The first thing that we learned is that if you bet on football, you need to be aware of hot streaks. This was the year of the streak, as teams covered spread after spread when they got red hot. The Arizona Cardinals, for instance, were spread covering machines in the playoffs when they were as hot as any team has been in years. There are some times when streaks do not mean much, but this is one year that showed that football betting is all about who is hot and who is not.

You won’t make money when you bet on football if you only know that one rule, though. This year was also one where we saw an alarming trend start to take hold in terms of team travel. The teams coming from the west coast had a terrible time adjusting to the time change when they played on the east coast. They did not cover spreads and they certainly didn’t win games on the east coast. This was especially true for first half bets, and those who bet on football saw huge profits if they were able to catch jetlagging west coast squads in New York or Miami or anywhere else.

There were plenty more betting trends that people who follow football betting need to study before they head into next season. Not all of the trends will carry over from one year to the next, but the majority of them will. You should learn them and be prepared to spot the new trends that will undoubtedly form next year, as well. The only way to win in college football betting is to stay as far ahead of the game as you possibly can. Know the teams, the players, and understand what they are going to do next year before the year even starts.