Plunging into the world of college football betting means learning a few new words.Know that we are not into “betspeak” but we are totally into useful explanations. Just like you are.
The Point Spread
This is an old school kind of bet. Not to besmirch it in any way. It rocks. You start by choosing the underdog or the “overdog” as the team you believe will beat the spread.
The spread? Yes. The spread. It is sensationally easy to pick a super team to beat a not-so-super – even devastatingly bad – team. It is trickier to predict which team will beat the spread, or their advantage or disadvantage, as expressed in points.
The favorite is usually written like so – University of Texas Longhorns -10. The underdog is written as so - Louisiana State University Tigers +10. If you choose the Longhorns, they have to win by at least 11 points for you to win. If you pick the Tigers, you win if they lose by more than 1- points. It is that simple.
The Moneyline
Let’s forget the point spread. (For now.) The Moneyline lets you choose one team to beat another team. There is beauty in its simplicity. If you pick the Wolverines over the Bulldogs and they are victorious by a measly point, you win. Of course, the bookies set odds so as to even things out a bit.
Totals
This is the kind of bet that has nothing to do with who wins. (How egalitarian.) You bet that the total score (Team X + Team Y) will be Z. If you are right, you win. Oh, we should mention that Totals tend to pay out totally well.
Parlays
The parlay is a bet that appeals to the hardcore among us, those who do not like to see the action end. You see, the Parlay requires you to bet on anywhere from 2 to 12 teams. You have to be right every time, making it a tricky proposition. And an extremely lucrative one – if you win.
Teasers
The teaser is a type of parlay - so it involves betting on 2 or more games. The difference between a regular parlay and a teaser is that the bettor gets to play bookie. What do we mean? You get to change the odds, maybe by as many as 10 points in your favor. Of course, the more favorable odds you give yourself, the lower your possible payout.
Pleasers
The pleaser, like the teaser, is a parlay. The bettor bets on two or more games. The bettor has to be right in all of his bets. And...you have to move the point spread so that it is not in your favor. You can think of the pleaser as the Bizarro world version of the teaser.
Props
Props can be wacky - like betting on whether Beyonce will wear black when she sings the national anthem. They can also get closer to the game of football. Props are thought of as the bet that likes to have a good time. The bet that puts a lampshade on its head.
Futures
Are you into crystal balls? Do tea leaves arranging themselves on the bottom of a cup stir your emotions? Well, Futures may be for you. You can choose the winner of a tournament or an entire season before a game is played. There is a tremendous payoff if you are clairvoyantly correct.
The pleaser. The teaser. The parlay. The futures. The wacky props.