2020-2021 College Football Bowl Betting Guide

Betting on college football during bowl season truly is one of the most wonderful times of the year for pro handicappers and new bettors alike.

Wagering on NCAA football’s postseason play is one of the oldest holiday traditions in college football and dates back to the first-ever bowl game—the 1902 Tournament East-West football game, which today is more commonly known as the “Rose Bowl.” After over a century of bets placed, and the recent inclusion of the College Football Playoff in 2014, turning a profit during bowl season remains a tough nut to crack.

Making sure you account for numerous additional variables and understand the legalities (to stay off the naughty list) are our top priorities with this guide. In addition, we provide odds for every 2019-20 matchup and show you the top NCAAF betting sites, so your bowl game bets can jingle all the way to the bank!

Is it legal to bet on College Football Bowl Games?

Yes, there is no federal law that prohibits college football fans from betting on bowl games. Currently, there are two ways to legally bet at a sportsbook for the 2019-20 bowl season:

1. Offshore ‒ Despite what some other sites suggest, there is no law banning bettors from using sports betting sites located outside the United States. The US government has no jurisdiction over countries, which is why the most well-known and trusted brands in the industry have operated offshore for decades.
2. States ‒ Following the US Supreme Court’s decision to repeal PASPA on May 14, 2018, states are now allowed to pass laws legalizing sports betting. To see if you live in one of the 13 states currently offering sportsbooks, head on over to our State By State Legal Sports Betting Guide.

Best NCAAF Bowl Betting Sites

	Site Name	Current Bonus	U.S.	Visit Site
		50% Max $250		Visit Site Review
2		50% Max $1,000		Visit Site Review
3		50% Max $1,000		Visit Site Review
4		50% Max $300		Visit Site Review

Top 5 Bowl Betting Tips

Before placing a bet on any of the 39 college football bowl games—or the CFP national championship—this year, take a moment to read through the tips below. For more general college football betting advice (i.e., point spread, totals, etc.), check out our Legal College Football Betting Guide.

Ultimately, the following factors do not come into play for the regular season but can make or break your bet during the bowl season. Here are our top 5 things to watch out when wagering on any college football bowls:

1. Players skipping bowls

Topping the list are NFL draft-eligible players who skip bowls to avoid risking injury, which is becoming more common since outside of the playoffs and title game, bowls are essentially an exhibition matchup and don’t count for anything. They are also among the best players on the team, so staying updated on who’s not playing in the Mountain Dew Viagra Geico Holiday Bowl (not a real bowl, by the way) is just as important as who is in the lineup.

2. Late-season suspensions

One factor that often gets overlooked for bets on bowl games is suspended players. This is why, unless there’s clear value, you shouldn’t bet on any bowl matchup until the day of the game. From end-of-semester grades falling short after exam finals to having a little too much fun past curfew, player suspensions happen to dozens of teams every year. Waiting until both teams warm-up prior to kickoff is the best time to bet during bowl season.

3. Vacation mindset

For the majority of bowls, teams don’t have anything to play for, and even though they’ll never say it publicly, players and coaches treat the trip like a needed vacation after a long, rough season. A team’s motivation for winning a game is hard to measure, but consider this: Since Nick Saban arrived at Alabama, he’s 9-3 in CFP/BCS games but 2-2 in bowls that aren’t a playoff or title games. When nothing is at stake, even the game’s greatest coach has a hard time getting players to compete.

4. Team travel distance

During the regular season, the majority of a team’s schedule will be in-conference games. Because teams play in a specific region, for the most part, travel fatigue is usually a non-factor since most matchups will be, at most, a few hours drive away. However, jet lag comes into play when teams must travel across the country in some scenarios.

5. Conference talent difference

Lastly, the difference in talent level between the Power Five conferences and the Group of Five conferences is rather wide on paper. Can a Mountain West team beat an SEC team? Sure, upsets happen all the time. But throughout history, P5 teams win about three out of every four bowl matchups against G5 teams.

2019-20 Bowl Game Odds: Betting Lines For All Matchups

With the laws and the key things to know about bowl season out of the way, we can finally get to the odds for the bowls!

Whether you’re looking for betting information on the CFP Semifinals, a New Year's Six Bowl, or matchups like the Potato Bowl, we’ve got you covered (but not smothered and chunked, we apologize). We also have a dedicated guide to betting on the National Championship.

Below you’ll find the opening betting lines for every 2019-20 college football bowl and game information, including kickoff time, where to watch/stream the matchups, and where the game will be played. Now, let’s go bowling!