Intro to College Football in Arizona
College football is a way of life in Arizona. There are multiple teams in the state that people in and around Arizona heavily support. The two most extensive programs in the state compete in the Pac-12 Conference.
These teams are the Arizona State Sun Devils and the Arizona Wildcats. Each season, these teams compete in the “Duel in the Desert.”
The Sun Devils have played in the Pac-12 Conference since 1978. The team has won 17 conference titles. It’s important to note that not all of these were won in the Pac-12.
The Wildcats joined the Pac-12 in 1978 with Arizona State. They have won the Pac-12 Conference once, but they have six conference championships in program history. The programs have a combined 33 consensus All-American picks.
College Football Season Structure
The college football season slightly varies for all conferences, but there are many constants for all Division I teams in the United States. There are two levels of division I football with the FBS and FCS.
FBS is the level that will first come to your mind when you think of college football. This is the level that includes Alabama, Clemson, and massive crowds every Saturday. There is also FCS football, which is Division I, but the competition level is not as superior.
FBS teams typically play FCS schools in the first weeks of the season as an easy victory, but this does not always happen. FCS schools do beat FBS schools every season.
In the FBS, teams start training camp in early August, with the first games of the season coming at the end of the month. Teams play 12 games during the regular season.
There are conference championships that occur following the 12-game slate, but the format of these varies. If a team wins six games, they are eligible for a bowl game. The top four teams in the country play in the College Football Playoff to decide the National Champion.
Many bowl games are played at the FBS level. These competitions begin in December and run through New Year’s Day.
Where to Bet College Football in Arizona
You will be able to bet college football at retail sportsbooks and from your mobile device. There will be up to 20 online betting providers in the state including DraftKings and FanDuel.
There will also be retail betting facilities at tribal casinos and professional sports venues in the state.
Types of College Football Bets in Arizona
There are tons of college football bets that you will be able to place in Arizona once sports betting is enacted. Here are the bets you will be able to place in the state.
Moneyline – The moneyline is when you pick a college football team to win a contest straight up. If a team has positive odds, it means that they are the underdog. If they have negative odds, it means that they are the favorite.
If you bet Arizona State at +150, they would be an underdog. If you took Arizona at -150, they would be the favorite.
Point Spread – The point spread allows you to be underdogs without them having to win a game. This has been useful for Arizona and Arizona State in the past couple of seasons. If a team is outmatched, but they can keep a game close, the point spread is a great bet.
A negative spread indicates that a team needs to win by the listed number. A positive spread means that a team needs to be within that number of points. There are spreads for the end of the game, the half, and the individual quarters.
Arizona State is a 2.5 point favorite over Arizona, so they are -2.5. Arizona would be +2.5 because they are an underdog. If you wager the Sun Devils, they must win by three points. If you bet the Wildcats, they need to be within two points or win the game.
Totals (Over/Under) – The total in a college football game is when you wager the number of points that will be scored in a game. You must pick over or under this total. Prolific offenses usually have high totals. Strong defenses force sportsbooks to lower the total.
Prop Bets – Prop bets can often be banned for college football. Although, these bets deal with smaller parts of the game like player and team statistics. This makes these bets tougher to hit, but they are very fun to place.
Here are some prop betting examples.
– Arizona Wildcats over/under 315 yards of offense
– Arizona State Sun Devils over/under 2.5 passing touchdowns
Props vary by the sportsbook, but these bets can often get quite interesting.
Future Bets – Future bets are when you wager something that will take place in the future. These are self-explanatory bets. If you wager the Arizona Wildcats to win the Pac-12 in the offseason, you would be utilizing a prop bet.
Parlay Bets – Parlay bets are when you combine a group of events into a single wager. These do not need to only include college football bets. You could combine any sports to make a parlay. Sportsbooks will usually not allow you to create a parlay from one game.
Live Betting on College Football in Arizona
College football is an exciting game because anything can happen. A high-ranked team can often have little betting upside in college football. Live betting is when you place an in-game wager with constantly changing odds.
Odds will change with every snap of the ball. If you use live betting correctly, it can help you win more money than traditional pregame wagers.
Here is an example of this principle. If Arizona is -300 to start a game, they do not have a lot of betting value. If Arizona goes on defense first in a game and their opponent scores, their odds could drop to -150.
Now you can bet a heavy favorite at a reasonable value. Live betting is not always as simple as this example. However, if you watch the game, you will be able to garner opportunities to make a lot of money.
When live betting, make sure you pick a sportsbook that does not glitch. It’s essential to place live bets at the right time, or it could end up costing you money. Do not allow your sportsbook to take away your winning opportunities.
Tips for Betting College Football in Arizona
With college football betting, you must do your research. College football players may seem like grown men, but they are 18 to 23-year-old athletes. This demographic is not as consistent as professional players in the NFL.
This fact makes preparation essential for college football betting. If you are not studying statistics and team data before games, you will lose more than you win. This is a reality of betting all sports, so do not forget this fact for general wagering.
Since college football is such an extensive landscape, you should focus on a few conferences to have a solid understanding of the teams you are betting. If you wager too many games, it will hurt your ability to win.
If you do not know anything about a team, it’s not a good idea to place a bet on that program. By chunking college football, you will be able to concentrate on teams that you are frequently wagering.
Things to Avoid Betting College Football in Arizona
The main thing to avoid with college football betting is never to place a bet that’s not backed by data in some capacity. When you bet off your gut, you will lose more than you win. You need to research to succeed in sports betting consistently.
If you think you can profit in the long term by placing bets right before kickoff with no prior knowledge, you are wrong. Professional handicappers spend a lot of time studying data to place winning bets.
When live betting, you should never wager a game that you are not watching. It’s critical to know what is happening in a game before you place a live bet. Live bet is all about betting at the right time, so it’s valuable to know what is happening.
Finally, you should never be biased towards a team you like in college football. It’s okay to bet a team that you like, but you have to be honest.
If you like the Arizona State Sun Devils, but they have no chance of winning, stay away from this wager. There are plenty of college football games to bet on every Saturday.
FAQ About College Football Betting in Arizona
Is college football betting legal in Arizona?
Yes, college football betting is legal in AZ.
Will you be able to bet on Arizona’s college football teams?
It’s unknown if you will be able to bet on Arizona college football teams. Some legal betting areas allow in-state betting on collegiate athletics, and others do not.
What are the biggest college football teams in Arizona?
The most significant football programs in AZ are the Arizona State Sun Devils and the Arizona Wildcats.