This guide to college football betting sites will cover top operators in the space, markets of interest, and legislative news about where NCAAF betting is available.
College football is one of the most popular sports in the U.S., with viewership increasing by 28% between 2018 and 2023, according to The Athletic. This growth rate is at least partially attributed to the rise in college football betting, with 38 states now allowing the practice.
Here, we’ll highlight some of the best college football betting sites for the 2025-26 season. We’ll also list the states where NCAAF gambling is legal, what markets are available in those legal states, and offer tips for betting on college football.
Below are six of the best college football betting sites for the 2025-26 season as chosen by Bettor In Green. Clicking on the name of the sportsbook will take you to our review page of the sportsbook for more specific information about each site’s active welcome bonus offer for new users.
Bet365 Sportsbook offers some of the most valuable welcome bonuses in the industry, with new users frequently able to qualify for bonus credits for as low as a $1 wager. It also provides a high-quality college football live betting option in states where the practice is allowed.
Additionally, we recommend bet365 for odds shopping and line shopping, as the bookie’s odds are often competitive with the others on this list, meaning that you could get a better deal for the teams and players you intend to back.
Caesars Sportsbook provides an elite rewards program for its users and is often considered to be the industry gold standard in that regard. Bettors are awarded both Reward and Tier Points for every wager made on the site or in the app; points are then redeemed for betting bonuses, discounted hotel and casino stays, entertainment tickets, and much more!
We’ve also found Caesars to consistently offer welcome bonuses with the highest-reaching return to player amount among the sportsbooks on this page. It’s not uncommon to see second-chance bets and deposit matches of around $1,250 to $1,500.
DraftKings is one of the best sportsbooks for betting bonuses and college football betting insurance, with early cashout available in a majority of cases. We’re also big fans of the frequent promotions, offering bonus bets, deposit matches, same game parlay boosts, and more.
Bettor In Green also holds DraftKings’ customer service in high esteem. The FAQ pages are detailed and thorough, providing helpful information for new bettors, and the support teams are responsive and efficient in resolving any issues you may encounter.
Same game parlay betting has surged in popularity in the past few years, and FanDuel Sportsbook is as good as it gets for SGP gambling. FanDuel has a remarkable amount of player props for college sports betting with ample standard parlay markets as well for those in states where player props aren’t permitted.
Additionally, FanDuel’s mobile betting app is the highest-rated platform among both Android and Apple users. It is supremely intuitive and easy to use, with fast speeds and fluid transitions between menus for a more dynamic betting experience.
BetMGM thrives in futures markets, often setting the curve before other sportsbooks have their lines and odds posted. For college football, this means markets for predicting national and conference champions, team win totals, and the Heisman winner will be available earlier, potentially leading to more money in your pocket on a winning prediction.
However, if day-to-day sports betting is more your speed, BetMGM Sportsbook delivers with plenty of college football markets and a generous rewards program. Banking is a breeze as well, with safe, secure transactions and fast payouts.
Closing out our list is Fanatics Sportsbook, which doesn’t yet offer its platform through a website and instead operates solely on its mobile app. The bookie is in its first full year of offering college football betting after launching in November 2023, but based on both the end of last year and the start of this season, Fanatics brings a lot to the table for college football bettors.
One of the biggest benefits is the use of “FanCash,” which is earned with every wager at the sportsbook. FanCash is redeemable for betting benefits like bonus bets, but you can also use it to purchase apparel and memorabilia at any Fanatics-branded online retailer.
Knowing that there is no single “best” sports betting site that will apply to all bettors, we instead set out to find the bookmakers who were most likely to be considered as top options. We rate college football sportsbooks using the following criteria:
Many of the same types of bets that are available for NFL betting will be available for college football, too. However, depending on where you live or are betting, certain options may not be available to you.
Here are the main types of college football bets that will be available to you.
In simplest terms, moneyline bets are wagers on who will win the football game. It doesn’t matter if the game ends in regulation or overtime, nor does a team have to win by a certain number of points. If the team you backed is ahead when the game is over, your bet is a winner.
Spread bets act as a means of handicapping moneyline favorites by requiring them to win and beat their opponent by the spread amount. They also allow bettors to back the underdog if they expect that team to keep the game close.
If you think an underdog will win outright, you’ll get better value by playing a moneyline wager. However, if you think the favorite won’t win by as many points as the sportsbook projects, an underdog on the point spread could be a savvy play.
While the previous two options covered the winners and losers, totals bets ignore that outcome and instead focus on the number of points scored in a game. Because it’s a combined total, blowouts and close games can still lead to the over hitting.
Most of the time, the “over” on the totals line will be the favorite before the game starts. This is because college football’s overtime rules could allow teams to soar past the pregame line, making it the more likely option than the teams struggling to score (again, this is in general and may not apply to the game you’re betting on).
Futures bets are long-term wagers that will take place over the course of the season rather than during a single game. Examples would include betting on the winner of the CFP, which schools will win conference championships, or which player will win the Heisman.
Note that some states do not allow wagering on individual athletes, so betting on the Heisman winner may not be available in your area.
Short for “proposition bets,” props are wagers on specific in-game events that aren’t necessarily dependent on the final score. A majority of player props are over/under wagers on statistical accomplishments, such as over/under 5.5 receptions, over/under 250.5 passing yards, or which player will score the first touchdown.
Rules for college football prop bets vary by state, with some allowing all props, some allowing only team-related props, and others barring prop bets altogether. Check the table below to see if prop bets for college football are allowed in your state.
As touched on above, betting on college football props has some significant legal considerations. It is restricted even more than the other types of wagers discussed in the previous section, with the legality of college sports betting already a major point of contention when states decide whether to allow the practice.
Far more commonly available is access to futures bets, though again, there are some limitations. Specifically, depending on the state where you’re betting, futures bets on individual player awards and stat lines may not be available.
In our table below, we’ve listed the legality of college sports betting with the right-most column indicating any restrictions in the states that allow college football betting. Be sure to check carefully before attempting to play any such wagers.
We get it. You’re sick of hearing about college football betting restrictions.
Unfortunately, we have to mention that there are some states where live sports betting is prohibited. Also called “in-play wagering,” live bets are wagers that are made after a college football game has started, with odds constantly updating based on the action on the field.
For states that allow live wagers, college football bettors will thoroughly enjoy the excitement of trying to beat the sportsbooks while games are underway. A keen eye to keep up with the game flow and sharp instincts to pounce on a line before the odds change are essential for live betting success.
Bettor In Green highly encourages you to only place in-play wagers on games you’re actively watching (not just when it’s on at a watch party or your favorite sports bar). Relying solely on the box scores and not what you’re watching on the field in front of you is a recipe for a live betting disaster.
When looking at live betting options, the majority of available markets will be moneyline, spread, and totals wagers. You may also see live props.
Not only do the constantly changing odds allow you to occasionally get more favorable odds for the same outcome than what was available before kickoff but also it provides the opportunity to hedge your bets, backing the opposite outcome after the odds have moved to guarantee a profit.
We highly recommend FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetMGM for live wagers.
Parlays are wagers that combine multiple outcomes (often called “legs” on a betting slip) into a single wager. The odds multiply with each additional leg added to the wager, potentially leading to massive payouts for a win with a relatively small stake.
However, if any of the legs of your parlay don’t hit, the entire bet is scored as a loss. Parlay insurance may help you recoup some of your bet, but there are very specific criteria needed for your parlay wagers to be eligible for insurance.
Successful parlay wagering typically consists of bets made with 2-5 legs. More than that tends to provide too much risk with a high probability of failure, despite how lucrative the payout may be.
For years, the only way to make parlay wagers was by combining wagers from multiple games. Now, with the rise of same game parlays, bettors can concentrate their research efforts on a single matchup instead of from several games, making their betting process more efficient.
Bettor In Green recommends DraftKings, FanDuel, and Caesars for college football parlay betting.
College football sportsbook promos are a bit tricky, as the NCAA’s name, image, and likeness (NIL) rules prohibit athletes from promoting sports gambling. This is so the athletes are not exposing themselves to accusations of match-fixing and also because many athletes wouldn’t be of legal betting age.
Instead, promos and bonuses, when available, revolve around teams as a whole, or around specific games throughout the year (such as the season opener, bowl games, or CFP matchups).
There are many types of bonuses available that you should be aware of:
Bettor In Green recommends DraftKings, bet365, and Fanatics for the best sportsbook bonuses. We also recommend Caesars and BetMGM for their rewards programs which can help you earn more bonuses as you make your wagers.
Before betting on college football, we hope you’ll consider these tips and strategies:
The sad reality of college football betting is that the more often you wager, the more of a certainty losing will become. Injuries can knock a star player out of the game and turn what looked like a smart bet into a frustrating loss. Bad beats can happen when the final play snatches a defeat from the jaws of victory.
Every bet carries risk, so finding ways to mitigate risk is crucial to gambling success. Research every wager you make so your bets are logical. Keep a close eye on your bankroll so you don’t bet more than you can afford to lose.
Finally, have the self-awareness to know when you should walk away and adjust your strategies. It’s always better to call a timeout and reassess why you aren’t winning than continue to chase losses (trying to win back all of your losses on one bet).
Keeping track of your bets will help you to research and evaluate your own gambling habits and trends, allowing you to make adjustments and find more success throughout your betting journey. It’s also helpful to have a record of your bets during tax season, as gambling winnings are taxable income at the state and federal level.
Sportsbooks may have this data available to you depending on how much you win in a given year. However, it’s important to have your own record of wagers made in case there are any concerns or inaccuracies.
Football’s scoring system isn’t as straightforward as in baseball, hockey, and to a lesser degree basketball. Especially when you’re spread betting, it is important to recognize when score predictions indicate a difference of 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, and 14 points.
These are good numbers to target because they most closely relate to scoring patterns.
For example, a spread line moving the favorite from -5.5 to -4.5 isn’t as beneficial as a line moving from -3.5 to -2.5 because a team winning by a touchdown covers both outcomes in the first example, but a team only winning by three points changes the outcome in the second case.
Since these lines move throughout the week, there is also an opportunity to “middle” your bet, backing both sides as the lines move to guarantee a payout and possibly to have both wagers win.
Mobile betting continues to grow in popularity and is now the most popular way to bet on sports, surpassing desktop sports gambling and retail sportsbook wagers by a wide margin (more than 60% in most months, according to sportsbook betting handle numbers). As a result, sportsbooks can live and die by the success or failure of their mobile app.
For college football betting, it’s important the mobile apps are able to deliver a strong performance, with great odds, beneficial promos, reliable signal strength, and more. Below is the app store rating for each of the six sportsbooks mentioned above in both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
| Sportsbook | Google Play Store Rating | Apple App Store Rating |
|---|---|---|
| bet365 Sportsbook | 4.4/5 | 4.7/5 |
| Caesars Sportsbook | 4.4/5 | 4.7/5 |
| DraftKings Sportsbook | 4.5/5 | 4.8/5 |
| FanDuel Sportsbook | 4.7/5 | 4.9/5 |
| BetMGM Sportsbook | 4.3/5 | 4.8/5 |
| Fanatics Sportsbook | 4.7/5 | 4.8/5 |
College football betting has varying degrees of legality in the U.S., with some states allowing betting in full while others prohibiting wagers on in-state teams. Others will allow betting on specific teams but not on individual athletes.
To help clear up the confusion, we put together this list of the legal status of college football betting in the U.S., with details about any restrictions that may be in place.
| State | Online CFB betting legal | Retail CFB betting legal | Restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No | No | N/A |
| Alaska | No | No | N/A |
| Arizona | Yes | Yes | Team and player props are prohibited |
| Arkansas | Yes | Yes | No restrictions |
| California | No | No | N/A |
| Colorado | Yes | Yes | Player props are prohibited |
| Connecticut | Yes | Yes | Betting on in-state teams is prohibited unless it is in a tournament setting |
| Delaware | Yes | Yes | Betting on in-state teams is prohibited |
| Florida | Yes | Yes | No restrictions |
| Georgia | No | No | N/A |
| Hawaii | No | No | N/A |
| Idaho | No | No | N/A |
| Illinois | Yes | Yes | Betting on in-state teams is prohibited |
| Indiana | Yes | Yes | Live-betting on player props is prohibited (pregame player prop betting is still allowed) |
| Iowa | Yes | Yes | Player props for in-state teams are prohibited |
| Kansas | Yes | Yes | No restrictions |
| Kentucky | Yes | Yes | No restrictions |
| Louisiana | Yes | Yes | Player props are prohibited |
| Maine | Yes | Yes | Betting on in-state teams is prohibited |
| Maryland | Yes | Yes | Player props are prohibited |
| Massachusetts | Yes | Yes | Betting on in-state teams is prohibited unless it is in a tournament setting, player props are prohibited |
| Michigan | Yes | Yes | No restrictions |
| Minnesota | No | No | N/A |
| Mississippi | No | Yes | Player props are prohibited |
| Missouri | No** | No** | N/A** |
| Montana | No | Yes | No restrictions |
| Nebraska | No | Yes | Betting on in-state teams is prohibited |
| Nevada | Yes | Yes | No restrictions |
| New Hampshire | Yes | Yes | Player props for in-state teams are prohibited |
| New Jersey | Yes | Yes | Betting on in-state teams is prohibited, betting on games that take place in New Jersey is prohibited |
| New Mexico | No | Yes | No restrictions |
| New York | Yes | Yes | Betting on in-state teams is prohibited, player props are prohibited |
| North Carolina | Yes | Yes | No restrictions |
| North Dakota | No | Yes | No restrictions |
| Ohio | Yes | Yes | Player props are prohibited |
| Oklahoma | No | No | N/A |
| Oregon | Yes | Yes | Allowed |
| Pennsylvania | Yes | Yes | Player props are prohibited |
| Rhode Island | Yes | Yes | Player props for in-state teams are prohibited |
| South Carolina | No | No | N/A |
| South Dakota | No | Yes | Betting on in-state teams is prohibited, player props are prohibited |
| Tennessee | Yes | Yes | Live betting on college sports is prohibited, player props are prohibited |
| Texas | No | No | N/A |
| Utah | No | No | N/A |
| Vermont | Yes | Yes | Betting on in-state teams is prohibited unless it is in a tournament setting, player props are prohibited |
| Virginia | Yes | Yes | Betting on in-state teams is prohibited, player props are prohibited |
| Washington | No | Yes | Betting on in-state teams is prohibited, player props are prohibited |
| West Virginia | Yes | Yes | Player props are prohibited |
| Wisconsin | No | Yes | Betting on in-state teams is prohibited |
| Wyoming | Yes | Yes | No restrictions |
| Washington D.C. | Yes | Yes | Betting on in-district teams is prohibited |
** NOTE: Missouri voters approved the state’s sports betting bill in November 2024. Once specifics about the legality of college sports betting are introduced, we will update this page.
Picking the right sportsbooks to use for betting on college football is an important step toward betting success. You can read more about each of the NCAAF betting sites mentioned above in our detailed sportsbook reviews, where you will also find information about each operator’s active welcome bonus.
You aren’t required to limit yourself to a single sportsbook, either. In fact, using multiple sportsbooks for your betting activities is a good thing, as it allows you to shop the lines and odds to find a better deal, thus getting more money on your winning wagers and helping to control your risk if a bet doesn’t go your way.
However you decide to bet on college sports, be sure to do so in a safe and legal manner. Responsible gambling is the only way to go; if you or someone you know is in need of assistance in managing compulsive betting behaviors, help is always available!!
Prop bets have varying degrees of legality for NCAAF games; some states allow all props, others restrict props to out-of-state teams, and in some cases, all player props are prohibited. Check the table at BettorInGreen.com to see if college football props are available in your state.
No, college football betting is not legal in all states. As of November 2024, only 38 states allow gambling on college football, and many states have restrictions on which bet types and what teams are eligible for wagering.
No sportsbook consistently has the best odds for college football, as odds and lines are based on a variety of factors, including betting action. However, we can comfortably recommend FanDuel, DraftKings, Caesars, BetMGM, bet365, and Fanatics for your college sports betting activities.
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