How Often Do Favorites Win In College Football Betting?

Alabama wide receiver Malik Benson (11) misses a pass against Georgia defensive back Malaki Starks (24) during the first half of the Southeastern Conference championship NCAA college football game in Atlanta, Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023.
(AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

As online sports betting continues to explode in popularity, many prospective bettors are curious about the basic fundamentals of how often favorites win or lose.

Some bettors โ€“ including myself โ€“ like to build moneyline parlays (like my 2Kparlay) using college football favorites. But how wise is that, according to the odds history?

I ran the numbers to find out.ย 

How Often Do Favorites Win In College Football Betting?

Since 2005, college football teams who play as favorites in the regular season win 74.9% of the time.

Since 2018, when the US Supreme Court overturned PASPA, favorites have won at a slightly less frequent rate of 74.4%.

So, yes, college football favorites win about three out of every four games. But bettors should still handle the college football odds market with care, even when dealing with moneylines. Blind-betting favorite still results in negative ROI.

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About the Author

Nick Hennion

Read More @nickhennion

Nick Hennion is a senior content writer for BetMGM. His previous stops include VSiN, NBC Sports, The Action Network and Forbes Betting. He owns a bachelor's degree from Syracuse University and a master's degree from Northwestern University.

Nick Hennion is a senior content writer for BetMGM. His previous stops include VSiN, NBC Sports, The Action Network and Forbes Betting. He owns a bachelor's degree from Syracuse University and a master's degree from Northwestern University.