2013 BCS Bowl Game Champion Odds:

LSU 3/1

USC 6/1

ALABAMA 7/1

OREGON 9/1

ARKANSAS 12/1

GEORGIA 15/1

FLORIDA ST 18/1

OKLAHOMA 18/1

VIRGINIA TECH 18/1

MICHIGAN 18/1

NOTRE DAME 22/1

KANSAS ST 25/1

SOUTH CAROLINA 28/1

CLEMSON 28/1

NEBRASKA 30/1

TEXAS 30/1

AUBURN 30/1

FLORIDA 35/1

WISCONSIN 40/1

OKLAHOMA ST 40/1

MICHIGAN ST 40/1

BOISE ST 50/1

WEST VIRGINIA 50/1

TCU 50/1

WASHINGTON 50/1

TEXAS A&M 60/1

STANFORD 60/1

MISSISSIPPI ST 75/1

ARIZONA ST 75/1

MISSOURI 75/1

BAYLOR 75/1

CINCINNATI 75/1

MIAMI-FLORIDA 90/1

UTAH 100/1

VANDERBILT 100/1

WASHINGTON ST 100/1

PENN ST 100/1

NORTH CAROLINA 100/1

VIRGINIA 100/1

LOUISVILLE 100/1

CALIFORNIA 100/1

GEORGIA TECH 100/1

BYU 100/1

IOWA 125/1

FIELD 50/1

College Football BCS Championship Betting Odds

The lack of a playoff system in college football can lead to some controversial decisions when the participants of the BCS Championship game are selected each winter. This controversy can make or break certain wagers that are a part of the BCS Championship betting pool.

The early odds are often slanted towards the traditional schools that have fared well in the prior year. While there are many transactions in pro sports in the offseason, there is very little movement in college football odds. With the exception of a few underclassmen declaring for the NFL Draft, the rosters for the upcoming season are well known at the end of the prior season. Seniors are replaced by freshmen every year on college football rosters in a never ending cycle. The ability of coaches to recruit new talent each season is a critical part of a program’s success and perceived value among bettors.

A unique BCS Championship Betting pool

The BCS Odds pool is a little different than a Super Bowl Odds or World Series Odds pool. While there are 120 teams at the FBS level that could potentially win a BCS Championship each season, only a couple of dozen are really in the hunt by the middle of the college season. First, schools from small conferences aren’t guaranteed a spot in one of the five major BCS bowl games. Second, any team with more than two losses has no chance at a championship and a two-loss team needs a lot of help to have a shot. So, many teams are quickly knocked out of the pool at various points during the year. Most pools will begin with about 40 teams from BCS conferences and a few elite teams from non-BCS conferences. A field wager would cover any school that would not be represented in the pool. It is rare for any long shot to break through and win the BCS pool.

Games still dominate college football wagering

Even though the NCAA has taken a strong position against betting on their sports, there is little doubt that some of the popularity of college football is tied to individual game wagers. On each fall Saturday, bettors can watch several high-profile matchups on television with a wager in hand on the point spread outcome of the game. The bettor will know the outcome of a game wager in three hours. On the other hand, the bettor may have to wait several months to cash in on a BCS betting odds wager. Therefore, the BCS Championship betting odds can get overlooked when compared to the instant excitement that games can provide every Saturday during the season.