College bowl game betting differences

The college bowl season is perhaps the most exciting part of the year during the college football season, with the exception of rivalry week. And just like every other game there is money to made by wagering on these bowl games.

Bowl games are exciting, one, because of the pairings that are often interesting and unique. This leads to unexpected drama and interesting twists for casual football fans. However, from a handicappers perspective, this makes betting on bowl games a little different than other games during the regular season.

And while bowl games are still just college football games, there are some factors that make them different.

Here are a few.

One, teams have more time to prep for their games. More practices, more watching films and time to be creative with their strategies. This could give the underdog a better chance and increase their betting value.

Second, injured players get the extra time to get healthy. Key players that have been playing at less than full capacity because of bangs and bruises are now able to recharge. And while some players may still sit out, handicappers can be realistically confident that players who are playing are playing as close to healthy as football players can get.

Next, part of what makes bowls so out of the ordinary is that it can produce a pair of teams unfamiliar with each other. Add in the fact that they play at a neutral site, and it can be much more challenging to anticipate what will happen on game day. More than ever, handicappers will need to spend time looking at the impact of the setting and team’s s styles, especially if it might be impacted by a late season coaching shuffle.

Often in college football, the end of the regular season brings a lot of coach movement, as coaches are fired, resign, or leave programs to fill openings elsewhere.

Even if a coach stays through the bowl game, it can have a psychological effect on his team. Conversely, if he leaves, the question is how the team will respond to an interim coach.

This can effect a team’s motivation factor, especially of it wasn’t stoked with the bowl game it was placed in to begin with. While some teams couldn’t possibly be happier about their bowl assignment, others can be frustrated by where they are playing and what went wrong to lead them to play there.

Finally, college football handicappers betting on bowl games need to factor in how long the odds are posted.

While odds for regular season college football games are posted about a week out, bowl game lines are out for several weeks, exposing them to public opinion that can result in more movement and tricky betting.