College football: Capitalizing on second-half lines
July 31st, 2019
Every Sunday night betting lines come out for the next week's college football games. We then spend hours and days dissecting those lines to try and find a winner—or two or three. Then Saturday rolls around, the games kickoff and madness ensues.
As any follower of the sport knows the first half of a college football game can bring endless possibilities. A favorite could be rolling by 30 or an underdog might be up by 20. The line can fall right on the number and leave everybody wondering what kind of suspense the second half will hold. Whatever that first-half result, bookmakers are still obligated to provide a betting line for the second half. The formulation of that line typically takes place within minutes, and the bettor then only has minutes to digest and take action on it. Depending on how well both sides do, this is where the savvy and observant sports bettor can find real opportunities.
If a favorite is losing at halftime, barring a major injury to a quarterback or multiple key players, they will be favored in the second half. If Alabama is -10 for the full game against Georgia but is losing by 10 at half, they will be favored for the second=half spread but almost certainly by an amount that leaves them as lesser "game" favorites than the original 10 points they were assigned before kickoff. If you think a favorite has had a sluggish first half but will come around, this is where you can find value. A 10-point favorite may now only have to win the game by 1 in order to cash.
On the flip side, however, there is a belief from the public that favorites will improve, so there can be value on the underdog as well. The sportsbook must quickly make a decision using math and public perception to determine the best price to assign for that second-half line. A linemaker can't reasonably be expected to watch every game closely, however, so if you're watching astutely, you should be able to make a quick decision to capitalize. Don't let preconceived notions about the game outweigh what you've witnessed in the first half. Be prepared to shift your original assumptions and act quickly on an opinion, as it won't be there for long.
You can't bet second-half lines until college football games start, but there's still plenty of future and prop action available at BetAmerica!
As any follower of the sport knows the first half of a college football game can bring endless possibilities. A favorite could be rolling by 30 or an underdog might be up by 20. The line can fall right on the number and leave everybody wondering what kind of suspense the second half will hold. Whatever that first-half result, bookmakers are still obligated to provide a betting line for the second half. The formulation of that line typically takes place within minutes, and the bettor then only has minutes to digest and take action on it. Depending on how well both sides do, this is where the savvy and observant sports bettor can find real opportunities.
If a favorite is losing at halftime, barring a major injury to a quarterback or multiple key players, they will be favored in the second half. If Alabama is -10 for the full game against Georgia but is losing by 10 at half, they will be favored for the second=half spread but almost certainly by an amount that leaves them as lesser "game" favorites than the original 10 points they were assigned before kickoff. If you think a favorite has had a sluggish first half but will come around, this is where you can find value. A 10-point favorite may now only have to win the game by 1 in order to cash.
On the flip side, however, there is a belief from the public that favorites will improve, so there can be value on the underdog as well. The sportsbook must quickly make a decision using math and public perception to determine the best price to assign for that second-half line. A linemaker can't reasonably be expected to watch every game closely, however, so if you're watching astutely, you should be able to make a quick decision to capitalize. Don't let preconceived notions about the game outweigh what you've witnessed in the first half. Be prepared to shift your original assumptions and act quickly on an opinion, as it won't be there for long.
You can't bet second-half lines until college football games start, but there's still plenty of future and prop action available at BetAmerica!
ADVERTISEMENT
