College Football Playoff Expansion Triggers Bigger Betting Numbers

The increase from four college football teams to a dozen in this year’s College Football Playoff has spawned greater interest and more betting. It’s been a boon for the sports betting platforms around the nation, and it could continue to grow in years to come.

Expansion Leads to Interest

Tripling the number of teams vying for a national title, coupled with the increased importance of conference championships, has spurred increased wagering at all of the major and minor sportsbooks around the nation.

“In the past few years, we saw so many teams decimated by opt-outs and the transfer portal during bowl season, leaving fans uninterested and disengaged with the games, even at the New Year’s Six level,” said DraftKings’ director of sports operations Johnny Avello. “Now, with 11 playoff games, we’ll have plenty of marquee postseason games with teams playing at full strength, which should directly impact betting interest and handle.”

The number of games now available in the CFP has reengaged the betting public, and more has proven to be better.  “Moving from four teams and three games to [12 teams and 11 games] is huge,” said Avello. “You also have to consider the new window, which we believe is more favorable, as first-round games will shift from New Year’s Eve to the weekend of December 21-22.

Conference Championship Betting Boom

Conference championship games had recently become devoid of the top players participating as they were preparing for the NFL Draft and unwilling to take any injury risks that might occur during their final collegiate game.

However, the expansion of the College Football Playoff, which rewards many conference champions with a CFP berth, has many star athletes rethinking their decisions and playing in those games knowing it could be their ticket to a national crown.

This has led to increased interest from fans and bettors alike, who now get to see the top teams as they are presently constituted and not a diluted version of those squads. Everything from conference championship betting to CFP futures has the sportsbooks buzzing.

Futures Frenzy

According to the folks at ESPN Bet, the handles of the Texas-Georgia and Penn State-Oregon conference championship games were similar to that of a typical NFL game.

“The expanded field and number of teams in contention for the playoff lends itself well to additional betting action on futures markets,” said a spokesperson from ESPN Bet. “Compared to previous years, where there was a good idea of what top four teams had separated themselves from the pack, figuring out the top 12 teams — and their potential road to the national championship game — drove more debate, conversation, and betting activity.”

With more CFP teams to choose from, betting action on championship futures has also markedly increased.

“A team that might have been a long shot in the four-team format now has a much easier path to the College Football Playoff and national championship,” Avello said. “Teams like Indiana, SMU, and Boise State all come to mind. They would have had no shot in previous years, but this year, the door was wide open, and bettors recognize that.”