College Football Picks and Best Bets: Free NCAAF Expert Picks

The top 3 weekly NCAA Best bets

Boise State -3

While Fresno State has sure fared much better than most analysts predicted before the start of the season, they’re still a flawed team that could struggle to close out the season on a high note, especially against a superior foe such as the Boise State Broncos.

Jake Haener has sure given Fresno State a much-needed breath of fresh air, taking elite care of the football and turning them into one of the highest-scoring offenses in the conference. However, they just can’t stop the run, and the Broncos are 6-1-1 against the number in their past inter-conference matchups.

Georgia -17.5

It’s not so usual to see a 17.5-point spread in a championship matchup, less alone in the SEC. However, that only speaks volumes as to how dominant the Georgia Bulldogs have been and how above their opposition they’re right now.

Also, the LSU Tigers are coming off an embarrassing effort vs. the Texas A&M Aggies. Of course, one could say that they were looking ahead to this game already, but their defense will struggle mightily to get a stop against one of the nation’s most explosive offenses.

TCU -2.5

Even though they’re still undefeated, some still doubt the TCU Horned Frogs. In fact, they might not even make the College Football Playoffs if they fail to beat the Kansas State Wildcats in this highly-anticipated Big 12 title game.

The Wildcats will continue to roll with backup QB Will Howard, and they have already fared quite well vs. the Horned Frogs. However, TCU still managed to rally and get a huge win after being down 28-10, and we wouldn’t be shocked to see them pull it off again now that it matters the most.

How Does NCAA betting work?

NCAA betting works just like the NFL or basketball bets. You choose between thousands of NCAA football picks, such as point spreads, totals, future bets, player props, team props, and even who’s going to make the playoffs. Here, we’ll dig deep into each and every one of these.

Point Spreads

A point spread means whichever team you bet on will have a handicap. If you’re betting on the underdog, you’ll get extra points depending on the handicap and you’ll get those points deducted if you’re betting on the favorite. For example, imagine you bet on Alabama -25 vs. Notre Dame. That means you’ll have to deduct 25 points from Alabama’s total at the end of the game, so they’ll need to beat Notre Dame by at least 26 points to cash your wager.

On the flip side, Notre Dame would get +25 points to their final score. So, if you bet on them, they could either lose by less than 25 points or win by any outcome. If Alabama wins by exactly 25, then both bets would push and you’d get your money back. That also happens with half-points. So, if Alabama were -24.5 instead of -25, you’d need them to win by at least 25 points, or for Notre Dame to lose by not more than 24 points or win by any margin.

Totals

Most people focus their college football picks on totals instead of point spreads because point spreads can be quite large in NCAA Football. Betting on the total focuses on both teams, and you’d need for them to combine for more points than the projection if you’re betting on the over, or fewer points if you bet on the under.

Imagine the projected game total for Alabama vs Notre Dame is 55.5 points. You’d need for them to combine for at least 56 points to cash in or the over (any outcome does the trick; 56-0, 29-27, 30-26, 35-30) or fewer than 56 points if you bet the under (52-0, 20-22, etcetera).

Props

You can bet on team or player props. Player props are based on their performance, and it could consist of how many passing yards or passing touchdowns a QB will have, whether a wide receiver will score a touchdown at any point, or even how many rushing yards will a running back have.

The same goes for teams. Will the team score three times in a row? Will they record an interception? Will the team score more than 25 points? There are virtually countless options when it comes to prop betting. However, these NCAAF picks don’t come without risk, as injuries and a game’s outcome could take a toll on these bets.

Futures

And last but not least, you also have futures bets. As its name shows, these bets will only cash in (or not) at the end of the season. You can bet on a divisional winner, how many wins a team will get, whether a player will win an award, or even who’s going to make the playoffs. Needless to say, these NCAA Football picks often have the highest college football odds.

NCAA handicapping tips

Putting together your college football picks is no easy task. Usually, a college football expert picks just one or two games per week, as there are way too many teams, and it could be tough to keep up with all the information and numbers throughout the season.

Unlike most sports, NCAAF picks are often made based on context and external information, not only on the team’s roster and record. You have to look for past matchups, as ‘revenge games’ are a huge thing in college football picks, as well as a team’s upcoming schedule.

Usually, teams ‘look ahead’ at tougher rivals when facing a lesser rival. That means they could rest their starters late in the game and won’t care about covering the spread, thus giving their underdog rivals ‘backdoor cover’ potential. Also, teams going on long travels, changing time zones, or going through long road trips are also at a disadvantage.

Managing your funds is also a must to be successful. You need to be consistent in terms of bankroll management and not start betting more money just because you’re on a roll. Put together a couple of NCAA football picks there, or maybe some even listen to advice and get free college football picks from experts; just don’t get greedy.

Most experts bet just 1%-5% of their total bankroll per game, with the percentage depending on how confident they are on each wager. That way, they take a long-term approach and make consistent winnings, rather than trying to hit the jackpot all in one sitting.

Also, avoid parlays and focus on single bets instead. Imagine you bet on three college football picks, all at -110 odds. You bet $100 each and go 2-1 for the day, which means you’re up $80 at the end of the day. It may not sound fancy, but it’s better to take home $80 4-5 times per week instead of consistently losing money.

The top USA bookies to bet with

If you’re looking to make the most of our college football picks, then you need a safe and reliable place to bet. Here are some of the best:

DraftKings

DraftKings is more than just a sportsbook. It also features a daily fantasy sports league so the fun goes way beyond gambling, and it just never ends. It has one of the best mobile apps, it’s easy to use and quite intuitive, and they also feature a lot of daily promotions and bonuses, not to mention a wide variety of sports and props to bet on.

When it comes to welcome bonuses, DraftKings will match your first deposit up to $1,000 thanks to its 20% match deposit promo. That means you’ll need to deposit $5,000 to get the $1,000. Also, you’ll have to complete a 25x release requirement before being able to withdraw any of the bonus funds. Sometimes they also have a $50 no-deposit bonus.

FanDuel

Just like DraftKings, FanDuel comes from the DFS industry to take the gambling world by storm. It’s one of the quickest risers in the game thanks to its odds boosts, prop bets, and a vast array of sports to bet on. FanDuel usually has higher odds and daily promotions when compared to most of its competitors.

Unlike DraftKings, FanDuel doesn’t offer a matching deposit bonus. Instead, they’ll give you a risk-free bet worth up to $1,000 in your first wager. That means you’ll get a full refund (up to $1,000) in free credits if you lose your first bet. On the downside, that’s only a plus if you lose your first bet. Otherwise, you’d simply cash in your funds like with any other winning wager.

Bet 365

One of the biggest names in the industry, Bet 365 has established a strong presence in the U.S. after dominating the European market as well. It was one of the first to offer cash-outs on open bets, as well as the ‘create bet’ feature that allows you to create your very own prop bet and bet on multiple events in a single game.

Just like its competitors, Bet 365 also makes quite a generous offer for its new customers. But unlike FanDuel, you just need to complete a 1x rollover before being able to withdraw 100% of your bonus funds. Also, Bet 365 has a vast offering of virtual casino games and live streams in nearly every sports event, which is what makes them stand out from the rest of the pack.

If you want to take a look at more options, don’t hesitate to visit our best college football betting sites page.