Betting pro or college? Note these differences

Thursday, Dec. 24, 2015 | noon

Billions of dollars are wagered annually on professional and college football, cementing the game’s longstanding place as the most popularly bet sport at the sports book.

Professional football continues to garner more attention and yields more money than its collegiate counterpart, but the popularity of the college game has steadily increased over the last 20 years. “NFL betting is still king, but college football is getting closer and closer,” said Jimmy Vaccaro, longtime Las Vegas bookmaker at South Point Casino.

To some, it may seem that football itself is the bet, but to handicappers, the difference between betting professional games and betting college games is huge.

Professional football vs. college football

In pro football, players are more talented, adaptable and focused, less susceptible to pressure and better at being on the road. College football tends to be more exciting, emotional and often times, unpredictable. This dichotomy isn’t a bad thing, though — recognizing it and learning how to navigate it can be advantageous.

Wider talent gaps

Of course, there are a few choice NFL superstars, but across the board, the talent level among players remains more or less steady. Getting to the point of even being able to play professionally means you’re already one of the best. In college football, talent levels have a much wider disparity, as players compete for an elite spot in the pros. This can lead to more mistakes during the game and wilder match-ups throughout the season.

Differences in reporting

NFL teams are required to report before each game whether an injured player is out, doubtful, questionable or probable. College teams aren’t required to disclose that information, which can make the bet more difficult, especially if a star player is out.

Rotating players

Between graduating seniors, incoming freshmen, suspensions, transfers and more, college football rosters face substantial shake-ups each season, whereas professional teams typically see only a few changes each year. Between all of the shuffling and the higher volume of NCAA players, it’s harder to keep track of individual players in college football, and even then, you watch them play only for four years. In the NFL, you’re able to become familiar with the players and the teams.

The odds

With more than 100 teams in the NCAA compared with 32 in the NFL, there are more games played in college ball, there is more competition and there tends to be different styles of play. The more variables applied to any equation, the more potential outcomes there can be.

Final scores

College games tend to feature higher final scores than most professional games, which is important to consider when making over/under bets. It’s not uncommon to see over/unders for college games in the 60s, whereas you’ll usually see them as low as the 30s for NFL games.

Blowouts

College games generally don’t have the same level of parity you can expect from the pros. NCAA programs can increase their rankings with dominant performances over weaker teams, whereas in the NFL, rankings are based on total wins, regardless of how many points each game is won by. You can count on college games to have prolific and frequent blowouts, which can make point spreads huge. During NFL games, you’ll usually see the point spread lines set at 7.5 or lower, and anything above a 14-point spread is rare. The point spreads for college games can come in much higher, reaching the 30s and even 40s.

So, why has college football become increasingly popular?

“College teams are just more entertaining,” Vaccaro said. There tend to be stronger, deeper rivalries in college, more interesting match-ups, more movement on the field, more triumphant moments, and of course, there are more games, meaning more opportunities to bet.

“Things began to change with college ball at the sports book when cable TV started broadcasting the games, which gave people an opportunity to watch them, especially during convenient times of the day,” Vaccaro said. “Now, the NCAA is getting even better because of the championship games.”

Which has a bigger following?

The betting margin between college and professional football during regular-season games is getting thinner and thinner each year, but the extremely high volume of bets made during the Super Bowl guarantees the NFL’s dominance. “The Super Bowl is the biggest betting day of the year, and proposition bets have a lot to do with it. In the ’70s, there were three ways to bet football: point spreads, moneylines and over/unders, but now there are over 300 different ways to bet the Super Bowl,” Vaccaro said. However, Vaccaro noted that as interest in college games continues to build, sports books are offering more and more ways to make those bets, too.