College football is the second-most popular sport in the United States for sports betting, and that’s only because the NFL exists.
Americans love them some football, and as more states legalize retail and online sports betting, more people will be empowered to place wagers on college football games from Week 0 in August through the national-championship game in January.
One popular way to bet on sports is focusing on prop betting. Prop betting is defined as any wager that isn’t tied to the final outcome, and although college player props are not legal everywhere, there is still a vast array of prop wager options for bettors to place their money on each week.
If we’ve piqued your curiosity and you want to learn more, we’re here to help. Here’s a look at prop betting on college football.
How College Football Prop Betting Works
Prop bets are any wagers that are not tied to the final outcome, which is an extremely broad category of betting especially with an online sportsbook. Sportsbooks offer more than two-dozen betting options for each college game each week, and more for marquee regular-season and bowl games and in states where college player prop bets are legal.
Bettors can sift through props like the first-half or first-quarter moneyline, spread and total, what the exact winning margin of victory will be and much more. Sportsbooks will also boost certain props, like for a winning team to win between 7-13 points, and make those odds more lucrative for betting.
Winning a prop bet is simple. If the outcome you wager is right you cash in.
For example, if Notre Dame is hosting Boston College, and you wanted to bet on the Fighting Irish to jump out to a fast start, you could wager on them to score first. Or you could wager on the Irish to cover a 7.5-point first-half spread, rather than hoping they can cover a 14-point full-game spread. You could bet on Notre Dame to cover a 3.5-point first-quarter spread. Or you could bet on the teams to combine for more than 10.5 points in the first quarter.
If you were feeling daring, you could wager on the Irish and Eagles to combine for between 51-60 points in the game, or 41-50 and so on, depending on your feel for the game. If the weather is bad and you think it’ll be a low-scoring slugfest, maybe you’ll put down your money on there to be between 21-30 total points to cash in with odds like +750.
Are There College Football Player Props?
Yes, but they’re not available everywhere. Nine states and Washington, D.C. currently allow betting on player props, and even then there are some restrictions on which teams bettors may place player props since states and leagues are adamant about having upholding the integrity of the games.
Player props include things like anytime rushing touchdowns for players or for receivers to surpass a yards threshold. Most sportsbooks will only target marquee players in props.
Betting on player props is presently legal and unrestricted in Louisiana, Michigan Washington, D.C. and Wyoming. Bettors in Connecticut, Illinois, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Rhode Island may place bets on player props but not on players or games within their state borders. In Indiana, player prop betting is only allowed before games start.
Best College Football Prop Betting Sites
You can place wagers at a bunch of online sportsbooks. But here are a few of our favorites.
Caesars Sportsbook
Caesars is one of the marquee name in the betting world, and that reputation has only grown since it dove into the sports-betting game headfirst by acquiring popular British sportsbook William Hill in August 2021. The Caesars Sportsbook offers a great selection of college-football betting markets, including props, and has super odds on all football betting markets whether it’s the NCAA, NFL, CFL, Aussie Rules or more.
Plus, all wagers with Caesars grant bettors Caesars Rewards, the company’s VIP rewards program that pays points that can be redeemed for perks like hotel and dining credits, free bets, sports tickets and much more.
BetMGM Sportsbook
The self-proclaimed king of sportsbooks is a sensational option for prop betting on college football. BetMGM is one of the most widely available online sportsbooks and is often among the first to enter a new state when it legalizes sports betting. Plus, the BetMGM Sportsbook is one of my favorites, with a great interface and solid odds for all of your online betting needs.
FanDuel Sportsbook
FanDuel is the No. 1 online sportsbook in America and for good reason. The FanDuel Sportsbook has been changing the game with innovative practices like same-game parlays, which the sportsbook invented in 2018, and Same Game Parlay+, which it rolled out in 2021. With Same-Game Parlay+, bettors can combine multiple betting markets — including props — from multiple games to create a spectacular, long-odds parlay that will produce a huge payout.
Plus, FanDuel offers new innovations every day and couples those with elite odds and a plethora of betting markets. Plus, it is one of the most widely available online sportsbooks, which makes it a great option.
DraftKings Sportsbook
The DraftKings Online Sportsbook is the most widely available sportsbook in America, available in more than a dozen states plus Washington, D.C. and Ontario in Canada. DraftKings has a great user interface, offers a huge assortment of prop bets for all sports and makes same-game parlays a breeze.
Plus, DraftKings is constantly boosting props and offering terrific betting promotions — like boosting any wager across its site to +100, which it will periodically offer — which makes it a great option for bettors everywhere.
PointsBet Sportsbook
PointsBet is revolutionizing sports betting everyday. The PointsBet Sportsbook offers two types of bets, traditional fixed-odds betting and its signature PointsBetting-style of wagering that rewards bettors for being right and punishes them for being wrong.
PointsBet offers a huge assortment of college football bets every day, including props, curated parlays and more, and is one of the most widely available sportsbooks in the country.
BetRivers Sportsbook
BetRivers is the best sportsbook for new and novice gamblers. Aside from its awesome new-user bonus, a risk-free bet up to $250, the sportsbook also offers users with a helpful glossary that spells out terms, like odds and types of bets, that might be angst-inducing to inexperienced bettors.
Plus, BetRivers has great odds and a plethora of betting markets, which makes it a great option for bettors of all experience levels.
How To Pick the Best NCAAF Betting Sites
There is legitimate criteria to consider when determining which is your preferred online sportsbook. For example,
Odds
The better the odds on the bet, the more we win. Sometimes determining the best sportsbook is as easy as determining which sportsbook has the best odds — though, again, market odds can vary depending on boosts and other factors.
New-User Promos
The best sportsbooks are the ones that give us the most playable funds right off the top then also enable us to keep our money in the accounts by offering generous boosts and fun and lucrative promos. A risk-free bet is good, but a bet-and-get or first-deposit match is better. Pick the promo that is most conducive to your betting style.
Markets
We want to be able to place the bets we want to make. That means same-game parlays with a vast assortment of wagers are a must. Multiple prop options for each game or some sportsbooks, like PointsBet, empower bettors to create their own wagers. Plus, if they come with boosted odds that makes them even better.
User Interface
You’ll want to find the user interface that makes betting a breeze, especially in those live-wagers where every second can be the difference between getting profitable odds or not. Find the sportsbook that makes logging in simple and doesn’t crash when you’re trying to sign in. Plus, find one that is easy to navigate and makes finding betting markets a cinch.
NCAAF Prop Betting Promotions
As alluded to above, online sportsbooks dial up the promos for college-football season. Here’s a look at some.
Boosts
Boosts are one of the few ways that sportsbooks are able to differentiate themselves since odds and totals are fairly standard. Still, boosting the odds of props, like Alabama to cover 14-plus points in the first half of its game against rival LSU, is a way for bettors to get more bang for their buck. Because most props have -110 odds, boosting the odds to +100 or longer makes the profit greater.
Bet-and-Gets
Bet and gets are new-user promos, but they do center around college-football games like the national championship or other bowls. In a bet-and-get, a user will get a lump sum of site credit, typically between $100-$200, for placing a small wager, like $1-$5, on a particular outcome.
These are relatively new offers and are extremely popular since bettors typically only need to deposit $10 or so to have access to the site credit. Then they can gamble with the credit just as they would their own funds.
Cash Outs
If you don’t love the way your prop wager is trending you can accept a low profit or slight amount of money from most of the sportsbooks listed above rather than risking it all. Early cashouts aren’t always available, since they will periodically lock especially when using a free bet, but they are there if you need them.
Expert Picks
Most sportsbooks invite experts to make their selections, either for futures bets or on a week-to-week basis, then will highlight and boost the odds of those wagers for paying out. It’s just a little bit more information designed at informing bettors to make the best bets.
Best College Football Prop Bets
Placing prop bets on sportsbook apps is a matter of feel but also trends. If you’re not in a state that allows player props then you obviously can’t target those.
A great prop-bet option is wagering on which team will score first because usually you can get favorable odds even when the full-game odds might be extremely lopsided. You might get hosed by a fluke kickoff return or pick-6, but generally if a favorite wins it is going to score first.
First-half spreads and first-quarter spreads and totals are also solid if you know a particular team has a pattern of either jumping out or falling behind.
Picking the range or over a specific number of points is also a fun way to prop-bet. But be sure to check whether conditions before placing an over points prop. If shoddy field conditions make the ball slick, or wind throws off the passing game, your over could suffer a quick and cruel death.
College Football Prop Betting Strategy
The best strategy for any type of betting is to target value. Is there a prop you love? Shop around sportsbooks for the best odds that will produce the best payout. When you find the best odds, mash it, especially if a sportsbook has that exact prop boosted.
Make sure to do your homework. The Game Day offers a robust array of college-football betting analysis for games and markets we love each week. Find the analysis that affirms your gut, but also make sure you educate yourself for any pitfalls along the way, then take advantage.
Have fun. Be responsible, and you too can win some money while betting on college football each week.
Benefits of NCAAF Prop Betting Online
Betting online is always more convenient. The days of schlepping to a retail sportsbook and sitting in a smoke-filled room with TVs are over.
You can place your prop bet while you’re sitting on the couch or lying in bed. You can even do so while tending to your kids or eating brunch with your friends. When inspiration strikes, all you need is your phone, your preferred sportsbook app and about 45 seconds to place the bet you love.
Plus, online sportsbooks give users lucrative new-player bonuses like risk-free bets, first-deposit matches and bet-and-gets that lengthen your ability to wager without adversely affecting your bottom line. They also will boost odds on the bets you wish to make, which is unheard of in retail sports betting.
For instance, if the odds on the prop bet you wish to make are -110, but Caesars is boosting that prop to +100, that would make that wager more lucrative by $0.09 on every $1 wagered. That’s $9 on a $100 bet, which may not seem like much, but it’s free money on a bet you were planning on placing anyway.
How to Place an College Football Prop Bet Online
Placing a college-football prop bet is simple. Here are the steps.
- Log In/Sign Up: Sign in to your preferred sportsbook. If you don’t have a preferred sportsbook, read our reviews to determine which sportsbook you wish to sign up with then sign up through our curated link and create an account. Remember to use any promo code to unlock the best offer.
- Deposit:If you have funds in an online sportsbook, disregard and go to the next step. If you don’t, put your money in, keeping in mind that the method with which you deposit is the one that you will need to use to withdraw and that credit-card deposits come with an automatic cash-advance fee.
- Peruse Props:Find the wagers you’re interested in betting. To find college-football prop bets, simply click on the game that the prop would be in.
- Place Bet: Tap the prop you wish to make. Enter your stake. Press place bet. Root for it to win!
Where Can I Legally Bet NCAAF Props Online?
As stated above, player props are restricted in some states. Here is a breakdown of where and what you may wager.
Unrestricted Prop Bets
- Indiana (Only before games start)
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Michigan
- Washington, D.C.
- Wyoming
Game/Player Props except for in-state teams
- Connecticut
- Illinois
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- Rhode Island
Game Props Only
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Iowa
- New York
- Pennsylvania
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- West Virginia
Choose More Than One College Football Prop Betting Site
It is integral to have funds in multiple online sportsbooks. If you’re only using one sportsbook you can’t odds-shop, which means you’re relying solely on one sportsbook’s odds. You’re also undoubtedly eschewing lucrative boosts and new-user bonus funds by remaining with one online book.
Plus, prop options may vary depending on which sportsbook you use. Be sure to at least consult other sportsbooks’ odds and markets before determining where to place your money down.
