Odds Analysis: Comparing NCAA and NFL Betting Lines

January 11, 2024 by Staff

The US is witnessing a genuine betting frenzy these days. It feels like everybody is trying to make some quick bucks through sports wagering or online gambling. Though unexpected, this trend makes perfect sense because digital providers offer some pretty decent betting lines for NCAA and NFL competitions.

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Key Wagering Concepts in Both Competitions

We believe that you already know how moneyline works because it’s the simplest wagering format that focuses on match winners, but what about other wagering concepts? Here’s a brief recap:

•  Point spread (or handicap) is the margin of victory that the favorite is expected to win by. Though it makes accurate predictions more difficult to achieve, this type of bet is more generous than moneyline.
  
  
• Over/under bets are also called the total. In this case, you will try to predict the overall number of points scored by both teams in a single game.
  
  
• Another option is to try a parlay, i.e. a single bet that brings together multiple wagers for a high payout.
  
  
• Futures are one of our personal favorites because they don’t focus on a single event. On the contrary, they let you choose the winner of an entire event, such as a division or championship.
  
  
• Props are wagers on specific events within a game that don't necessarily have to do with the final outcome. For instance, you can pick the first team to score or the total number of passing yards by a quarterback.

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Main Differences

The first difference is obvious: NCAA and NFL are asynchronous. NFL starts in September and ends with the Super Bowl in February, while NCAA competitions take place all over the calendar. The organization includes nearly 20 thousand teams in all types of sports, with a total of nearly 500 thousand student-athletes!

That’s also the reason why you’ll find completely different betting lines in NFL and other NCAA competitions. However, the basic principles are the same when it comes to football. In this case, online bookies offer the same betting lines for both leagues.

What’s Easier?

A word of obvious wisdom before we answer this question - determining which one is easier is subjective because it depends on various (mainly personal) factors. But there are some unbiased factors as well, so we will try to focus on these. For instance, the NFL typically features:

• Team consistency
  
  
• More statistical data
  
  
• A higher level of professional play
  
  
• More in-depth reports

As such, the big league is seemingly more predictable for some bettors. However, the heightened competition in the NFL can also pose challenges.

On the other hand, NCAA football may provide more opportunities for skilled bettors to exploit knowledge gaps. That’s because college teams attract less public awareness while nurturing more varied playing styles. This makes matches more unpredictable, with upsets occurring more frequently.

The bottom line is that the NFL is probably easier for newbies looking for solid ground. In contrast, NCAA competitions are more suitable for college sports enthusiasts or skilled punters who know exactly what they are doing.

Master the Game and Make Clever Picks

Betting lines in the NFL and NCAA are pretty similar. However, one thing that stands out above the rest is that punters have to follow the games closely in order to win money. If you are trying to become a successful bettor, you ought to master the game and make clever picks.