We all make mistakes, but what happens when that mistake costs you a lot of money? This is all too common in college football, especially for people who are new to it.
If you’re a beginner in college football or an NFL bettor who thinks he can profit in college football, thinking that it’s all the same, then you might be interested in what this article says.
This article will discuss some of the most common college football betting mistakes many people make nowadays.
Let’s start.
Overlooking Value
One of the most common misconceptions that many bettors seem to believe, whether they are new or veteran, is that as long as the odds are low, the value is bad and vice versa. If you also believe this notion, it might discourage you from knowing that this is all just plain wrong.
Many bettors think that the payout is based on the odds.
This means that they believe that with higher odds come bigger payouts. In this scenario, you should simply establish that you can’t simply know the value of the odds by looking at them. What you should do instead is to puzzle out the chances of your stake against what the FanDuel NCAAF Odds offer.
In simpler terms, you should try to determine the risks involved with the bet.
Ignoring Injuries
Many bettors just bet willy-nilly without doing their due diligence regarding team reports. If you want to be successful, research the teams in the matchup and see the latest news about them, especially injury reports.
A general rule of thumb here is that if their main quarterback and wide receiver are not going to play, then that team will significantly have less power and efficiency in the field. Of course, you can then bet on the other team. However, unlike the NFL, college football teams don’t have a limit on how many players they can have on their team, further emphasizing that you should always do your research on each specific college football team.
Not Checking the Rivalries
If you’ve been a college football fan for some time now, you can assume that the rivalries in college football are much more intense than in the NFL. Of course, as a bettor, you can have many advantages for your bets if you’re familiar with these rivalries.
Usually, home underdogs do well in this spot since they don’t want to experience the humiliation of defeat against their rival team on their home soil. Not to mention the love and support they have from the crowd. You could then say that each of their players would go on to give 110% of their capabilities just to win the game.
With this information, you can then bet on the home underdog. Not only are they a viable team to bet on, but you’re also taking low risk for a higher payout. That said, there are a lot of rivalries you should be aware of, like Oklahoma-Texas, Army-Navy, Notre Dame-USC, etc.
Not Looking Out for Trap Games
Trap games refer to games after a huge win from a big matchup. They are so-called traps because many bettors are deceived into thinking that the team will have an easier time against a weaker opponent, only to lose the game.
A good example of this was in 1993 when Notre Dame had an emotional win against Florida State in a battle for the No. 1 and 2. After that game, they are bound to play against Boston College, where they are the favorite with over 13 points. Most bettors during that time must have thought that Notre Dame would win easily since Boston College was a much weaker opponent than Florida State. We then know what happens next.
That being said, as a bettor, you should always look out for trap games. You should also try to factor in bye weeks, as teams coming out from bye weeks tend to be more prepared and refreshed.
Be Careful of Backdoor Covers
Backdoor covers are a huge possibility in college football. For example, Ohio State may be favored by 40 points against Illinois and maybe even get ahead of 40 points by emptying their bench. The next thing you know, Ohio will bench their ace players, and it will be Ohio backups against the Illinois best. It might not be enough to win the game, but there’s a huge chance they can cover their spread.
Final Words
College football might be based on the same sport, but it’s a different animal than the NFL. If you look for that experience, you might have significant losses. Luckily for you, whether you’re a beginner in college football or an NFL veteran, now you know some of the mistakes you must avoid in college football betting; with all that said, good luck.
