Finding Value With College Football Futures

Last week we discussed the different odds on team to win the Super Bowl. The key idea behind that article, and this one as well, is to get readers used to the ideal of shopping for lines at as many different sportsbooks as possible. Average handicapper can turn themselves into professional bettors by doing some extra legwork. A half-point, a point there, and five or eight cents on the money line all adds up over the long haul.

The best way to illustrate this is to look at futures bets. Odds may vary drastically on different teams at different sportsbooks. One book may have a team at 12-1 odds to win the BCS Championship, while another will have the exact same team listed at 30-1. Even if your team doesn't win, when you have 30-1 odds, as opposed to 12-1 odds, you have greater possibilities of hedging your wager later in the season and showing a profit.

What we've done in this article is to take 20 of the top teams considered to have a shot at the BCS Championship and look at the odds being offered from four of the most well-known sportsbooks - Intertops, Sportsbook, Olympic, and Bodog. In some cases the lines are pretty close to each other at all four books. In others, the difference is pretty drastic.

Which sportsbook offers the best odds on your choice? Find out in Finding Value With NCAA Football Futures in the Football Betting section of the site.

Photo: Southern California is the favorite to win the 2009 BCS Championship game according to sportsbooks. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)