If you live in Texas and are looking to bet on college football games online then you are in the right place. On this page I will recommend a betting site for Texas residents, look at the current state of sports betting in the state, provide examples of the three most wagered on college football bets, and finish with a simple 3 step guide you can follow to place your NCAA football bets online within minutes.
Best Betting Site For Texans
Bovada.lv is our top rated betting site for Texas residents looking to bet on NCAA Football games online. Bovada has served the US betting market since 2012 and have built a strong reputation as a trusted online sportsbook that is popular across the USA, including Texas.
College Football Betting in Texas
It is not currently legal to operate a sportsbook in Texas. Sports betting regulation was seriously considered during the 2023 Texas legislative session, but no bills progressed to the finish line. The Texas Legislature meets every two years, so there will not be opportunity for sports betting legalization in the state until at least 2025.
That said, Texas residents can still bet on college football through offshore betting sites that are licensed and regulated outside of the USA, while still accepting American bettors. Bovada falls into this category as a sportsbook that is licensed and regulated offshore, while serving the US betting market for the past decade.
Check out our Texas sports betting section to learn more about the current regulatory climate for sports betting in the state.
Common College Football Bets
The three bets that take the majority of action on college football games are the point spread, money line (to win), and total.
Below I will explain each of these three bets using a past game between the University of Miami and Texas A&M.
Point Spread
The point spread is the most popular bet on college football games. The spread is meant to even out the game so that both sides have an implied probability of close to 50%. This is especially important in college football, where certain games are very lopsided on paper.
With spread bets the favorite must win by more points than the spread amount to “cover the spread”, while the underdog must either win the game outright or lose by fewer points than the spread to “beat the spread”.
In this example Texas A&M was a 6.5 point favorite (-6.5) vs Miami. Texas A&M must win by the game 7 or more points for a spread bet on Texas A&M to win. Miami are 6.5 point underdogs (+6.5), so they must either win the game outright or lose by 6 or fewer points for Miami spread bets to win.
Moneyline (To Win)
A money line bet is simply a bet on which team will win the game outright. The risk vs reward of the bet is determined by the money line odds. A bet on the favorite will win less than the risk amount, while a bet on the underdog will usually win more than the risk amount.
In this example Texas A&M are -235 favorites, which means you must risk $235 to win $100 betting on Texas A&M to win the game. Miami are +195 underdogs, so a $100 bet on Miami would win $195 (payout $295) if they pulled off the upset.
Total (Over/Under)
A totals bet is a wager on the amount of points scored in the game by both teams combined. The oddsmaker will set a total and you can bet on whether the amount of points scored will be over or under that amount.
In this example the total is set at 44.5 points. If 45 or more points are scored the over bets would win, while if 44 or fewer points are scored in the game the under bets would win.
How To Bet On College Football in Texas – 3 Step Guide
Follow these three steps to bet on college football games from anywhere in Texas.
Step 1. Create A Bovada.lv Account
Click the above link and complete the overlay registration form on the home page to open an account.
Bovada is the most popular online sportsbook serving the US betting market and our top rated betting site for Texas residents.
Step 2. Deposit Funds
Log into your Bovada account, open your account drop down menu in the top right corner of the screen, and select ‘Deposit’. Choose your preferred deposit method (Visa, MasterCard, AmEx, Bitcoin, ETH, etc.), enter the amount to deposit, and follow the instructions to fund your account.
You can cash out your winnings via cryptocurrency, bank transfer or check through the mail.
Step 3. Bet On NCAA Football
Click ‘Sports’ from the top menu bar, select ‘Football’ from the secondary menu, and select ‘College Football’ from the ‘Football A-Z’ menu in the left sidebar.
Select the odds of the bet you want to make and enter your risk amount on the Bet Slip. If you are happy with the risk and win amounts, click ‘Place Bet’ to lock in the wager.
Here’s a screenshot from last year showing the clicks once you’re in the Sportsbook:
Ready to bet? Click here to visit Bovada.lv.
Tagged With : College Football betting • NCAA Football betting • Texas betting