College football kicks off in late August, with Week Zero games between Arizona and Hawaii and an intrastate matchup between Miami and Florida.
For more than three months, football will consume our lives. And all of those games will culminate with the College Football Playoff National Championship in Indianapolis on Jan. 10, 2022.
Will that final game be the fourth meeting between Clemson and Alabama in the past seven years? Or will the college football landscape get shaken up?
Have some predictions and hot takes? In New Jersey, you can put your money where your mouth is, courtesy of a sports betting industry that has boomed over the past couple of years.
Here you will find a cumulative look at the NJ sports betting landscape as it pertains to college football wagering.
Best NJ Sportsbook Apps For College Bowl Betting
Where to bet on the College Football Playoffs in NJ
Operators have taken full advantage of sports betting regulations in New Jersey, leading to a massive market that features 17 betting apps and 10 retail sportsbooks throughout the state.
NJ online betting apps
| Online Sportsbook | Land-based Affiliate | Bonus Offer | Promo Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| DraftKings Sportsbook | Resorts AC | $50 free bet | Click to claim promo |
| Caesars Sportsbook NJ | Caesars AC | Up to $1,250 | LEGALFULL |
| BetMGM Sportsbook | Borgata AC | $1,000 risk free bet | PLAYBONUS |
| BetRivers Sportsbook | Golden Nugget AC | 2nd Chance Free Bet Up To $500 | PLAYRIV |
| FanDuel Sportsbook | Meadowlands | $3,000 match bet | Click to claim promo |
| PointsBet NJ | Meadowlands | up to $2,000 risk free bets | BETBONUS |
| Bet365 | Hard Rock AC | Up to $200 in bet credits | None - Use Links |
| FOX Bet | Resorts AC | $50 risk-free bet | None - Use Links |
| Borgata Sportsbook | Borgata AC | $100 in free bets with $20 deposit | PLAYNJ |
| Golden Nugget Sportsbook | Golden Nugget | $250 free bet | PLAYBONUS |
| Hard Rock Sports | Hard Rock AC | $100 free bet | None - Use Links |
NJ sports betting locations
- Borgata
- Resorts Atlantic City
- Ocean Casino Resort
- Monmouth Park
- Meadowlands Racetrack
- Harrah’s
- Hard Rock Atlantic City
- Golden Nugget
- Bally’s
- Tropicana Atlantic City
Online vs. retail betting
It is no secret that the secret to NJ sports betting has been the online betting side of things.
The state’s industry has taken off since launching in June 2018, as legalized retail and online sportsbooks have taken in nearly $3 billion in wagers over the last year.
About 73% of all bets made during the life of NJ sports betting have come online, via one of the 14 online sportsbooks operating in the Garden State. In 2019 alone, bettors have wagered more than $1.3 billion through betting apps, equating to more than 80% of overall handle in the state.
Retail sportsbooks obviously provide an event-style environment, with tellers, big-screen TVs, lounge chairs, and bars that add even more to the betting experience.
But if some prefer to stay at home, or if they are heading to a watch party or a prior engagement, New Jersey boasts plenty of online options to allow bettors to still make their wagers in time for kickoff.
2021-22 College Bowl Championship current odds
Summers are filled with the dog days of baseball, a few golf tournaments, maybe even a smattering of tennis action.
For most, though, the summer is a time for building hype. A time for getting to know the college football landscape. A time to get their first wagers on the books.
In New Jersey, bettors can begin laying down money on which team they believe will win the 2021 national championship. Next to each team is a number that is either paired with a plus or minus sign.
The plus sign tells bettors how much money they will win on a $100 bet should their selected team win the title. For example, bettors might find Clemson listed at +200 to go all the way. A Tigers victory, then, would pay $200 on a $100 wager.
Below is a look at the teams favored at some of New Jersey’s top betting apps:
College Football Playoff predictions and betting picks
Once again, it is Clemson and Alabama against the field … if not each other.
Most sportsbooks list the defending champion Alabama Crimson Tide as the front-runners for the 2021-22 CFP National Championship. Others put them second, behind perennial power Clemson, which has advanced to four of the last six championship games, winning twice.
Over the past couple years, a few darkhorse programs have emerged that bettors have backed in hopes of Clemson and/or Alabama tripping over themselves.
Georgia is one of those teams, which heads into the 2021 season a few years removed from an appearance in the national title game, and no college football season could go without hype surrounding Ohio State and Michigan, two storied programs with fan bases that, in recent history, have had disappointing ends to seasons after lofty expectations.
Who knows, though? Perhaps this year belongs to the Big Ten.
How the College Football Playoff field is set
A 13-person College Football Playoff committee determines which programs earn spots in the four-team playoff field.
Beginning just after the midway point of the regular season, the CFP releases weekly Top 25 rankings. Once the season concludes, a final ranking will paint the picture of the playoffs.
The top four teams will advance to the playoff and will play at either the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, TX, or the Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens, FL. These semifinal games will take place Dec. 31, and winners will advance to the Jan. 10 national championship in Indianapolis.
Types of College Football Playoff bets available in NJ
A variety of betting formats exist in the NJ sports betting world. From wagering on winning margins to simply choosing a winner to predicting a coin toss, options abound for bettors.
Point spread
This is arguably the most familiar betting type to the public. And one the media frequently cites when analyzing matchups.
Sportsbooks determine which teams in any given week should be favored in their respective games. To boot, they predict how much those teams will win by.
When looking at an odds board, bettors will see a decimal number with a minus sign next to it, such as “Clemson -7.5.” This tells bettors that the Tigers are favored by 7.5 points.
They can then wager on Clemson to win by more than that margin (or to “beat the spread”) or for Clemson’s opponent to lose by fewer than that total (known as “covering the spread”).
Underdogs don’t even need to lose to cover. Outright wins provide the same winnings for backers.
Moneyline
This type of bet hinges not on the score, necessarily; simply which team wins.
Bettors will see a three-digit number next to each team, which denotes the moneyline. A minus sign next to that figure indicates the favored team, and a plus sign shows the underdog.
Additionally, these numbers tell bettors either how much they can win on a $100 bet, or how much would need to be wagered in order to win $100.
Alabama as a -200 in a game, for example, means the Crimson Tide are not only favored but also that bettors would need to wager $200 in order to win $100. As a +150 underdog, an Alabama win would pay $150 on a $100 wager.
Totals
Not wanting to back any specific team? Look at the totals.
Prior to kickoff, sportsbooks will predict various totals within a given game. How many points will be scored? How many touchdowns will be scored? You get the idea.
All bettors need to do is decide if less or more than those totals will occur and place their bets.
Futures
For the long-game bettors, the action is with futures.
During the offseason or even during the season, bettors can find futures odds at sportsbooks. Which team will win the national championship? Who will win the Heisman?
Prices will likely be adjusted as the season goes on, so bettors can do some shopping and waiting to find the best value. But whatever price is listed at the time of a wager is the payout bettors will receive if they win.
Prop bets
These types of wagers involve players directly.
Seeing a market that wonders which player will score the first touchdown in a game, for example, is a prop bet.
Props typically revolve around individuals rather than teams. And they certainly add more skin to the sports betting game.
Parlay
Seeing multiple games you want to wager on? Or perhaps you’re looking to increase the payout on certain games?
Parlays are your ticket.
Bettors put money down across several events, combining their bets in a parlay to maximize winnings.
Moneylines, point spread, and totals could all be featured in a parlay. In order to collect, though, bettors must hit every “leg” of the bet. Go undefeated to reap the rewards, because even one loss in a 10-leg parlay will keep bettors from celebrating.
2021-22 college football bowl schedule
There’s a reason winter is perceived as “Bowl Season” for sports fans. There are games almost every day. For almost an entire month.
For just over three weeks, 41 games will take place, keeping all of us entertained through the new year.
Here’s a full schedule of the upcoming college bowl season and College Football Playoffs:
| Date | Bowl | Time (ET) | TV | Matchup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TBD | Redbox | TBD | TBD | Big Ten vs. Pac-12 |
| December 17 | Bahamas | 12:00 PM | ESPN | C-USA vs. MAC |
| December 17 | Cure | 6:00 PM | ESPN2 | AAC vs. Sun Belt |
| December 18 | Boca Raton | 11:00 AM | ESPN | Pool vs. Pool |
| December 18 | Celebration | 12:00 PM | ABC | MEAC vs. SWAC |
| December 18 | New Mexico | 2:15 PM | ESPN | C-USA vs. MWC |
| December 18 | Independence | 3:30 PM | ABC | BYU vs. C-USA |
| December 18 | Lending Tree | 5:45 PM | ESPN | MAC vs. Sun Belt |
| December 18 | L.A. | 7:30 PM | ABC | MWC vs. Pac-12 |
| December 18 | New Orleans | 9:15 PM | ESPN | C-USA vs. Sun Belt |
| December 20 | Myrtle Beach | 2:30 PM | ESPN | AAC, MAC, Sun Belt |
| December 21 | Famous Idaho Potato | 3:30 PM | ESPN | MAC vs. MWC |
| December 21 | Frisco | 7:30 PM | ESPN | AAC, C-USA, MAC, MWC, Sun Belt |
| December 22 | Armed Forces | TBD | ESPN | AAC vs. C-USA |
| December 23 | Gasparilla | 7:00 PM | ESPN | Pool vs. Pool |
| December 24 | Hawai'i | 8:00 PM | ESPN | AAC vs. MWC |
| December 25 | Camellia | 2:30 PM | ESPN | MAC vs. Sun Belt |
| December 27 | Quick Lane | 11:00 AM | ESPN | Big Ten vs. MAC |
| December 27 | Military | 2:30 PM | ESPN | ACC vs. AAC |
| December 28 | Birmingham | 12:00 PM | ESPN | AAC vs. SEC |
| December 28 | First Responder | 3:15 PM | ESPN | AAC, ACC, Big 12, C-USA |
| December 28 | Holiday | 5:00 PM | FOX | ACC vs. Pac-12 |
| December 28 | Liberty | 6:45 PM | ESPN | Big 12 vs. SEC |
| December 28 | Guaranteed Rate | 10:15 PM | ESPN | Big 12 vs. Big Ten |
| December 29 | Fenway | 11:00 AM | ESPN | AAC vs. ACC |
| December 29 | Pinstripe | 2:15 PM | ESPN | ACC vs. Big Ten |
| December 29 | Cheez-It | 5:45 PM | ESPN | ACC vs. Big 12 |
| December 29 | Alamo | 9:15 PM | ESPN | Big 12 vs. Pac-12 |
| December 30 | Duke's Mayo | 11:30 AM | ESPN | ACC vs. Big Ten |
| December 30 | Music City | 3:00 PM | ESPN | Big Ten vs. SEC |
| December 30 | Peach | 7:00 PM | ESPN | At-large vs. At-large |
| December 30 | Las Vegas | 10:30 PM | ESPN | Pac-12 vs. Big Ten |
| December 31 | TaxSlayer | 11:00 AM | ESPN | ACC vs. SEC |
| December 31 | Tony the Tiger | 12:30 PM | CBS | ACC vs. Pac-12 |
| December 31 | Arizona | 4:30 PM | Barstool Sports | MAC vs. MWC |
| December 31 | Orange | 3:30 PM or 7:30 PM | ESPN | Semifinal |
| December 31 | Cotton | 3:30 PM or 7:30 PM | ESPN | Semifinal |
| January 1 | Outback | 12:00 PM | ESPN2 | Big Ten vs. SEC |
| January 1 | Citrus | 1:00 PM | ABC | Big Ten vs. SEC |
| January 1 | Texas | TBD | ESPN | Big 12 vs. SEC |
| January 1 | Fiesta | 1:00 PM | ESPN | At-large vs. At-large |
| January 1 | Rose | 5:00 PM | ESPN | Big Ten vs. Pac-12 |
| January 1 | Sugar | 8:45 PM | ESPN | SEC vs. Big 12 |
| January 10 | National Championship | 8:00 PM | ESPN | Semifinal winners |
When is the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship?
Just as the NFL playoffs begin, the peak of the College Football Playoff will arrive.
On Jan. 10, 2022, at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, the last two teams standing will duke it out for college football supremacy.
How can I watch the CFP title game?
The vast majority of bowl games will air on ESPN. And the College Football Playoff is no different.
Both semifinal games on Dec. 31 will broadcast on ESPN, as will the national championship game.
Brief history of the College Football Playoff
The college playoffs enters its eighth season of existence, after years of the Bowl Championship Series system that determined the national champion.
Five of the seven playoff title games involved Alabama, three of which came against Clemson. Only the first college playoff national championship, in 2015, went without a Crimson Tide or Tigers appearance as Ohio State demolished Oregon 42-20.
Yes, the playoff format of college football has not yielded quite the parity the NCAA certainly hoped for. But hey, at least the template is in place in order to create it.
Previous winners
Just because a new championship system went into place seven years ago does not mean we should ignore the BCS national champs prior.
Here are the past 10 college football champions:
| Date | Site | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 11, 2021 | Miami | No. 1 Alabama 52, No. 3 Ohio State 24 |
| Jan. 13, 2020 | New Orleans | No. 1 LSU 42, No. 3 Clemson 25 |
| Jan. 7, 2019 | Santa Clara, Calif. | No. 2 Clemson 44, No. 1 Alabama 16 |
| Jan. 8, 2018 | Atlanta | No. 4 Alabama 26, No. 3 Georgia 23 |
| Jan. 9, 2017 | Tampa, Fla. | No. 2 Clemson 35, No. 1 Alabama 31 |
| Jan. 11, 2016 | Glendale, Ariz. | No. 2 Alabama 45, No. 1 Clemson 40 |
| Jan. 12, 2015 | Arlington, Tex. | No. 4 Ohio State 42, No. 2 Oregon 20 |
| Jan. 6, 2014 | Pasadena, Calif. | No. 1 Florida State 34, No. 2 Auburn 31 |
| Jan. 7, 2013 | Miami | No. 2 Alabama 42, No. 1 Notre Dame 14 |
| Jan. 9, 2012 | New Orleans | No. 2 Alabama 21, No. 1 LSU 0 |
Biggest upsets in NCAA football championship history
Remember the days before college football instituted a playoff system? Way back when? Before 2014?
Well, those days of BCS selections were wild. As were the years prior, when the media voted on which team was crowned the national champion.
As crazy and manic-inducing as those years were, they certainly produced some memorable title tilts.
2006: Texas 41, USC 38
This BCS National Championship remains the standard.
Texas QB Vince Young, runner-up in that season’s Heisman voting, took frustrations out on the man who beat him out (USC RB Reggie Bush) and the guy who took third (USC QB Matt Leinart, who won the ’04 trophy) in a game for the ages.
Young passed for 267 yards and rushed for 200 more. He scored three TDs, including on a game-winning, fourth-down scramble with less than 20 seconds to play.
In leading Texas to its first outright national championship in 36 years, Young also helped the Longhorns snap USC 34-game winning streak and end the Trojans’ hopes of a third straight national title.
1984: Miami 31, Nebraska 30
Few teams ever get to play Cinderella on their home turf. Miami did.
At the Orange Bowl, the Hurricanes were appearing in only the program’s second bowl game since 1967. They faced top-ranked and perennial power Nebraska, which entered the game as a 10-point favorite.
Despite nearly blowing a 17-point lead, as the Cornhuskers narrowed the gap to 31-30 with less than a minute to play, Miami stood tall. That is, thanks in part to Nebraska coach Tom Osborne.
In those days, there was no overtime in college football. Nebraska had just scored a touchdown and could have opted for the point-after kick to tie the game and hope the polls voted the Cornhuskers’ national champs.
Osborne, though, went for the win. Miami denied him, breaking up the potential game-winning pass and securing a monumental upset for The U.
2003: Ohio State 31, Miami 24 (2OT)
From a game where overtime was not an option, Miami found itself hoping it wasn’t one.
The Hurricanes went into the BCS National Championship as 11.5-point favorites, riding a 34-game winning streak into the Fiesta Bowl in Arizona.
Miami had the lead in the first overtime and thought it had it made when a fourth-down pass by Ohio State fell incomplete. But a pass interference call breathed new life into the Buckeyes, who scored three plays later to force a second extra period.
In the second overtime, Ohio State RB Maurice Clarett rushed for his second TD of the night to put the Buckeyes on top. Miami came back and had a fresh set of downs at the 2-yard line.
But Ohio State held serve, allowing just one yard over the next four plays to upend Miami.
College football bowl betting FAQ
A slate of 40 bowl games spanning just over three weeks kicks off Dec. 17 with the Bahamas Bowl (in the Bahamas) and the Cure Bowl (in Florida).
The top four teams in the final CFP rankings will play in either the Cotton Bowl in Texas or the Orange Bowl in Florida. The winners from these Dec. 31 semis will advance to the Jan. 10 championship at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
The majority of bowl games will be aired on ESPN and its family of networks. Some games will also air on ABC, CBS and FOX. Of the noteworthy bowl games, the College Football Playoffs semifinals and championship will all broadcast on ESPN, as will the Sugar, Rose, Fiesta and Peach bowls.
Alabama captured its third national title in six years with a 52-24 bashing of third-seeded Ohio State.
You bet. With one exception: games involving teams from New Jersey or games staged within state lines. Fortunately, not one of the 2021-22 bowl games are slated to take place in the Garden State.
In terms of Division I, only Rutgers is excluded from legalized betting in New Jersey.
The NCAA made the change in 2015.
The season is about to kick off so we don’t know yet who will play in New Orleans on Jan. 10, 2022. However, NJ sportsbooks have Clemson and Alabama as heavy favorites to go all the way.