The sports betting industry in Illinois is thriving, allowing bettors in the Prairie State to place bets through online sportsbooks and apps. Bets can be placed on a variety of sports, including NFL games, MLB series, and college sports. However, there’s a limitation – betting on Illinois college teams via mobile devices is not allowed.

That being said, you are now able to place bets at retail sportsbooks in person. However, the online betting restriction is still in place and will remain until at least 2023.

There are numerous other college football teams to place bets on, so the diminished betting on the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Northwestern Wildcats might go unnoticed. With sportsbook apps now online, placing bets has become incredibly easy, offering a wide selection of games and wagering options.

NCAA Football Live Odds

Check below for real-time NCAAF game lines and futures odds at online sportsbooks in Illinois. Click on any odds to go directly to the sportsbook, secure your bonus bets or bonuses, and place your NCAA football bet. Use the drop-down menu to switch between point spreads, moneylines and total odds.

If the team you wish to place a bet on isn’t visible, look at the complete live odds board under “NCAAF.”

How does college football betting work?

The popularity of college football among sports bettors has reached an all-time high. It is only surpassed by the NFL in terms of the total number of bets placed annually. Every season, a full lineup of games is scheduled each Saturday, ensuring consistent engagement.

You are legally permitted to wager on college football if you are at least 21 years old and within state boundaries. Nonetheless, mobile betting on college teams based in Illinois, also known as the Prairie State, is not permitted. Therefore, it’s illegal to place bets on teams from these universities:

• Eastern Illinois
• Illinois State
• Northwestern
• Northern Illinois
• Southern Illinois
• University of Illinois
• Western Illinois

In Illinois, placing mobile bets on Division II teams like McKendree and Quincy universities is illegal, as is betting on any of the 18 Division III schools.

Again, you can place bets on all of these teams at physical sportsbooks, just not on the internet.

How to read college football odds

Never place a bet without grasping the fundamentals of college football betting.

Numerous betting options are available for each game in the NCAA football schedule. However, the main bets are the point spreads, moneylines, and totals, also known as the over/under.

When examining college football odds, each match will typically present the same type of information. This generally consists of the game’s schedule, the competing teams, the point spread, the moneyline, and the total. For instance:

Team	Point Spread	Moneyline	Total
Ohio State	-7.5	-300	43
Michigan	+7.5	+150	43

 

In this scenario, Ohio State is predicted to win by a 7.5 point margin. The moneyline wager stands at -300, while the over/under is set at 43.

If you place a bet on the Buckeyes based on the point spread, they must win their game by at least eight points, for example, 35-21. Any score with a smaller margin, such as 35-28, would result in a lost bet.

You also have the option to place a moneyline bet on the winning team. For example, if you place a bet of $100 on Ohio State and they win, you would receive $133.33 — your original $100 bet and an additional $33.33 in winnings. Conversely, if you were to place the same $100 bet on Michigan and they win, your total payout would be $250, which includes your initial $100 bet and $150 in winnings.

If you opt for the over/under bet, you’ll need to predict whether the combined score of the two teams will be above or below 43 points.

Therefore, if the game concludes with a 21-20 barnburner, the under wager emerges as the winner. If the score is 24-20, the over wager wins. If, by any chance, the game ends with 22-21, it results in a “push.” In this scenario, neither party wins or loses, and the sportsbook will reimburse your bet.

How to shop for the best lines at IL sportsbooks

What is the key to becoming the best gambler you can be? Extensive research and preparation.

Understanding different aspects of a team, not just statistics, can offer you an advantage. Regularly seeking the best betting lines is a crucial part of your betting strategy.

Every sportsbook establishes their own lines. Let’s say the Florida State Seminoles are going head-to-head with Georgia. After doing your research, you predict that FSU will emerge victorious. A sportsbook like FanDuel might have the moneyline set at -120 for Georgia and +135 for Florida State.

However, upon exploring different options, you may find that Caesars Sportsbook offers the same game with Georgia at -120 and Florida at +150. As the return on investment is higher at Caesars, it would be more profitable for you to bet on a Seminoles’ victory there.

On occasion, you may notice changes in the betting line at the same sportsbook you had earlier researched. To illustrate, consider the college football betting lines for the Georgia and Florida State game, which were -120 and +135 respectively, at FanDuel. However, following the announcement that Georgia’s starting quarterback was injured during practice, the line could shift to Georgia at -110 and FSU at +120.

Why did the odds change? Usually, it’s because the bookmakers have revised their prediction and now believe the game will be more evenly matched than they first anticipated. They may still favor Georgia, but their certainty has lessened. Another factor could be the public betting heavily on one team. To prevent the sportsbook from losing money on the game, the line will shift accordingly – it’s important to remember that it’s a business.

What’s the difference between betting on college football and NFL?

Primarily, the transition from college-level football to professional leagues doesn’t significantly alter the game. There might be minor variations in rules, but the essence of the game stays consistent. The betting style also remains unchanged.

However, there are differences between the two levels in terms of the range of teams, media coverage, on-field play, and even the way sportsbooks set the odds.

In NCAA football, the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) consists of 130 teams and the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) comprises 127 teams. This doesn’t include the teams at Division II and lower divisions. Also, there are 32 teams currently competing in the NFL.

Basic calculations reveal that there are more weekly college games, contributing to their popularity on legal sportsbook apps and websites. The NFL, however, attracts the most attention from both bettors and the media. The NCAA keeps up, but the massive influence of the NFL is dominant.

This doesn’t imply that college football has less fans, but rather that the fan interest is not equally distributed among the teams as it is in the NFL.

Furthermore, college football tends to attract less betting than professional football. This is mainly due to team mismatches, the frequency of errors in a typical game, and the regular occurrence of players’ experience on the roster in college football.

Betting with confidence becomes much simpler when there are fewer uncertainties involved. At the NFL level, it’s uncommon for a game’s surprise star to emerge, whereas freshmen can have a breakout performance in almost any college-level game. However, bettors typically keep an eye on teams with the most returning experienced players.

When it comes to betting in college football, you’ll typically encounter larger spreads due to mismatches between teams. Additionally, softer betting lines, which can present potential opportunities, are often available if you’re ready to invest time in research.

How to bet on college football in Illinois

With the opening of more sportsbooks in Illinois, there will be an increase in locations for placing bets. It’s crucial to compare the best lines for the games you plan to bet on, and always carry out thorough research before investing your money.

So, what types of wagers can you place on college football? Let’s dissect the four traditional bet kinds and provide an instance for each.

Moneyline

Moneyline betting is the simplest and most direct form of wagering. All you need to do is predict which team will come out victorious in a game. For instance:

Team	Moneyline
South Florida	+540
Memphis	-910

From the looks of it, the books anticipate a one-sided match, with Memphis predicted to dominate. The odds are heavily stacked in their favor and it’s anticipated to not be much of a contest. In order to gain $100, a bet of $910 would be required, which, if Memphis wins as expected, would result in a total payout of $1,010. However, if you were to bet $100 on South Florida pulling off a surprising upset, you would walk away with $640 — your original bet, plus $540 in winnings.

Point spread

This type of bet involves oddsmakers assigning a number to represent which team they predict will win and by what margin. To place a successful bet, you must choose the team you believe will surpass the spread. Here’s an illustration:

College Team	Point Spread
Nebraska	+3.5 (-108)
Wisconsin	-3.5 (-102)

Oddsmakers predict a close game, with Wisconsin expected to edge out Nebraska by just a little over 3.5 points. As a bettor, it’s up to you to decide if the game will be tighter than predicted. Do you believe Wisconsin will win by more than 3.5 points? If you do and place a point spread bet of $100, a correct prediction could earn you $198.04, a profit of $98.04 above your initial $100 wager. However, if Nebraska emerges victorious or gets defeated by less than 3.5 points, you’d lose both your wager and stake.

Totals

In terms of totals, also known as over/unders, the oddsmakers establish a number they predict will be the final combined score of the two teams playing. As a college football bettor, your role is to decide whether the two teams will score more or less points than this prediction. Here’s an example:

College Team	Over/Under
Wyoming	54 (-110)
Colorado State	54 (-110)

After investigating and assessing the offensive and defensive prowess of each team, you need to predict if their combined score will reach 54 points. If you anticipate a game dominated by defense, then betting on the under would be advisable. On the other hand, if you expect both teams’ offenses to dominate and their defenses to falter, then an over bet might be more suitable. Regardless of your choice, a successful $100 wager will yield a return of $190.91, consisting of your original $100 bet and a profit of $90.91.

Futures

A futures bet involves placing a wager on an event that will occur in the future. This could involve predicting the winner of a national championship or the Heisman Trophy. As with any bet, you can find NCAA football odds at your preferred sportsbook and place your bet based on your predictions. For instance, let’s examine the odds for the 2021 Heisman Trophy:

Spencer Rattler (Oklahoma quarterback)	+800
DJ Uiagalelei (Clemson quarterback)	+1100
JT Daniels (Georgia quarterback)	+1200
Bryce Young (Alabama quarterback)	+1200

You can clearly see that all the choices for this futures bet offer positive odds, with lower numbers clearly indicating the favorites. Futures bets require a lot of investigation, though it’s quite usual for fans to place bets based on their intuition at the start of the season.

Throughout the season, the lines on futures bets frequently fluctify, and betting odds for most college football events, such as the national championship, are typically available shortly after the end of the preceding season. Futures wagers demand precise predictions; if a player other than the one you selected for the Heisman wins the award, your bet is lost.

Sportsbook rules for betting college football

Remember, each sportsbook has its own set of rules for wagers. So, it’s essential to go through the terms and conditions before making any bets.

When betting on NCAA football, some standard rules to follow are:

• A football game is deemed official once 55 minutes have been played. If a game concludes before reaching the 55-minute mark, it is considered as “no action” or a “cancel”, implying that all bets are refunded and no payouts are made to winners.
• Betting on point spreads, moneylines or totals includes any scoring in overtime.
• Wagering during the second half (halftime) includes any scores made in overtime. However, scores made in overtime are not included in wagering during the fourth quarter.
• The scheduled date and location must be adhered to for all games.

However, these rules aren’t set in stone, so it’s important to be mindful of any specific rules established by individual sportsbooks before placing a bet.

How to watch or stream NCAAF games in Illinois

To satisfy your craving for live college football, having the right mix of cable channels is the best method. However, this isn’t feasible for the majority of people.

So, what are some of the ways you can watch or stream NCAA football games in Illinois? Here are a few possibilities:

1. Broadcast Television: This is simple but true. Major broadcasters usually air some college football games each week. Typically, you can watch these for free with a modern TV antenna.
2. Apps: Are apps the solution to all your issues? If you desire to enjoy college football on your mobile device, then undoubtedly, they are. The WatchESPN app is available for Android, iOS, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, and more. Considering that ESPN and its affiliated channels broadcast more than 80% of college football programming, you’ll have a plethora of options. Additionally, if you prefer to stay updated on specific conferences, you can download dedicated apps for the ACC, Big Ten, PAC 12, and SEC.
3. Live College Sports: This service, requiring a monthly subscription, offers games and events from over 100 schools. Not limited to college football, it also includes a variety of other sports. Accessible on your computer or through an app compatible with Android, iOS or Roku.
4. While radio broadcasts aren’t new technology, many stations now offer free online streaming. This allows you to follow your favorite teams by finding and tuning in to their affiliated radio station. There’s still a unique charm in listening to the play-by-play and color commentators over the speakers, as you visualize the game unfolding.

NCAA football teams in Illinois

Despite the illegality of online betting on college football games featuring Illinois teams, you can still enjoy supporting them — and there are plenty of teams to choose from.

Below is a list of NCAA football teams along with their respective conferences:

Team	Championship Subdivision	Conference
Eastern Illinois Panthers	FCS	Missouri Valley
Illinois Fighting Illini	FBS	Big Ten
Illinois State Redbirds	FCS	Missouri Valley
Northern Illinois Huskies	FBS	MAC
Northwestern Wildcats	FBS	Big Ten
Southern Illinois Salukis	FCS	Missouri Valley
Western Illinois Leathernecks	FCS	Missouri Valley
McKendree Bearcats	DII	Great Lakes Valley
Quincy Hawks	DII	Great Lakes Valley
Augustana Vikings	DIII	CCIW
Aurora Spartans	DIII	Northern
Benedictine Eagles	DIII	Northern
Chicago Maroons	DIII	Midwest
Concordia Cougars	DIII	Northern
Elmhurst Bluejays	DIII	CCIW
Eureka Red Devils	DIII	Northern
Greenville Panthers	DIII	UMAC
Illinois College Blueboys	DIII	Midwest
Illinois Wesleyan Titans	DIII	CCIW
Knox Prairie Fire	DIII	Midwest
Lake Forest Foresters	DIII	Midwest
Millikin Big Blue	DIII	CCIW
Monmouth Fighting Scots	DIII	Midwest
North Central Cardinals	DIII	CCIW
North Park Vikings	DIII	CCIW
Rockford Regents	DIII	Northern
Wheaton Thunder	DIII	CCIW

Biggest rivalries in Illinois college football

Part of what makes college football exciting are the rivalries, and Illinois has several that keep fans on the edge of their seats:

• The series between Illinois and Northwestern started in 1892. They have clashed 114 times since then. Currently, Illinois is leading the series with 55-54-5. The teams are now competing for the Land of Lincoln Trophy. However, between 1947 and 2008, they battled to lift the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk.
• The rivalry between Illinois and Purdue dates back to 1890. The Illini and the Boilermakers have faced off 96 times since then, resulting in a tie with 45 wins each and 6 draws.
• Since 1902, the Illinois and Ohio State teams have been competing against each other for the Illibuck Trophy, which is the second oldest trophy given in a Big Ten rivalry game. Despite a successful period for Illinois in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Buckeyes have mostly dominated the game. The current standing is 68-30-4 in favor of Ohio State. This is unfortunate for Illini fans.

Is college football betting legal in Illinois?

In 2019, it became legal to bet on college football in Illinois, after two years of legislative efforts. Ultimately, the bill was signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker.

On March 9, 2020, Rivers Casino Des Plaines was the venue for the first legal sports bet made in person. Subsequently, on June 18, 2020, BetRivers Sportsbook Illinois launched the first online betting app.

As indicated, betting on collegiate sports is legal. However, it is illegal to bet on various NCAA teams within the state through your mobile device.