College Football Spreads: Free NCAAF Picks Against the Spread

College football top picks on the Spread today

It’s that time of the year again. College football is back, which means the most exciting tournament in the world is upon us. Also, that gives bettors plenty of chance of having a good time, as we have big slates multiple times every week. Also, that means our college football picks against the spread are back, so what’s not to like?

In this opportunity, we’ll dig deep into three electrifying matchups of the season’s first week. So, without any further ado, here are our three best NCAA football picks against the spread, our bonus NCAA football Over/Under bet, and even college football spreads and totals explained.

Troy -10.5

If the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers still had Grayson McCall, then it would be quite tough not to back them up in this situation. However, they’ll be without their dynamic playmaker, and that’s a disaster waiting to happen.

Without their starting QB, the Chanticleers suffered a humiliating 47-7 loss to James Madison, and will now face a red-hot Troy team that has won nine games in a row as they pursue a championship in the Sun Belt division. The setting couldn’t be worst for Coastal Carolina.

Tulane -3.5

The Tulane Green Wave has been one of the most impressive teams in the nation this year. They’ve been dominant on both sides of the field, and things won’t get all that complicated against a banged up UFC Knights team.

The Knights are just 1-7 against the spread in their last eight games after putting up 40+ points in their previous game, and they’re likely tobe without John Rhys Plumlee. The Green Wave has gone 9-1 vs. the number in their past 10 matchups and 7-1 vs. foes with a winning record.

Purdue +16.5

The Purdue Boilermakers have been known as the Spoilermakers throughout their history. Even when they’re not at their best, they’ve made a living out of making things hard for contending teams, and this shouldn’t be the exception to that rule.

The Michigan Wolverines have been quite impressive straight up, but they’ve failed to cover the spread four out of six times vs. Big Ten foes when favored by at least a couple of touchdowns. The Boilermakers are 2-0 ATS vs. ranked opposition, so this is an easy lean here.

Our bonus NCAA Football best bet on the Over/Under

Well, enough with college football spreads; it’s time to talk totals now. This time, we’ll dig deep into the matchup between the LSU Tigers and Georgia Bulldogs, which we believe will go over the projected total of 51 points.

The LSU Tigers were completely embarrassed by a struggling Texas A&M Aggies offense that could barely get any momentum all year long, so we can only imagine what the almighty Georgia Bulldogs will do to them on the verge of the CFP selection.

The Bulldogs have been a steamroller throughout the whole campaign, and facing a beatable defense is a mouth-watering matchup for them. There’s no way the Tigers can get them out of the endzone, and they also boast a more than capable offense.

What is College Football spread betting?

Just like it happens with other football tournaments like the NFL, or in basketball, betting against the spread means that the team you bet on must win for at least a specific number, or lose by that maximum number. For example, NCAA Football point spreads could state that the Oklahoma Sooners are 7-point favorites over the Utah Utes.

In that case, then those who bet on the Sooners against the spread need the team to win by at least 8 points to cash in their bets. On the flip side, those who back up the Utes need them to lose by a max of six points to cash in their bets. Also, they win their bet if the Utes win by any margin. If the Sooners win or the Utes lose by exactly 7 points, then the bet pushes and you get your money back.

NCAA football spreads can also include half-points. Take the same game as an example, except the Sooners are 6.5-point favorites instead. In this case, those who back them up need them to win by at least 7 points to cash in their bets, while those who back up the Utes need them to win, or lose by a maximum of 6 points.

What is a College Football bet on the total?

If you don’t like or don’t want to bet on normal NCAA football spreads, you can also lean towards the total. Betting on the total is quite similar to betting on college football spreads, meaning you need to reach a certain number to cash your bet. To get real examples of this, refer to our college football picks page.

The difference between college football spreads and total bets relies on the fact that you focus on both teams rather than just one of them. If you bet on the Over, then you need those teams to combine for more points than the projected total, whereas the Under is exactly the opposite.

Let’s take our previous example again. Instead of betting NCAA football picks against the spread and choosing either the Sooners -7 or Utes +7, we could bet the Over 59.5 points. That means that both teams need to combine for at least 60 points to win. Any score works: 35-25, 60-0, 55-5; all you need is for them to score at least 60.

On the flip side, if you bet on the Under 59.5 points, you need both of them to combine for less than 59 points in total. Once again, like with college football spreads, any score would do the trick: 59-0, 40-10, 15-10; all you need is for them to score fewer than 59 points. Also, if the total is projected at, let’s say, 60 points and the combined score is exactly 60, bets on the over and under will push and will be reimbursed.

If you want more examples or information about this subject, refer to our how to bet on college football page.