pre-teaser” point spreads. If you add a six-point teaser, these are the new point spreads:

• Texas Longhorns +13

• Oklahoma Sooners -10

So, you get a favorable six-point swing, but this will alter the overall odds of the parlay wager. 

NCAAF Futures Picks

The futures betting market focuses on prop-like bets that won’t be resolved much later. The most popular futures bets in college football are picking the national champion and Heisman winner. These odds are available before the season and throughout. However, the value diminishes as the season progresses and the field takes shape. That’s why, as futures wagers, you’ll tie up your money for multiple months but could be rewarded with excellent value should your wager succeed.

In addition to the College Football National Champion and Heisman, here are some other futures bets:

• Win totals

• Conference winner

• Other individual awards 

NCAAF Prop Bet Picks

We mentioned prop bets above and Williams’ over/under on passing touchdowns. The Williams mentioned above is an example of a player prop bet. These bets focus on individual player performance, including passing, rushing, receiving yards, and more. 

Facts About the NCAAF

• The 2023 season is the 154th Division 1 FBS College Football season.

• There are 133 teams in Division 1 FBS.

• The postseason begins on December 15 and concludes on January 8, 2024.

• The 2024 College Football National Championship will occur at NRG Stadium, home of the Houston Texans. 

• The Fresno State home opener against Eastern Washington on September 9 was the first-ever game broadcasted solely in Spanish.

• Arizona State issued a self-imposed postseason ban for this season. 

• There are 12 regular season games.

Where Can You Legally Bet on the NCAAF in the US?

Online sports betting is legal in over half of the United States as of September 2023. There may be some laws regarding betting on in-state college teams, but other than that, you can bet on college football in all states. 

You can explore our United States map to see your state's situation. 

What Is Fantasy Football (DFS)?

Daily fantasy sports, also known as DFS, is a form of fantasy football in which you pick a new lineup weekly. Most college football games take place each Saturday, and with daily fantasy sports, you’ll choose from the pool of players and create a lineup. The catch here is that you’re assigned a salary cap, and each player is given a value. You must stay at or below the salary cap. 

From here, the players you choose will generate statistics that equate to points. The goal with DFS is to accrue enough points to win your contest, whether it’s a tournament or head-to-head matchups. 

DFS is available in the majority of the United States. Explore our DFS guide to see where it’s available. 

How Much Money Does the USA Bet on the College Football National Championship?

While it’s difficult to get an exact number, the estimate is about $30 million within the city of Las Vegas and well over $1 billion worldwide annually. 

Biggest NCAAF Events of the Year

The college football season begins in August and concludes in January. Below, we’ll go over the important events throughout the year. 

The offseason begins (January)

Following the result of the College Football National Championship, the offseason begins. Players begin declaring for the NFL Draft while coaches and players prepare for another season. The coaches also begin recruiting their next crop of talent. 

Regular Season Begins (August)

The college football season begins a week before the NFL, with Weeks 0 and 1. Week 0 is a small slate of games, followed by Week 1, where all games will suit up. 

The College Football Playoff, Championship, and Bowl Games (December + January)

In addition to the College Football National Championship, there are several exciting events each season. Before the College Football National Championship, there’s a four-team playoff where the winners of these games (No. 1 vs. No. 4; No. 2 vs. No. 3) play for the title. 

If your team didn’t make the College Football Playoff, don’t fret—if they have at least six wins during the regular season, they’ll qualify for one of the 40+ Division 1 FBS Bowl games. 

NCAAF Betting Guides

If you’re just starting to get into college football betting, there’s a lot to digest, and we’ve done our best to outline it above. We strongly recommend taking it slow to not overwhelm yourself. For example, moneyline wagers are simple and easy to understand. They may be the best way to get started since you’re simply picking the winner of games. 

Either way, we strongly recommend you refer back to this page or our dedicated wager-type pages. 

The regular season is 12 games; there’s a four-team playoff, a championship game, and many bowl games for teams that don’t quite make the playoff cut. 

We keep our odds for future bets, including the championship, Heisman, and conference winners, updated regularly. Be sure to refer to those to see the best bets and exclusive promotional offers. 

How to Bet on the NCAAF

If you’re ready to dive into betting on college football, you’ll want to ensure that you’re in a state where sports betting is legal. If this is the case, we recommend exploiting our site for sportsbook reviews to see which makes the most sense.

After picking a place, use our links, get exclusive offers, create an account, deposit, and get started. 

Don’t miss out on our exclusive offers to ensure you get the most bang for your buck.