Switching from NCAA Football to NFL Sports Betting
Some Key Differences between College and Pro Football Wagering
If you’ve been sports betting on college football and are just starting to wager on the NFL, there are some aspects of professional football that are certainly different from the NCAA game. Understanding how these aspects affect the spread and over/under betting is essential for your success.
NFL Point Spreads
College football teams often lack parity. Because of this, point spreads can be huge. It’s true you will find college spreads ranging from even through 13.5, but you’ll also find some at 47.5 and even higher.
It’s important for sports betters who are coming from the college ranks to understand that something between 0.5 and 7.5 is average for the NFL and anything over 11 is huge. Overall, when you get to the professional league there’s a certain level of play that’s expected and achieved.
NFL Over/Unders
In sports betting, NFL over/unders will also tend to be lower. Again, in college ball you may see over/unders in the high 60s. The professional game features over/unders from around 25 to about 47. The average over under in professional football is approximately 37 points.
OT and Ties
There are two other things to remember. The NFL treats ties differently than the NCAA. In college football there are no ties and OT is not a sudden death experience. Each team in a college game gets equal chances to score and the game is not over until one team wins.
In the NFL, there is one overtime quarter and if the game is still tied, it ends in a tie. Also, once one of the teams scores, the game is over. That’s it.
NCAA National Ranking and NFL Standings
One thing that affects your sports betting picks would be the way in which college clubs attain a top status versus how the pros do it. In college football, it’s important for a team like Ohio State to run the score up when playing a lesser team such as Kent State, because if they simply beat Kent State by a touchdown, they will be perceived as being weak and that will affect their national ranking. That is one reason for some of the huge point spreads and over/unders in college ball.
In the pro ranks a win is a win, whether you take the game by one or 50 points, it does not matter, and running the score up against an opponent you’re handily beating is seen as being insulting and disrespectful. Yes, there will be some blowouts in the NFL, but there are many more of them in the NCAA and for good reason.
Remember these Fundamentals of NFL Sports Betting
When wagering on the NFL keep in mind the differences discussed in this article. They will affect your perception of each team and each contest, making for a slightly different sports betting experience. Overall, the pros have something that’s missing from NCAA football- parity.