Guide to College Football Bowl Betting

Date IconLast Updated: 

The college football bowl is the epic culmination of the NCAAF season. Did you know you can now follow your favorite teams while betting on college football bowl games? Back moneyline bets or the point spread and put your handicapping knowledge to the test.

Want to dip into the Sugar Bowl or take a bite from the Orange Bowl? We’ll guide you through the complexities of the playoffs system and show you how to bet. We will even share a few of our own tips on the 2021-22 college football bowl season.

Bell Icon
Affiliate Disclosure: At Gambling.com, we want to ensure that players are matched with the right casino and sportsbook offers for them. For this reason, some of the recommended site links are affiliate links. More

Note: If based in Ontario, any content mentioning bonuses, promotions, wagering or free spins is not intended for you, following Ontario regulations. If located in that province, please go to Ontario Sportsbooks. Ignore this note if not based in Ontario.

Betting on the College Football Bowls

Canadian sports betting are live and are now accepting wagers on the biggest college football games. With single-game betting on sports now fully legal, it’s never been a better time to gamble on sports in Canada.

While the NCAAF college football bowl season doesn’t feature any Canadian teams this year, there’s still plenty to interest gamblers.

In the college football playoffs and bowls, you can bet on some of the biggest teams in the NCAAF. Teams face off in a series of bowl games depending on conference affiliation and contractual obligations. The New Year's Six games are determined by the selection committee. The top college football teams get to compete in the football playoff, which is a semifinals and final. By January, we’ll know who has won the College Football National Championship for 2021-22.

College Football Bowls, Playoffs** December 17-January 10

The annual college football bowls mark the culmination of the NCAA Division I football season. Bowl teams are decided by conference affiliation and contractual obligations. The New Year's Six games are determined by the selection committee. The playoffs are decided by a ranking system. The Playoffs end with the National Championship, which takes place on January 10 in Indianapolis.

The playoff semifinals are rotated among six bowls, unofficially called the New Year's Six. They are played on or around New Year's Day and are six of the oldest bowl games being played at the top level of college football. This year, the Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl are hosting the semifinals. Here is the complete list of the New Year's Six.

College Football Playoff

January 10 (Indianapolis)

The semifinals of the CFP Playoffs have already been determined. As the four top seeds, the semis will be contested between Alabama, Cincinnati, Michigan and Georgia.

Cotton Bowl Classic – December 31

Alabama (No. 1) vs. Cincinnati (No. 4)

Orange Bowl – December 31

Michigan (No. 2) vs. Georgia (No. 3)

The winners of each semifinal will then play in the National Championship on January 10, 2022. The game will be played at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

College Football Bowl Games

December 17-January 4

Lower-ranked college football teams compete in a series of individual bowls. Games are determined by conference affiliation and contractual obligations.

Top College Bowl Games to Bet On

The highlight of the college football bowl season is the New Year’s Six. These are the games played between the top 12 teams according to the college football playoff committee rankings. Conference champions from the ‘Power Five’ all feature, plus high-ranked teams from other ‘Group of Five’ conferences.

Power Five Conferences

Group of Five Conferences

· Conference USA

· The American

· MAC

· Sun Belt

· Mountain West

Two of the bowls are semifinals which lead to the National Championship. The other four New Year’s Six games are classed as non-playoff games.

New Canadian sportsbooks will carry odds and markets on all New Year’s Six games, including moneyline and totals options. You’ll also be able to bet in-play as each game takes place and follow the action live on TV or via the match tracker.

Betting on the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl

Chick-fil-A may not be the most exotic sponsor name, but the eaterie is lending its name to this season’s Peach Bowl. Michigan State will be licking their lips at a meetup with Pittsburgh after their recent results.

Michigan have been dominant at home during the 2021-22 season but may struggle in the unfamiliar surroundings of Atlanta. The +100 odds on underdogs Pittsburgh may be too good to pass up.

Learn more about betting on the 2021 Peach Bowl now

Betting on the Capital One Orange Bowl

It’s the winner of Big Ten vs the ACC champs in this season’s Orange Bowl. The last three Orange Bowl games have been won by southern teams, but winning margins rarely exceed 10 points. In fact, you have to go back to 2015 when Clemson beat Oklahoma to find a 20-point advantage.

The bookmakers seem to favour the team from the South too. Georgia are firm -320 favourites to take down the game and the Orange Bowl. The -110 on Over 44.5 points may be the preferred college football bet.

Learn more about betting on the 2021 Orange Bowl now

Betting on the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic

The Goodyear Cotton Bowl is one of this season’s college football playoff semis. Alabama are huge favourites and can be found at a best -500 with many online sportsbooks. You can also get odds-on by taking a -13.5 point spread against Cincinnati.

Cincinnati will need all their skills to take down an impervious Alabama college football team who ended the 2020-21 season 10-0 in the conference.

Learn more about betting on the 2021 Cotton Bowl now

Betting on the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl

It will be the 51st Fiesta Bowl when Notre Dame take on Oklahoma on New Year’s Day. It’s one of the newer bowls to grace the NCAAF, and is held annually outside Phoenix, AZ. The State Farm Stadium has hosted the Fiesta Bowl every year since 2007. It also hosts one of the college football playoff games every three years.

College football bowl odds on this season’s Fiesta Bowl are tighter than some other NY6 games. Notre Dame are slight favourites at -140.

Learn more about betting on the 2022 Fiesta Bowl now

Betting on the Rose Bowl

The Rose Bowl is played between the winner of the Big Ten and the Pac-12, as long as either team isn’t competing in the playoff semifinals. In recent years, the winner of the Rose Bowl has emerged a close winner. In 2019, Oregon just edged Wisconsin 28-27, while a year earlier, Ohio State beat Washington 28-23.

Looking for a decent bet for this season’s Rose Bowl? With another close score expected, we advise a bet on the point spread for Utah. You can get odds of -110 on the +6.5 point spread for Utah.

Learn more about betting on the 2022 Rose Bowl now

Betting on the Allstate Sugar Bowl

The 2022 Allstate Sugar Bowl will be played between the winners of the Big 12 and Southeastern Conference (SEC). It’s one of the oldest college football bowl games and has been held every year since 1935.

Underdogs and favourites tend to share the honours in the Sugar Bowl. Ohio (3) were comfortable winners last time out versus Clemson, as were Georgia a year earlier. #14-ranked Texas upset the odds in 2019, however, when they won the bowl against Georgia. The online bookmakers are also in two minds for the 2022 meeting. Baylor and Mississippi are close in odds, but a high-scoring game could be on the cards.

Learn more about betting on the 2022 Sugar Bowl now

Betting on the CFB Playoff National Championship

The college football National Championship takes place on January 10 next year, with the winners of the Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl fighting it out for top honours.

It’s too early to know who will be playing in the final but that won’t stop you betting on futures at the biggest online bookmakers. You can back all four teams right now in the markets, where Alabama are currently the hot favourites.

In fact, Alabama have featured in five of the last six CFB National Championships, most recently winning 52-24 against Ohio in January 2021. It’s no surprise to find Alabama the sportsbooks’ favourite before a ball has been kicked in anger.

Recommended College Football Bowl Betting Sites

iOS App
Yes
Android App
Yes
Mobile Live Streaming Tooltip Is there live streaming of sporting events?
No
19+. T&Cs Apply. Play Responsibly
iOS App
Yes
Android App
Yes
Mobile Live Streaming Tooltip Is there live streaming of sporting events?
Yes
19+. T&C Apply. Play Responsibly
iOS App
Yes
Android App
Yes
Mobile Live Streaming Tooltip Is there live streaming of sporting events?
No
19+ • $10 min deposit • The Bonus will be applied once the full deposit amount has been wagered at least once with cumulative odds of 1.5 or greater • Half of the bonus will be credited to you right away, while the other half will be credited after you verify your documents • Casino Bonus must be claimed within 7 days and expires after 14 days • Withdrawal restrictions, payment methods, country & T&Cs apply

NCAAF Bowls Betting Tips

Looking for the best betting tips on bowl games for this year’s finale? Here are a few tips to follow to get ahead of the pack.

Take Advantage of Parlays

Parlay betting is a great way to increase your overall payout by backing several outcomes. All CA bookmakers allow parlays where multiple legs must win for your whole bet to win. In addition, some online sports betting sites will offer parlay profit boosts or parlay insurance if one leg loses.

Back the #1 or #2 Team

The College Football Championship is the pinnacle of the NCAAF season for the best teams. For gamblers, it can oftentimes be a case of just choosing the first or second-ranked teams. And remember, you can now bet on single game outcomes at Canadian online betting sites.

In fact, in the past seven years, the winners have been either ranked #1 or #2. Only in 2015 and 2017, where Ohio and Alabama were ranked #4, has that trend been bucked.

Don’t Bet Point Spreads on the Final

In four of the past seven CFB Championships, the winning margin has been 17 or more points. That can make point spread betting a tricky prospect, especially if you want to back the underdog.

Go for Unpopular Underdogs in the Non-CFB Championship Bowls

Casual bettors will always bet on the favourites, and it’s true that in the semis and National Championship final, you should do so too.

However, there is often value to be found in the other college football bowl games. In fact, since the mid-2000s, underdogs have enjoyed a win ratio just slightly higher than 51%. That could mean value, especially if a team has relied all season on their home form.

Make Use of Free Bets

Comparable to NFL betting trends, the best Canadian sportsbooks offer special deals on the playoffs and individual bowls. You may get free bets as a new signup or get money back on losing bets. Some bookmakers will also offer enhanced odds on selected teams.

Open Multiple Betting Accounts

You can bet on a college football bowl at all top online bookmakers. However, odds can vary from sportsbook to sportsbook, so it’s good to keep your options open.

We always recommend opening accounts with different betting sites. You don’t have to make huge deposits when setting up accounts, but you have the chance of earning a welcome bonus every time.

CFP National Championship 2021 Odds

Who’s your money on in the showpiece of the college football season? The college football bowl odds are out for the National Championship and they make for painful reading if you’re a fan of Georgia, Michigan or Cincinnati.

You’ll favour a safe bet on Alabama if you’ve been studying past form, but there may be better markets out there on props and the point spread.

Best College Bowl Betting Sites

You can bet on college football at all of the top Canadian sportsbooks. Best of all, you won’t be restricted from betting on home teams as all bowl games are played in different states. Here’s what our review team looks for in an online sportsbook in 2021.

Range of Markets

Whether you’re backing the moneyline on a college football bowl or betting in-play, good bookmakers will offer a range of gambling markets. Each bowl game should offer totals, point spreads and moneyline as standard.

Competitive Odds

College football odds can vary hugely from betting site to betting site, similarly to NFL odds. Always compare and contrast several bookmakers before making your bet.

In-Play Betting

Some of the college bowl games will have live betting markets available. These can be a great way of getting favourable odds as the game changes. Lock in a profit by backing the opposing team or bet on the moneyline as the score is updated in real time.

Bonuses & Promotions

All of the best sports betting sites in Canada will offer a welcome bonus including free bets or a deposit match. You may also find enhanced odds on selected college football games.

Good Deposit Options

You should be able to get your funds in and out easily. You can deposit via your Visa or MasterCard, or send money instantly from your e-Wallet. Withdrawals will also be possible, and you won’t have to wait weeks to enjoy your winnings.

Mobile Gameplay

Betting on a smartphone is the way to go in 2021. All the best sportsbooks now offer full mobile support so you can place college football bowl game bets wherever you are.

Customer Support

Great customer support is essential if you run into problems. Speak via live chat to a trained help member or contact the sportsbook by phone or email. Top online sportsbooks will also provide a Help Centre listing answers to all the usual queries.

Where to Bet on College Football in Canada

The sites available to you in Canada will depend on your location. Each province has its own set of laws surrounding online sports betting and in some cases your only option may be to sign up with an offshore operator. Much like the US the laws in some provinces are beginning to change. Soon, Ontario Sports betting will be legalised. This means a whole host of new betting sites will be available to you that were not previously available. So, it is important to check out what your options are in advance of signing up with any betting sites.

FAQ

Can I bet on the NCAAF college bowls?

Down Arrow

Where can I bet on the college football bowl games?

Down Arrow

Is it legal to bet on college football bowl games?

Down Arrow

Which college football bowl games are in the New Year's Six?

Down Arrow