How to bet on 2026 college football Week 1: Betting guide, odds, previews, trends, schedule, promo codes, more

With games spread out from Thursday to Monday, the Week 1 college football schedule is jam-packed with must-see matchups. Football fans across the nation will have ample opportunities to earn bonuses by using some of the best promo codes on several of the top betting apps. The action kicks off on Thursday night when Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes travel cross-country to take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at 8 p.m. ET. Our Week 1 college football betting guide will lay out all of the available college football betting options and can help ensure that you're laser-focused throughout the week, whether you're betting Georgia Tech vs. Colorado, LSU vs. Clemson, Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin, or Florida State vs. SMU. This Week 1 college football preview will take you through the Week 1 college football odds, zero in on the top college football betting trends, and show you how to make the most of the best college football promos and online sportsbook sign-up offers. Claim the latest DraftKings promo code, where new users get $200 in bonus bets after making a $5 wager:   

The Week 1 college football lines are out and notable matchups include No. 2 Oregon (-24.5, 51.5) vs. Boise State and No. 11 LSU (-10.5, 50.5) vs. Clemson on Saturday, as well as No. 7 Notre Dame (-20.5, 47.5) vs. Wisconsin and No. 9 Ole Miss (-6.5, 55.5) vs. No. 24 Louisville on Sunday. With dozens of Week 1 college football matchups, there's no shortage of opportunities in the first full week of the season. Use the FanDuel promo code to get $350 in bonus bets for college football:

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How to bet on Week 1 college football

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2026 Week 1 college football odds, schedule

Thursday, Sept. 3

UMass vs. Rutgers (-29.5, 51.5), 6 p.m. ET 

Bethune-Cookman vs. UCF (-41.5, 57.5), 7 p.m. ET 

Akron vs. Wake Forest (-24.5, 48.5), 7 p.m. ET 

Merrimack vs. Delaware (-29.5, 56.5), 7 p.m. ET 

West Georgia vs. Kennesaw State (-24.5, 51.5), 7 p.m. ET 

UAlbany vs. Buffalo (-24.5, 48.5), 7 p.m. ET 

Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs. No. 25 Missouri (-53.5, 60.5), 8 p.m. ET 

Colorado vs. Georgia Tech (-6.5, 50.5), 8 p.m. ET 

Eastern Illinois vs. Minnesota (-24.5, 49.5), 8 p.m. ET 

Idaho vs. No. 21 Utah (-34.5, 57.5), 9 p.m. ET 

UAB vs. Illinois (-27.5, 54.5), 9 p.m. ET

Friday, Sept. 4

San Jose State vs. Eastern Michigan (-4.5, 54.5), 6:30 p.m. ET 

Indiana State vs. Purdue (-35.5, 56.5), 7 p.m. ET 

North Carolina A&T vs. Georgia State (-27.5, 54.5), 7 p.m. ET 

UTEP vs. No. 10 Oklahoma (-41.5, 49.5), 8 p.m. ET 

LIU vs. Kansas (-39.5, 53.5), 8 p.m. ET 

Toledo vs. Michigan State (-10.5, 49.5), 8 p.m. ET 

No. 7 Miami vs. Stanford (-+23.5, 48.5), 9 p.m. ET 

Fresno State vs. No. 14 USC (-23.5, 51.5), 9 p.m. ET

Saturday, Sept. 5

Bryant vs. Army (-37.5, 51.5), 12 p.m. ET

Coastal Carolina vs. West Virginia (-21.5, 56.5), 12 p.m. ET

East Carolina vs. No. 13 Alabama (-28.5, 54.5), 12 p.m. ET

Lafayette vs. UConn (-18.5, 56.5), 12 p.m. ET

Liberty vs. James Madison (-6.5, 51.5), 12 p.m. ET

New Hampshire vs. Syracuse (-34.5, 56.5), 12 p.m. ET

North Texas vs. No. 6 Indiana (-40.5, 55.5), 12 p.m. ET

Ohio vs. Nebraska (-23.5, 47.5), 12 p.m. ET

Oregon State vs. No. 23 Houston (-20.5, 49.5), 12 p.m. ET

Tarleton State vs. Bowling Green (-2.5, 47.5), 12 p.m. ET

Miami (Ohio) vs. Pitt (-16.5, 50.5), 12:30 p.m. ET

Ball State vs. No. 1 Ohio State (-50.5, 56.5), 12:30 p.m. ET

Kent State vs. South Carolina (-36.5, 52.5), 12:45 p.m. ET

Southeast Missouri vs. Iowa State (-30.5, 52.5), 1 p.m. ET

Duquesne vs. Air Force (-28.5, 58.5), 1 p.m. ET

Youngstown State vs. Kentucky (-23.5, 54.5), 1 p.m. ET

Rhode Island vs. Temple (-10.5, 51.5), 2 p.m. ET

Tennessee State vs. No. 3 Georgia (-47.5, 56.5), 3 p.m. ET

Baylor vs. Auburn (-7.5, 58.5), 3:30 p.m. ET

Boise State vs. No. 2 Oregon (-24.5, 52.5), 3:30 p.m. ET

Boston College vs. Cincinnati (-7.5, 51.5), 3:30 p.m. ET

Furman vs. No. 20 Tennessee (-48.5, 66.5), 3:30 p.m. ET

Maine vs. Appalachian State (-17.5, 51.5), 3:30 p.m. ET

Marshall vs. No. 18 Penn State (-24.5, 54.5), 3:30 p.m. ET

Texas State vs. No. 5 Texas (-30.5, 60.5), 3:30 p.m. ET

The Citadel vs. Charlotte (-17.5, 45.5), 3:30 p.m. ET

Towson vs. Navy (-30.5, 52.5), 3:30 p.m. ET

Tulane vs. Duke (-9.5, 51.5), 3:30 p.m. ET

UTRGV vs. UTSA (-28.5, 58.5), 3:30 p.m. ET

Fordham vs. North Dakota State (-39.5, 51.5), 3:30 p.m. ET

Oklahoma State vs. Tulsa (+13.5, 59.5), 3:45 p.m. ET

North Alabama vs. Arkansas (-40.5, 61.5), 4:15 p.m. ET

NIU vs. No. 22 Iowa (-31.5, 46.5), 4:15 p.m. ET

Alcorn State vs. Southern Miss (-21.5, 51.5), 5 p.m. ET

Norfolk State vs. Old Dominion (-40.5, 52.5), 6 p.m. ET

Wyoming vs. Colorado State (-3.5, 47.5), 6 p.m. ET

Abilene Christian vs. No. 12 Texas Tech (-42.5, 58.5), 7 p.m. ET

Arkansas State vs. Memphis (-9.5, 55.5), 7 p.m. ET

Austin Peay vs. Vanderbilt (-29.5, 60.5), 7 p.m. ET

Charleston Southern vs. Georgia Southern (-27.5, 51.5), 7 p.m. ET

Eastern Kentucky vs. Jacksonville State (-20.5, 54.5), 7 p.m. ET

FIU vs. USF (-13.5, 54.5), 7 p.m. ET

HCU vs. Rice (-21.5, 48.5), 7 p.m. ET

Idaho State vs. Utah State (-13.5, 61.5), 7 p.m. ET

Mercyhurst vs. New Mexico State (-28.5, 51.5), 7 p.m. ET

Missouri State vs. No. 8 Texas A&M (-41.5, 53.5), 7 p.m. ET

Murray State vs. Middle Tennessee (-21.5, 59.5), 7 p.m. ET

Nicholls vs. Kansas State (-41.5, 54.5), 7 p.m. ET

Sam Houston vs. Troy (-16.5, 53.5), 7 p.m. ET

Southeastern Louisiana vs. South Alabama (-11.5, 52.5), 7 p.m. ET

Clemson vs. No. 11 LSU (-10.5, 51.5), 7:30 p.m. ET

Northwestern State vs. Louisiana Tech (-44.5, 55.5), 7:30 p.m. ET

ULM vs. Mississippi State (-28.5, 55.5), 7:30 p.m. ET

VMI vs. Virginia Tech (-54.5, 61.5), 7:30 p.m. ET

Western Michigan vs. No. 16 Michigan (-27.5, 47.5), 7:30 p.m. ET

Florida Atlantic vs. Florida (-26.5, 59.5), 7:45 p.m. ET

Hampton vs. Maryland (-45.5, 57.5), 8 p.m. ET

Lamar vs. Louisiana (-20.5, 49.5), 8 p.m. ET

South Dakota State vs. Northwestern (-13.5, 46.5), 8 p.m. ET

Utah Tech vs. No. 14 BYU (-48.5, 55.5), 8 p.m. ET

Northern Arizona vs. Arizona (-33.5, 57.5), 9:30 p.m. ET

Portland State vs. San Diego State (-41.5, 58.5), 9:30 p.m. ET

UNLV vs. Hawaii (+3.5, 58.5), 10 p.m. ET

Central Michigan vs. New Mexico (-10.5, 47.5), 10 p.m. ET

MVSU vs. Sacramento State (-37.5, 56.5), 10 p.m. ET

Morgan State vs. Arizona State (-43.5, 52.5), 10 p.m. ET

UCLA vs. California (+1.5, 53.5), 10:30 p.m. ET

WKU vs. Nevada (-2.5, 52.5), 10:30 p.m. ET

Sunday, Sept. 6

Washington State vs. No. 17 Washington (-23.5, 51.5), 4 p.m. ET

No. 24 Louisville vs. No. 9 Ole Miss (-6.5, 55.5), 7:30 p.m. ET (Nissan Stadium, Nashville)

Wisconsin vs. No. 4 Notre Dame (-20.5, 47.5), 7:30 p.m. ET (Lambeau Field, Green Bay)

Monday, Sept. 7

No. 19 SMU vs. Florida State (+3.5, 53.5), 7:30 p.m. ET

Week 1 college football game previews

East Carolina vs. Alabama preview 

Kalen DeBoer enters his third year as Alabama's head coach with a 20-8 record. The Crimson Tide went 11-4 last year, losing to eventual national champion Indiana, 38-3, in the Rose Bowl. Alabama opened last season with a 31-17 loss to Florida State before winning eight straight. Alabama enters the season ranked No. 13 nationally, which is its worst preseason ranking since 2008. The Crimson Tide introduced a new quarterback after Ty Simpson was a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, turning to sophomore Keelon Russell. East Carolina went 9-4 in Blake Harrell's first year as the team's head coach. East Carolina's offense is filled with transfer portal additions, including starting quarterback Mitch Griffis, who was a backup at Texas Tech last year. 

Oregon State vs. Houston preview 

Houston is coming off a 10-3 season and ranks No. 23 in the nation. The Cougars return dual-threat quarterback Conner Weigman, who threw for 2,705 yards and 25 touchdowns with nine interceptions and rushed for 700 yards and 11 scores. Amari Thomas, his leading receiver, is also back after posting 966 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. Houston closed with a 38-35 win over LSU in the Texas Bowl and it scored at least 30 points in six of its final eight games. Oregon State went 2-10 last year. First-year head coach JaMarcus Shephard named transfer Braden Atkinson, who played at Mercer last year, as QB1 over Maalik Murphy, who went 0-7 in his starts last year. 

North Texas vs. Indiana preview  

The Hoosiers' championship defense starts on Saturday against North Texas. After their historic 16-0 championship season and losing Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza, Indiana went back to the transfer portal to find their next quarterback. The Hoosiers found one of the top passers in the nation in Josh Hoover, who threw for more than 3,400 yards in back-to-back seasons at TCU. Indiana is ranked No. 6 in the nation and had the eighth-best transfer portal signings, according to 247Sports, so there should be plenty of talent to replace the championship players gone for coach Curt Cignetti. North Texas is coming off its best season in program history, going 12-2 to finish the season ranked following a 49-47 win over San Diego State in the New Mexico Bowl. This year's team is significantly different, though, including the departure of head coach Eric Morris. Neal Brown takes over as head coach.

Tulane vs. Duke preview 

Duke is coming off a 9-5 season and an ACC championship, but the Blue Devils lost star quarterback Darian Mensah to Miami. Walker Eget, who threw for 3,051 yards at San Jose State, takes over an offense that returns leading rusher Nate Sheppard (1,132 yards, 11 TDs). Manny Diaz (18-9) enters his third season as head coach and Duke has had four straight winning seasons. Tulane went 11-3 and reached the College Football Playoff before losing to Ole Miss, 41-10. Tulane's head coach Jon Sumrall left for the Florida job and the Green Wave are without their quarterback and top receiver from last year. Tulane is 43-13 over the last four seasons with two different head coaches, and Will Hall takes over as head coach.

Auburn vs. Baylor preview 

There's an SEC vs. Big 12 matchup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday, and both the Auburn Tigers and Baylor Bears are looking for a rebound coming off a 5-7 season. Auburn chose to turn over a new leaf after hiring USF head coach Alex Golesh to run the program, and Dave Aranda is back for a seventh season at Baylor. The Tigers only welcome back four starters after some heavy roster turnover, but they managed to work the transfer portal and have 35 players on their roster with starting experience. Meanwhile, the Bears have five starters back from last season, but they also worked the portal aggressively and have 33 players on their roster with starting experience. Former Florida starter DJ Lagway is the new quarterback at Baylor, and Byrum Brown followed Golesh from USF to earn the starting QB role at Auburn.

Texas vs. Texas State preview 

The Texas Longhorns checked in at No. 5 in the preseason AP Top 25, and they'll open their season against Texas State on Saturday at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium. Steve Sarkisian has led the Longhorns to three consecutive seasons of 10 wins or more, but Texas came up short of expectations and missed the College Football Playoff entirely last season. Arch Manning is back to lead one of the most talented rosters in the country, with 11 starters back and one of the nation's top recruiting classes coming in to plug holes. Meanwhile, Texas State has been bowl eligible three years in a row under G.J. Kinne and welcomes back eight starters from a 7-6 squad, including starting quarterback Brad Jackson and a pair of 1,000-yard receivers in Beau Sparks and Chris Dawn, Jr. This is the first meeting between these two Lone Star State institutions since a 36-0 win for Texas in 1930.

Oregon vs. Boise State preview 

The No. 2 Oregon Ducks made a run to the College Football Playoff semifinals last season, and they're expected to contend again in 2026. They'll open their season against the Boise State Broncos at Autzen Stadium on Saturday. The Ducks beat the Broncos 37-34 to kick off the 2024 season and went on to an undefeated regular season and Big Ten championship, but lost in the first round of the CFP at the Rose Bowl. Both rosters have churned heavily since that meeting, but Oregon does welcome back 11 starters from last year, while Boise State welcomes back 12. Dante Moore and Maddux Madsen are both back at quarterback for their respective programs, and this is also the first game that Boise State will play as a member of the new Pac-12.

Cincinnati vs. Boston College preview 

The Cincinnati Bearcats will host the Boston College Eagles for a Big 12 vs. ACC clash at Nippert Stadium on Saturday. Cincinnati is coming off a 7-6 season and earned bowl eligibility for the first time in Scott Sadderfield's tenure last season, while Boston College took a step back in Year Two of the Bill O'Brien era, falling from 7-6 the season prior to 2-10. The Bearcats welcome back five starters from last season, but welcome 26 players with starting experience after transfer portal additions. Meanwhile, the Eagles welcome seven starters back and have 29 players on the roster with starting experience. Georgia Southern transfer JC French IV won the starting QB battle at Cincinnati, and Saginaw Valley State transfer Mason McKenzie will start for Boston College.   

Texas A&M vs. Missouri State preview 

Texas A&M made the College Football Playoff last season, and it returns star quarterback Marcel Reed, who is trying to lead the Aggies to their first conference title since winning the 1998 Big 12 title. Reed had 3,169 passing yards, 493 rushing yards, and 31 total touchdowns last year. The eighth-ranked Aggies face Missouri State to open the season on Saturday. Missouri State is in its second season at the FBS level and its first under head coach Casey Woods, who was previously the offensive coordinator at SMU. Quarterback Skyler Locklear is taking over following two seasons at UTEP. 

LSU vs. Clemson preview 

New LSU head coach Lane Kiffin is making his Tigers debut on Saturday night in a primetime showdown against Clemson. This is the second straight season-opening matchup between these programs, as LSU notched a 17-10 road win last August. LSU is the No. 11 team in the country heading into the 2026 campaign, while Clemson is unranked entering the season for the first time since 2011. Both teams finished 7-6 and unranked at the end of last season. Former Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt is taking over for LSU, while Clemson quarterback Christopher Vizzina is entering his fourth season with the program and his first as the starter. 

Michigan vs. Western Michigan preview 

Another head coach making his debut this weekend is Michigan's Kyle Whittingham, who was hired after a lengthy stint with Utah. His offense is bolstered by sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood, who completed 60.3% of his passes with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions during his freshman campaign. He is facing a Western Michigan squad that went 10-4 last season after starting the year 0-3. The Broncos are preseason favorites to win the MAC, as quarterback Broc Lowry and running back Jalen Buckley both chose to return. Lowry was the MAC Player of the Year last season, completing 63.4% of his passes while rushing for 963 yards and 14 touchdowns, and Buckley racked up over 1,000 rushing yards for the second time in his career.  

Cal vs. UCLA preview 

Cal and UCLA are meeting for the 95th time, as the former Pac-12 schools played every year from 1933 to 2023. UCLA is aiming for its third straight win in Berkeley for the first time since winning 10 straight from 1970 to 1988. The Bruins are coming off a 3-9 campaign, which was tied for the most losses in school history. Former James Madison coach Bob Chesney is in his first season with UCLA, and quarterback Nico Iamaleava is in his second year with the program. Cal went 7-6 last season, and it is in its first season under head coach Tosh Lupoi, who is a first-time head coach after spending the last four years as Oregon's defensive coordinator and linebacker coach. 

Washington vs. Washington State preview

The Apple Cup will be on the line when the Washington Huskies host the Washington State Cougars on Sunday. It's the 118th all-time meeting in the series, and the Huskies own a commanding 77-34-6 advantage after a dominant 59-24 win last season. Washington went on to win nine games in Jedd Fisch's second season, and Washington State went 7-6, but made a coaching change this offseason. Missouri offensive coordinator Kirby Moore is running the show now in Pullman, and 77% of his first roster are either freshmen or came through the transfer portal. Washington returns 11 starters from a season ago, including quarterback Demond Williams Jr.

Ole Miss vs. Louisville preview 

The only Top 25 showdown on the Week 1 college football schedule takes place when the No. 9 Ole Miss Rebels take on the No. 24 Louisville Cardinals at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn. Ole Miss made the semifinals of the College Football Playoff last season and will return several of its starters, including quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy. Chambliss threw for 3,937 yards, 22 touchdowns and just three interceptions in 2025, while Lacy racked up 24 rushing touchdowns and averaged 5.1 yards per carry. The Cardinals also feature a dynamic rushing attack behind RB Isaac Brown, who ranked first in college football last season with 8.8 yards per carry. 

Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin preview 

Notre Dame and Wisconsin open their 2026 college football seasons at historic Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, home of the Packers. The Fighting Irish, ranked No. 4, are on a mission this year to leave no doubt in the minds of the College Football Playoff committee after being left out of the tournament last year. They return quarterback C.J. Carr, who is among the betting favorites to win the Heisman Trophy. Carr threw for 2,741 yards and 24 touchdowns with six interceptions last year for a Notre Dame team that ended the year on a 10-game winning streak after losing its first two games to ranked teams. Wisconsin went 4-8 last year for its second straight losing season. Notre Dame leads the all-time series, 9-6-2, most recently winning, 41-13, in 2021.

Florida State vs. SMU preview 

No. 19 SMU is coming off a 9-4 campaign, with three of its four losses coming on the road. The Mustangs have won at least nine games in three straight seasons, and they recorded a 42-16 win over Florida State in 2024, which was the first meeting in series history. The Seminoles have lost five of their last six games against ranked opponents, and they are 8-18 in their last 26 games since winning 19 straight from 2022-23. They opened their 2026 campaign with a 34-17 win over New Mexico State in Week 0, while this is the first game of the season for SMU. 

College football Week 1 betting promos and bonus offers

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CFB Week 1 betting trends

Indiana vs. North Texas

The Over is 7-2 in Indiana's last nine games as a home favorite.

The Over is 6-1 in North Texas's last seven road games.

Alabama vs. East Carolina 

The Under is 6-0 in Alabama's last six games at home.

East Carolina is 6-1-1 ATS in its past eight games on the road. 

Nebraska vs. Ohio

The Cornhuskers are 4-0 ATS in their last four meetings against an opponent from the MAC. 

The Over is 5-1 in Nebraska's last six games as a favorite.

Oregon State vs. Houston

The Under is 12-2 in Oregon State's last 14 road games.

The Over is 6-0 in Houston's last six games as a favorite.

Ball State vs. Ohio State

Ohio State is 14-4 ATS in its last 18 games overall.

The Under is 12-3-1 in Ball State's last 16 games against a Big Ten opponent. 

Duke vs. Tulane

The Over is 7-2 in Duke's last nine games at home. 

The Over is 4-1 in Duke's last five games as a favorite.

Texas vs. Texas State

The Longhorns are 4-1 ATS in their last five games as a home favorite.

The Over is 4-0 in Texas's last four games as a favorite.

Boise State vs. Oregon

The Under is 5-0 in Boise State's last five road games.

The Broncos are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 meetings against Oregon.

Boston College vs. Cincinnati 

The Over is 4-0 in Cincinnati's previous four games played in September.

The Over is 4-1 in Boston College's last five games as an underdog.

Baylor vs. Auburn

Baylor is 5-1 ATS in its last six neutral site games as an underdog. 

The Under is 4-0 in Auburn's last four games played in September.

Marshall vs. Penn State

Marshall is 9-1-1 ATS in its last 11 games as an underdog.

The Over is 4-1 in Penn State's last five games at home.

Western Michigan vs. Michigan

The Under is 4-0 in Michigan's last four games at home.

The home team is 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings between Western Michigan and Michigan.

Clemson vs. LSU

The Under is 5-1 in LSU's last six games as a home favorite.

The Under is 4-1 in Clemson's last five road games.

FAU vs. Florida

FAU is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games against an SEC opponent.

The Under is 5-1 in Florida's last six games as a home favorite.

UNLV vs. Hawaii

The home team is 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings.

The Rainbow Warriors are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games overall.

UCLA vs. California 

The Under is 6-1 in UCLA's last seven games as a road favorite.

The Underdog is 7-1 ATS in the last eight meetings.

Washington vs. Washington State

Washington State is 6-0 ATS in its last six games as an underdog.

The Huskies are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games as a home favorite.

Louisville vs. Ole Miss

Ole Miss is 5-1 ATS in its last six games against an ACC opponent. 

The Over is 4-0 in Ole Miss's last four neutral site games.

Wisconsin vs. Notre Dame

The Under is 7-0 in Wisconsin's last seven games as an underdog.

Wisconsin is 4-0 ATS in its last four games as an underdog.

SMU vs. Florida State

The Over is 4-0 in Florida State's past four games in September. 

SMU is 4-1 ATS in its past five games overall. 

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CFB Week 1 betting options and wagers

Money line

A money line bet is the easiest way to bet on college football games, as it only requires bettors to pick the winner. If a team is -200 to win, a $200 bet pays out $100, while a $100 bet on a +200 money line pays out $200.        

Spread

The spread levels the playing field between teams, as it is the number of points a team is expected to win by. A team favored by 2.5 points needs to win by at least three points to cover the spread, while the underdog needs to keep the margin to two points or fewer (or win outright) to cover the spread.            

Over/Under

This is the total number of expected points scored in the game. An over/under of 49.5 requires 50 points to go Over and 49 points or fewer to go Under.          

Team total

Bettors can also wager on the total number of points for each individual team. A team with an over/under of 21.5 points needs to score at least 22 points to go Over its team total.  

Race to X points

A quick betting option for college football games is the race to a certain number of points, such as the race to 15 points. The first team to score 15 points in the game is the winning side of the bet.         

First-half lines

First-half lines include a money line, spread, over/under and team total, where bettors are able to wager on these popular markets, but they only apply to the first half.             

Parlays

Parlays combine multiple bets into one ticket, so the odds are drastically longer than single wagers. However, every leg of the parlay must win in order for the bet to payout.           

Season win total

Every team has a season win total, which is the expected number of wins for that team in the 2026-27 regular season. Multiple teams have already played games, and their win totals have been updated. 

Conference winner 

There are odds for every major conference winner, including odds to reach the conference championship game. These odds shift throughout the season as results take place.            

College Football Playoff winner

The College Football Playoff title game is not until next year, but bettors can wager on the winner of the national championship right now. Every major sportsbook has College Football Playoff lines that will be updated throughout the season.         

Heisman Trophy winner

The Heisman Trophy is one of the most well-known awards in sports, and there are odds for which player will hoist the trophy in 2026. Quarterbacks tend to dominate this award, with 21 of the last 25 winners being quarterbacks.           

Make/miss College Football Playoff

Every team has odds to make or miss the College Football Playoff field. Some teams are heavily favored to make the CFP, while other teams are longshots to make the 12-team field.

How college football betting payouts work 

College football betting payouts are determined using American odds, with the minus sign (-) indicating the favorite and the plus sign (+) indicating the underdog. The total payout includes the original stake along with the potential profit, and they change drastically depending on the type of market. Standard spreads are -110 at sportsbooks, meaning bettors need to wager $110 to win $100 on a successful bet. 

Parlays can increase payouts exponentially, but every leg of the parlay needs to win in order for the bet to cash. A standard two-leg parlay of -110 wagers pays +264, with a winning $100 bet resulting in a $264 profit. Underdogs pay more than favorites because the betting market considers those teams less likely to win.