What Is The Moneyline In College Football

 
What Is The Moneyline In College Football 7,4/10 3227 votes

The sports betting menu is crowded with choices. Some of the wagering opportunities you’ll come across are a bit on the advanced side, but there are also ones which are straightforward and easy to wrap your head around.

Moneyline bets fall into the latter category. For these wagers, you’re simply choosing the winner of the game. That’s it. There’s no point spread to worry about or anything like that. If the side you pick wins the game, you’re golden.

A college football money line wager means you re simply picking a side. The betting term Against the Spread (ATS) is tossed out the window for these types of wagers since the spread is no factor. The favorite team or player on the moneyline is the team that’s expected to win. This side of the bet usually listed with a minus (-) sign. The underdog team or player on the moneyline is the team that’s expected to lose. This side of the moneyline is usually listed with a plus (+) sign. These signs signify how either side of the wager will pay. A moneyline bet simply involves you picking one of two teams to win the game. No catch, no angle, just the right answer or the wrong answer. Each team/person in a matchup for a moneyline betting option is given a separate numerical value for bettors to wager on and these are called “odds.”.

While the concept itself is simple, there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to the moneyline. There are times when the bets make sense, situations where you should pass, and other scenarios in which you may want to do a little shopping.

We’re going to take a detailed look at everything you need to know right here. For starters, here are the best spots to place your bets online legally and safely.

How Does the Moneyline Work?

After a quick glance at the moneyline odds, you will immediately know which side is the favorite or the underdog in a game. Oddsmakers will attach odds to both sides of the equation.

What Is The Moneyline In College Football

College Football Lines And Picks

The favorite will be designated with negative odds, while the underdog will have positive odds attached. Here’s what they’ll look like at an online sportsbook using a random NFL game as an example.

  • Los Angeles Rams +110
  • San Francisco 49ers -130

In this fictitious game, the 49ers are favored, and bets on that side will pay out at odds of -130 if correct. For the underdog Rams, successful bets on that side pay out at odds of +110.

So how do the odds impact what the actual return will be. Here’s the math on both sides for a $100 wager.

  • $100 bet at odds of +110 = potential total return of $210 (the original $100 bet plus a profit of $110).
  • $100 bet at odds of -130 = potential total return of $176.90 (the original $100 stake plus a profit of $76.90).

As you can see, a successful bet at positive odds offers the chance for greater returns than successful bets at negative odds.

However, that doesn’t mean you should randomly place your wagers on underdogs and hope for the best. Normal handicapping rules apply with moneyline betting, and the goal is to place your bets on the side you feel gives you the greatest chance of being right.

What is a Moneyline Bet?

A moneyline wager is a straight bet on the winner of a game. There are no point spreads attached or any other factors to consider. The sole concern is which side will win the contest.

After taking a look at the moneyline odds for a game you’re interested in betting on, you’ll know which side is expected to win. The favorite will have negative odds attached, while the underdog has positive odds.

Once you know that, the task at hand is to handicap the game and figure out which side you like. We’ll cover some tips on handicapping in a bit. For now, just know that it’s not as complex as it may sound.

Returns are going to vary based on which side you bet on. In a nutshell, you’ll see larger returns for correct bets on underdogs, but you shouldn’t let that be the determining factor on your choices.

There will be times when you find that the underdog makes the most sense, but there will also be plenty of times when you come up with the favorite as the answer to the question.

It can be helpful to be selective with which wagers you place on the moneyline. We’ll be covering that in more detail as we move along.

Betting on Favorites vs. Underdogs

When looking at moneyline odds, the favorite and the underdog will be readily apparent.

  • Chicago Bulls +120
  • Houston Rockets -140

In this fictitious NBA matchup, the Rockets are a decent-sized favorite. You’ll see less of a return for betting on that side as a result, while successful wagers on the underdog Bulls would see a bigger return.

Once again, it’s important not to let the potential return be your guide. Making the correct call is the bottom line, so your choices should revolve around which side you think has the greater chance to win.

To that end, it can be helpful to break down the game first prior to worrying about what the potential return will be. After you do this enough times, you’ll be able to figure out the range of returns quickly anyway, and that can help you be more selective with your choices.

For example, you may find that huge favorites are relatively safe wagers, but that the returns aren’t what you have in mind on a long-term basis. As such, you make a concerted effort to look for other opportunities first, such as favorites at odds of -180 or less.

After breaking down enough games on the other side, you’ll begin to understand that huge underdogs are that way for a reason. Sure, they’ll come in here and there, but solely focusing on big underdogs and hoping for a big score is not a recipe for a healthy bankroll.

Balance is a big key with moneyline betting, and the ultimate return on investment is the bottom line to focus on.

Examples of Moneyline Betting

Moneyline odds are offered for all of the major North American sports. The odds are presented in the same way for each, so you’ll be able to interpret them quickly.

For example, here’s a moneyline for an MLB game with a huge favorite.

  • San Francisco Giants +180
  • Los Angeles Dodgers -220

At first glance, you can quickly tell that the Dodgers have a big advantage for this contest, such as a stronger overall team or a substantial edge in pitching.

Now, let’s take a look at an NHL contest which has much tighter odds.

  • Boston Bruins +100
  • Montreal Canadiens -120

Ncaa Moneyline

After looking at this game, we can reasonably assume that these two squads are relatively even. The Canadiens are favored, but the gap in odds is far from substantial.

For basketball and football, point spread bets receive a ton of attention, but there’s also moneyline betting for these two sports. A common misconception is that there’s not enough value to be found on the moneyline in comparison to the spread.

If you solely focus on big favorites, that’s true. However, there are plenty of games in which the moneyline odds are tight. When you look at the point spread for these contests, you can quickly see which ones may have favorable moneyline odds.

As an example, a point spread of 2.5 points or less is a good indicator of a tight game. That being the case, the moneyline odds will have decent value on both sides that’s worth exploring.

College

Moneyline Betting on Close Games

Speaking of close games, you’ll come across many of these on the odds board regardless of which sport you’re focused on. When evenly-matched teams square off, it can be close to a toss-up in terms of which side will win.

Oddsmakers recognize this, and they will price the games accordingly. For example, in a really tight NFL game, you could see moneyline odds like this.

What Is The Moneyline In College Football 2019

  • Minnesota Vikings -105
  • New Orleans Saints -115

When the odds are in such a close range, the difference in return is pretty small. However, that doesn’t mean you should flip a coin and hope for the best.

You’ll still be handicapping the game in search of a winner. It doesn’t matter how even teams may seem at first glance or according to the odds. There are almost always points of difference to be found, and you can always pass on those that are legitimately too close to call.

Moneyline Bet Odds and Line Moves

When odds are released for a slate of games, these are known as the opening lines. After they’re out, the betting public has a chance to weigh in.

Depending on how the action comes in, this can lead to a shift in lines. For example, if lots of money comes in on the favorite, odds on that side will rise in a bid to even out the action.

For bookmakers, the goal is to not be too lopsided one way or the other. If they get a ton of bets on one side and few on the other, that opens up liability on their end. To limit situations such as this, they will adjust the odds where needed in a bid to attract action on the other side.

Football

Lines can also move based on new information that emerges after the initial release. A lineup change, trade, or previously undisclosed injury are among the things which can have an impact.

A good rule of thumb is to examine any changes from the opening line to the time you are ready to place your bets. This can point you to what the overall market sentiment is on the game, and also potentially alert you that there’s some news out there that you may have missed.

Moneyline shopping – What is it, how do you do it?

All odds are not created equal. While major sportsbook operators are typically in range, you can find some ticks of difference, especially on the moneyline.

In general, the differences won’t be eye-popping. Bookmakers that are far off the beaten path will stick out like a sore thumb. As a result, bettors will quickly jump on that line and bring it back more to the level of the general consensus.

To find these points of difference, you’ll need to engage in what’s known as line shopping. This refers to checking the odds and lines at different sportsbooks in a quest to find the best price.

If you were going to buy something online and found differing prices in a few different spots, you would naturally gravitate towards the better deal. It’s the same thing with sports betting odds.

For example, if one book is offering odds of -140 on a favorite, but another book is at -130, the better deal is at the latter. You’ll get a better return there for placing your wager on that particular game.

How to Handicap Moneyline Bets

Handicapping games can sound formidable when you’re unfamiliar with the concept. However, it can actually be a simple process if you allow it to be.

It can be quite easy to get lost in research, and that can make it just as simple to get overwhelmed with information. Especially when starting out, keep it simple and focus on the things that really matter.

Here’s a simple five-point plan that you can use as a starting point.

  • The odds and lines for the game. What is this telling you?
  • Overall strength of the two teams. Is there a marked difference between the squads?
  • Home/road splits. How do the two teams perform in the role they have for this game?
  • Key Stats. Points for and against, and other sport-specific stats that really make a difference in the outcome.
  • Recent Play. Is one team playing much better than the other recently?

The process gets quicker the more times you go through it. Once you have a handle on it, you can begin to tweak and personalize it to your specifications, such as by adding more stats into the equation that you feel really impact the outcome.

The Bottom Line on Moneyline Betting

Moneyline bets are straight forward wagers in which you are simply deciding which side you think will win. For each game on the docket, oddsmakers will designate a favorite and underdog.

Which side is which will be reflected in the odds. Favorites will have negative odds, while the underdog will have positive odds. The odds tell us the likelihood of something happening, as well as what the potential return will be for our wagers.

Moneyline odds are found for all of the major sports. The odds can shift based on market action, as well as news which may develop after the initial release.

There are a number of different systems for handicapping moneyline odds. We’ve included a simple one here in this article which you can use as a starting point. As you advance with sports betting, you’ll be able to implement your own system and tweak as needed.

How to read College Football Las Vegas Money Line Odds

If your team wins, you win!

A college football money line wager means you’re simply picking a side. The betting term Against the Spread (ATS) is tossed out the window for these types of wagers since the spread is no factor.

Similar to our Spread and 1st Half Odds, every matchup is listed in order of Rotation and those numbers are preceded by the Date and Time of the College Football game, every matchup is listed in order of Rotation and those numbers are preceded by the Date and Time of the College Football game.

The Rotation for college football games typically lists them by scheduled starting time, which can lead to some confusion since the number will remain the same even if the games wind up changing due to television networks often shifting around action to present more attractive matchups. Home teams are listed at the bottom and will therefore be your even-numbered squad.

The numbers next to the teams are based on a scale where $100 is the key figure. Favorites are the teams with the minus (-) sign next to their figure, which represents what it would take to win yourself $100 with the favored group. The team in the Underdog role has the plus (+) symbol next to the amount you would be able to win by wagering $100.

For an example, the Ohio State Buckeyes were heavily favored over the Wisconsin Badgers in the 2019 Big Ten Championship game.

Ohio State -727 (Bet $727 to win $100, Betting $100 wins only $13.76)
Wisconsin +494 (Bet $100 to win $494)

That number is often set by oddsmakers after the spread is established and released on Sunday afternoons but similarly fluctuates throughout the week based on the amount of money coming in on bets.

How to bet College Football Las Vegas Money Line Odds

The skill in betting the money line in college football is to try and avoid pitfalls when backing the favorites and to zero in on upsets to cash in on spots where you believe the underdog will rise up. Because the majority of spreads end up being double-digits at this level, money lines for favorites are often very high.

2019

Consider that in last season’s Big 12 Championship, which involved two of the teams that had college football’s most successful seasons, Oklahoma was still a double-digit favorite over Baylor despite winning by just a field goal against them in their first meeting of the season, so bettors might have been hesitant to lay 10 points.

Oklahoma -325 (Bet $325 to win $100, Betting $100 wins only $30.27)
Baylor +260 (Bet $100 to win $260)

College Football Spreads Vegas

The Sooners won the second matchup 30-23, so only bettors who backed the money line prevailed with them since Baylor covered. The Bears were a popular Money Line bet due to Oklahoma’s tendency to lose late in the season, but those hoping to win via the underdog ultimately went home with empty pockets as well. Betting the money line in games where you don’t want to lay three points for fear of pushing on a field goal and not cashing after 60 minutes of action is a popular reason to ride a money line favorite.

Wake Forest -152 (Bet $152 to win $100)
Utah State +138 (Bet $100 to win $138)

What Is The Moneyline In College Football 2019

In the 2019 college footba season’s opener for both teams, Wake Forest defeated Utah State 38-35 in a crazy rollercoaster of a game. Wake bettors who laid the 3/3.5 points didn’t cash despite the team they backed pulling out the win. Money Line bettors prevailed, albeit nervously.

College football lines and picks

A popular wager for college football bettors is to pick a handful of heavy favorites in looking to hit a big ticket while avoiding the heavy point spreads.

The VegasInsider.com Parlay Calculator is a great tool to see what kind of return you can create while avoiding the pitfalls of risk. Just avoid the upset.

Underdogs rise up often in the college game, so pinpointing a handful of spots and attempting to cash in a few winners is also capable of yielding success. Backing heavy ‘dogs isn’t advisable but Georgia State’s upset of Tennessee to open the 2019 season cashed +1138 ($100 won $1138).