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GAMBOLLLLLL! USF Consensus Betting Favorites To Win The American

Everyone who has put out conference odds so far has set the Bulls as the odds-on favorite.

By Jamie DeVriend
NCAA Football: Birmingham Bowl-South Florida vs South Carolina Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports

We get these Bovada PR emails from time to time. Most of them aren’t aimed at us. It’s all about who’s going to win the national title, or they’re about basketball, or it’s a Heisman list that inexplicably doesn’t offer odds on Quinton Flowers.

This latest one, though, was a breakdown of the odds for each team to win their conference. Not surprisingly, Bovada has USF as a clear favorite to win The American, at 3/2 odds. Memphis, Houston, and C. are tied for the next best odds at 5/1.

If you’re inclined to make a medium-term investment on USF this season, Bovada is actually the best place to make it. They’re the only book offering the Bulls at plus odds. The other lines out there have USF at minus odds, so you have to invest more than you’ll win.

  • BetOnline: -135
  • 5Dimes: -130
  • Sports Betting: -135
  • Sportbet: -130

Here are everyone’s odds for the entire league. There are some differences in the exact numbers, but it’s interesting that Vegas has a hierarchy in mind for the conference, more or less.

Remember, when you shop lines, what you’re trying to do is find the best price for your bet. If you’re betting on someone to win, then you want to get the longest odds you can find. For example, if you like Houston to win the league, go to 5Dimes or Sportbet. If you like Memphis, you want to go to BetOnline or Sports Betting.

Yes, USF is and should be the favorite. But in futures betting, you have to make the bet and then wait four or five months to see if it cashes in. That’s why I wouldn’t recommend betting on the Bulls. Even at 3/2 (basically +150), you have to commit quite a bit of your unit for the entire season. You can put that money to better use picking games from week to week.

If you’re going to make a futures bet, we suggest finding value on the medium to longer odds. Personally my favorite bet is Tulsa at +900. I can’t see anyone winning this conference other than them or USF. If you believe that too, then either you make a small investment and win a lot of money (plus it’s consolation for USF not coming through). Or you lose a little money, but you’re still happy because USF wins the league. What’s not to like there?

Any favorite picks that you see? Get in the comments and tell us.