As long as it doesn’t involve New Jersey-based schools or games played inside the Garden State, anyone 21 and older can now legally bet on college football in NJ.
These are the only real restrictions when it comes to betting on college football in NJ. For all other games, sportsbooks offer moneylines, point spreads, over/under, futures, and parlay betting on college football.
That means throughout the regular season and postseason, all the way up through dozens of bowl games and the College Football Playoff National Championship, NJ sportsbooks and betting sites have college football covered.
There isn’t a sport that sees more betting action than football. So, NJ sportsbooks should put up some pretty big betting numbers throughout the college football season.
Read on to see exactly how you can bet on college football in New Jersey, both online and in-person. Plus, learn the latest in college football betting trends.
Dive just a little deeper and you’ll find answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding betting on college football right here in NJ.
Is college football betting legal in NJ?
Betting on college football is 100% legal at all licensed NJ sports betting operators. Just as long as no NJ schools or games played inside the state or games involving NJ schools outside the state are involved.
New Jersey lawmakers first made sports betting legal in June 2018. The NJ Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) put together regulations to govern sports betting in NJ with those two college football restrictions included.
Other than that, single-game wagering on all other college football games is open to anyone older than 21 and inside state lines.
The state’s first retail sportsbook opened in 2018. In the same year, the DGE also authorized the first NJ sports betting app (DraftKings Sportsbook). It’s now completely legal to bet on most college football games at any of the 24 NJ sportsbooks — online and retail.
What are the best college football betting sites?
There are now 10 retail sportsbooks and 14 sportsbook apps taking bets on college football in 2019. Here’s a look at the best of the online and mobile betting apps taking college football bets in NJ:
- 50% Up To $500 On Deposit
- Risk Free First Bet Up To $200
- No Promo Code Needed - Use Our Link
- $50 Free Bet
- Use Promo Code: PLAYNJ50
- Make $50 In Bets To Claim
- Up to a $500 refund if you lose your first bet
- Use Our Links – No Code Needed
- MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL
Betting on college football with NJ betting apps
NJ betting apps have made football betting easy. There are, after all, 14 of them:
| Online Sportsbook | Land-Based Affiliate | Sports betting partner(s) | iOS app | Android app | Available Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DraftKings | Resorts AC | Kambi | Yes | Yes | $25 in free bets |
| Betstars | Resorts AC | NA | Yes | Yes | $500 risk-free bet |
| FanDuel | Meadowlands | Betfair/IGT | Yes | Yes | $500 match bet |
| William Hill | Monmouth | NA | Yes | Yes | $50 free bet |
| PointsBet | Meadowlands | NA | Yes | Yes | 2x up to $500 free bets |
| Caesars | Caesars AC | Scientific Games | Yes | Yes | $10 free |
| PlayMGM Sports | Borgata AC | IGT | Yes | Yes | $25 free |
| SugarHouse | Monmouth Park | Kambi | Yes | Yes | 100$ up to $250 |
| Golden Nugget sportsbook | Golden Nugget | SBTech/Scientific Games | Yes | Yes | Up to $50 risk-free bet |
| 888 Sport | Caesars | Kambi | Yes | Yes | $10 free |
| Hard Rock | Hard Rock AC | GiG | Yes | Yes | $100 free bet |
| Resorts | Resorts AC | SBTech | Yes | Yes | Up to $250 match bet |
| BetAmerica | Golden Nugget | SBTech | Yes | Yes | 100% up to $500 |
| Borgata Sports | Borgata AC | GVC | Yes | Yes | Up to $250 risk-free bet |
| Bet365 NJ | Hard Rock AC | NA | Yes | Yes | Up to $100 match bet |
| TheScore Bet | Monmouth | Bet.Works | Yes | Yes | Up to $100 match bet |
Essentially, just choose the app that’s right for you. Or, choose more than one app, allowing you to take advantage of all the bonuses each site offers new players.
The next step is to sign up for an account with each betting app.
You can sign up by clicking a few buttons, providing a minimal amount of personal details, and agreeing to the terms of use. But don’t forget to enter the bonus code or promo code for each app when you do. That will ensure you get the best signup bonus available.
Then, it’s a matter of depositing money on the apps. They all make this easy by accepting everything from major credit cards to a variety of third-party payment processors, like PayPal.
Finally, browse through the college football betting markets in search of a good bet. NJ sports betting apps allow you to look through all your betting options and see the possible outcomes before you place a bet.
Choose wisely, confirm the bet, then wait and see if your first college football bet on the app is a winner.
How does college betting work?
There are several basic ways you can bet on college football games at NJ sportsbooks, including:
Moneyline
The moneyline is the easiest college football game bet you’ll find.
NJ sportsbooks post moneyline odds on games and you simply pick who you think will win. Whatever the posted odds are at the time you placed that bet is what you’ll get paid if the side you bet wins. You’ll see a negative (-) number in front of the favorite. This means you must lay that amount of money to win $100. Underdogs have a positive (+) number in front of them which represents how much you’ll win for every $100 you bet.
Point spreads
Point spreads in college football operate the same way they do when you bet on the NFL. Your job is to pick the winner of a game with the point spread factored into the final score.
The difference with college football is there are often glaring mismatches with bloated point spreads.
Over/under
Over/unders in college football offer you the chance to bet on if the total points in a game will be over or under a total line set by oddsmakers.
Futures
College football futures allow you to pick a team to win its conference or even a national title. NJ sportsbooks post college football futures markets before the season and adjust the odds as the season progresses.
Parlays
College football parlays allow you to combine two or more basic college football bets into one. Parlays offer bigger payouts, but you must win every game in a parlay for it to pay.
Where can you bet on college football in NJ?
Outside of the 14 apps taking bets on college football in 2019, there are 10 NJ retail locations where you can bet on college football games.
1. Monmouth Park Sports Book by William Hill
Monmouth Park Sports Book by William Hill was the first in the state to start taking bets when it opened on June 14, 2018.
It features two sportsbook locations at the track and sports bar as well as an open betting area on the main grandstand.
The sports bar area has air-conditioned seating for 130. There are 22 live betting windows overall, six at the sports bar and 16 in the grandstand. Plus, there are two self-serve betting kiosks.
The minimum wager at William Hill Monmouth is just $2.
2. Borgata Race & Sports Book / Moneyline Bar & Book
The Borgata Race & Sports Book also started taking bets on June 14, 2018, in a temporary sportsbook location.
The permanent 8,000-square-foot Moneyline Bar & Book opened June 29, 2019.
The Borgata Race & Sports Book still takes sports bets and features 100 seats and 10 betting windows. The Moneyline Bar & Book has 144 seats, self-service betting kiosks, and six live betting windows.
The minimum wager is $5 at each.
3. FanDuel Sportsbook at Meadowlands Racetrack
FanDuel Sportsbook at Meadowlands Racetrack started taking bets on July 14, 2018.
It has expanded to now include 30 live betting windows and 17 self-betting kiosks. There are seats for more than 200 around the venue.
The minimum wager at FanDuel Sportsbook is $5.
4. William Hill Sportsbook @ Ocean Casino
The William Hill Sportsbook @ Ocean Casino started taking bets on June 28, 2018.
The 7,500-square-foot sportsbook is located in the heart of Ocean’s gaming floor and features live betting windows and self-serve betting kiosks.
The minimum wager is $2.
5. The Book at Harrah’s
The Book at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City opened Aug. 1, 2018. The 3,800-square-foot sportsbook features stadium seating and access to live betting windows and self-serve betting kiosks.
The minimum wager is $2.
6. The Book at Bally’s
The Book at Bally’s in Atlantic City opened in 2018 as a temp sportsbook. But in summer 2019, the more than 15,000-square-foot sportsbook opened. It features private fan caves and more than 150 seats in the main area.
There are 10 live betting windows and self-serve betting kiosks.
The minimum wager is $5.
7. The Sportsbook at Golden Nugget
Golden Nugget sportsbook opened Aug. 15, 2018. The permanent sportsbook opened its doors a couple weeks later and has seating for more than 100 with four live betting windows and 10 self-service betting kiosks.
The minimum bet is $5.
8. DraftKings Sportsbook at Resorts
Resorts opened a temporary space on Aug. 15, 2018. But the new DraftKings Sportsbook that opened in November 2018 includes five betting windows and 12 self-service kiosks. Plus, there are stadium-style seats.
The minimum bet is $2.
9. William Hill Sports Book at Tropicana
The William Hill Sports Book at Tropicana opened its temp space on Oct. 25, 2018. The permanent book features eight betting windows, four betting kiosks, and bar and lounge-style seating for 180.
The minimum bet is $2.
10. Hard Rock Sportsbook
The Hard Rock Sportsbook opened Jan. 30, 2019, and expanded into a permanent location in the spring. It features six betting windows and seating for 50.
The minimum bet is $5.
What is the difference between betting on college football vs. the NFL?
Football is football, whether it’s the pros or college ball. Even the basic bets are the same. However, there are several major differences between betting on college football and the NFL.
The first is the number of teams. There are just 32 teams in the NFL. The NCAA says there are more than 780 colleges and universities with football programs in the US.
Even if they just stick to offering lines on games in the top-tiered Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) they’re looking at 130 teams.
While oddsmakers can count on intense national media scrutiny in the NFL, college football coverage is a lot more localized and difficult to find.
There are betting opportunities in college football that simply do not exist in the NFL. Look outside the programs that compete on the national stage and you’ll find them. Just don’t be scared off by the big point spread numbers you might find.
College football betting lines and line shopping
Some NJ retail and online sportsbooks set their own college football lines. Although, many employ a third-party service that does the job for them.
These lines are the college football bets available to the public in New Jersey, including basic moneylines, point spreads, and totals (over/under).
NJ sportsbooks set these lines independently, except for a handful using the same third-party service, which gives you the ability to shop around for the best price on a bet.
This is called line shopping. Check the line on a bet at more than one NJ sportsbook before you book it and you are line shopping. Find the bet at a better price and you’re essentially putting money in your pocket. And all you had to do was browse through the betting lines at a few NJ sportsbooks.
Continue to shop around in the days leading up to a game and you may find a sportsbook has changed the line.
Several factors can lead to this kind of line movement, including weather reports or news about injuries to key players. However, the most common seems to be heavy action on one side. Even a single large bet on one side can move a line.
When the line on a college football game moves, it’s often a good indication of where most of the betting public is putting their money. Identifying this type of line movement allows you to fade the public. This is essential to taking advantage of the new and better price a sportsbook is offering on a bet to try to lower its exposure on the other side.
New Jersey NCAAF teams
New Jersey only has three schools with NCAA Division I football programs. Only the Rutgers University Scarlet Knights compete in the top-tiered Division I FBS. Rutgers is in the FBS’ Big Ten Conference.
The other two NCAA Division I football programs in NJ are the Monmouth University Hawks (Big South Conference) and Princeton University Tigers (Ivy League). Both these teams compete in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
But remember, NJ sportsbooks will not take bets on any of these New Jersey-based college football programs.
If you want to bet on local college teams in NJ, you’ll have to stick to programs based in nearby Philadelphia or New York City. But only when they’re not playing in New Jersey or against New Jersey-based schools.
In the FCS, these teams include:
- Columbia University Lions (Ivy League FCS)
- Fordham University Rams (Patriot League FCS)
- Long Island University Sharks (Northeast FCS)
- University of Pennsylvania Quakers (Ivy League FCS)
- Temple University Owls (The American FBS)
- Villanova University Wildcats (Colonial Athletic Association FCS)
Note: Not every game in the FCS will be featured at an NJ sportsbook.
Additional New York and Pennsylvania teams that compete in the top-tiered Division I FBS include:
- Penn State University Nittany Lions (Big Ten)
- University of Pittsburgh Panthers (ACC)
- Army Black Knights (Independent)
- Syracuse University Orange (ACC)
- University at Buffalo Bulls (MAC)
College football predictions
Look around at sports media sites that cover college football and you’ll quickly realize the national championship is a two-horse race this year.
It’s no wonder when you consider the two teams featured in the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship game are returning the stars that led them there.
The Clemson Tigers won the title last season and quarterback Trevor Lawrence is back this season. Runner-up Alabama is also returning quarterback Tau Tagovailoa, and stars including wide receiver Jerry Judy and linebacker Dylan Moses.
The College Football National Championship picture has been all about Clemson and Alabama for a few years. The two teams played in the championship game last season for the third time in four years. Plus, they met in a College Football Playoffs semifinal in the off-year.
Clemson-Alabama has become college football’s greatest rivalry and once again, most preseason polls have Alabama and Clemson co-favorites.
College Football betting tips
Betting on college football in NJ is infinitely more fun when you win. These tips might help:
Don’t wait for the playoffs: There’s value to be found all throughout the college football regular season. But once the postseason rolls around it’s a lot tougher to find. Fewer teams to focus on means oddsmakers won’t be making the kind of mistakes they might during the regular season. If you’re going to bet on college football in NJ at all this season, don’t wait until Bowl Season, start now.
Fade the public: “Fading the public” means taking advantage of movement in a line when the public is betting heavily on one side. Oddsmakers assessments of the teams or the game haven’t changed; they’re just offering the other side some value to try to reduce their exposure and that’s something you can take advantage of.
Live betting
Most basic college football bets are booked before kickoff, but NJ sportsbooks also take bets at variable odds throughout games. This is known as live, in-play, or in-game college football betting.
Essentially, this is live wagering on a college game while it’s still in progress. Sportsbooks adjust the odds on basic in-game bets based on proprietary algorithms and you can bet on these lines. Not every live bet you might expect or wish to see is available at sportsbooks in NJ; as with all odds, the best must be approved by the DGE.
The best way to get in the in-play wagering game is with a sports betting app. Things change fast and you need to focus on the game and the changing odds to get in on bets that might only be available for a few seconds at a time.
Sportsbooks adjust the lines you can bet on after almost every play. This adds a level of excitement to even the most-lopsided college football games.
The trick is to be quick on the draw with your app of choice and be ready to pounce when a good bet presents itself.
College football schedule
The 2019-2020 NCAA Division I FBS regular season begins Aug. 24 and runs through Dec. 14.
The postseason features the top four ranked teams in the country facing off in two semifinal bowls, the Fiesta Bowl and Peach Bowl, on Dec. 28. The winners go on to play in the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship game on Jan. 13 in New Orleans.
The 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season runs on a similar regular-season schedule. However, the postseason is a 24-team playoff bracket instead.
The first round of the playoffs is set for Nov. 30. Second-round games are set for Dec. 7. The four quarterfinal games will play out Dec. 13-14, and the semifinals are on Dec. 21.
Finally, Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, will host the 2020 Division I Football Championship game on Jan. 11.
How to watch college games
ESPN networks carry a ton of college football games. This includes ESPN, ESPN News, ESPN2, ESPN+, and ABC.
There are also a variety of games featuring teams in the national championship picture on FOX and CBS throughout the season. In the meantime, conference networks like the Big 12 Network, the Pac-12 Network, the Big Ten Network, and others feature conference games.
You can find most of these networks through your local cable provider. Or, you can purchase an ESPN+ subscription from ESPN.com and stream games online.
Of course, there’s a simple solution to finding a particular game you want to bet on without having to overwork your TV remote. Head to a New Jersey retail sportsbook where they are sure to have most games worth betting on featured on one of the many TV screens.
Biggest rivalries in college football
There are all kinds of rivalries in college football. There are in-state rivals and those that always seem to have a major impact on the national championship picture. And then there are those long-standing traditional rivalries such as Army vs. Navy.
Any way you slice it, every college team probably has a rival, and the biggest rivalries may change over time.
Here’s a look at some of the biggest rivalries in college football:
- Army-Navy: Navy leads the all-time series between these two Armed Forces schools 60-51-7.
- Michigan-Ohio State: Games don’t get any bigger than the annual Big Game between these two schools. Michigan leads the series 58-50-6.
- Miami-Florida State: This in-state rivalry is led by Miami, but Florida State has recently closed the gap to 33-30.
- Clemson-Alabama: These two teams played in the College Football Playoff Championship game last season for the third time in four years. Plus, they met in one of the semifinals in the off-year.
- Texas-Oklahoma: This Big 12 interstate rivalry, better known as the Red River Showdown, features the Longhorns and the Cowboys. Texas leads the series, 62-47-5.
NCAA football betting FAQ
Can you bet on NJ college teams in New Jersey?
You can’t bet on NJ college football teams in New Jersey. Nor can you bet on any college football games that take place inside the state, regardless of where the teams are from.
When does the college football regular season start?
The 2019 college football season kicks off on Aug. 24. The first few games of the season are a part of what is known as Week Zero in college football.
The first NCAA Division I FBS game will be Florida vs. Miami in Orlando on Aug. 24. The game will air on ESPN.
On Aug. 29, Week One of the college football season kicks off with a full slate of games Thursday through Monday.
How many college football teams are there?
The NCAA estimates there are more than 780 colleges and universities with football programs across the US. 130 teams play in the Division I FBS, and 126 play in Division I FCS.
When is the college football championship?
Essentially, there are two college football championships.
The 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship game (FBS) will play out on Jan. 13, 2020, in New Orleans.
The Division I FCS championship game is on Jan. 11 in Frisco, Texas.
Where is the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship game?
New Orleans will host the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship game on Jan. 13, 2020, in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
Who has the most national championships in college football?
Princeton has 28 national titles, and Yale has 27. Although no school has more national titles than either of these two, neither Yale nor Princeton is likely to win again. The last time either won was 1950 and neither team competes at the FBS level.
The school with the most national championships that competes at the FBS level is Alabama. The Crimson Tide have won 17 national titles, the last one in 2017. There’s a three-way tie for second between Michigan, Notre Dame, and USC at 11.
How does college football overtime work?
If a college football game is tied at the end of 60 minutes, it goes to overtime.
A coin toss decides first possession and each team gets one offensive possession starting at their own 25-yard line.
The object is to score, and then prevent your opponent from doing the same. If the teams remain tied, they each get another offensive possession.
Once they reach a fifth overtime period, teams run alternating two-point conversions instead of starting at the 25-yard line.
How long is a college football game?
College football games are 60 minutes in duration and feature two 30-minute halves including four 15-minute quarters. Most games run over three-and-a-half hours of real-time.
How many college football bowl games are there?
The 2019-20 NCAA Division I FBS football season features 41 different college football bowl games, including the College Football Playoff semifinals and national championship games.
There are also a variety of NCAA Division II bowls, NCAA Division III bowls, and NAIA bowl games.
How many conferences in college football?
The top-tiered NCAA Division I FBS has 130 programs playing in 10 conferences. The NCAA Division I FCS has 126 schools competing in 13 conferences.