Sports Gamblers-Beware When Switching From NFL to College Football
When it comes to betting on the NFL, sports bettors know that an average point spread is around seven and a huge spread is just over 11. They also understand that the over/under for most games is usually between 32 and 40 points. If you are an avid professional football gambler and you are thinking of betting on NCAA football as well, then you will surely find that dot spreads and over/unders tend to be much larger in the college ranks. There are a number of reasons for this, including the huge disparity between different congresses, the way the college football schedule is set, and the way the national rankings are determined. All three of these help influence the spread and over/under of any game.
Conference vs. Non-Conference
Each year, college football teams play about four regular-season games outside of their conference. This can result in gross mismatches that usually lead to outbursts by the favoured team, but sometimes end with an upset by the underdog. For example, if USC, a national powerhouse in the prestigious Pac-10, plays against San Jose State, a team that ranks around 100th in the nation and a mediocre club in the Western Athletic Conference, chances are at the start of the season, the greatest Trojans will destroy the less talented Spartans. The USC-San Jose match-up is a fairly common example of non-conference planning. The points spread for this game can be as high as 37, and the over/under can be as high as 48 points or more, with USC expected to score the lion’s share of those points. Scheduling for
College Football
In addition to mismatches in non-conference games, the way the NCAA football schedule is set up presents some challenges for teams and sports bettors alike. First, most non-conference games are played at the beginning of the season, when teams are still trying to gel. This puts teams from weaker conferences at a disadvantage, especially since the top six national conference clubs-SEC, Big 10, Big 12, Big East, Pac-10, and ACC-generally have the best talent on the field, the best coaches, and the best training facilities.
The other schedule disruption occurs at the end of the regular season and before the start of the bowl season. Bowl-bound clubs have a four-to-six-week layoff, which can be either positive or negative. For teams in pain, players have a chance to rest and heal. However, the long split without competitive games can result in uneven play on the coming day. Sports bettors should carefully analyse these aspects of the NCAA schedule, especially when it comes to potential disruptions or underperforming teams.
National Rankings
National rankings are determined each week by two separate polls-the AP Top 25 and the USA Today Poll. If a club prefers to win that week and they lose, they could quickly plummet in the polls. In addition, if a team underperforms, they can also lose ground. In the USC-San Jose game, if the Trojans win by just a few points and don’t control the match in the expected way, voters can begin to question just how good the Trojans are. So, unlike in the NFL, where a one-point win is just as good and counts as a blowout, college football teams are expected to use their strength and talent every game. They do this by increasing the score, which results in a wide spread of points and high overs/unders. It’s just expected.Sports bettors should keep these differences in mind when betting their money on college games. While it’s the same basic game, the differences between NFL and NCAA football influence points are bigger and smaller, complicating betting choices when moving from the professional to the amateur ranks.
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