Following up on correlated parlays in college football wagering

On Tuesday night's viewfromvegas.com podcast, I was asked how to identify college football parlays in which the point spread and the betting total are likely correlated, possibly offering an advantage to the bettor against the house.

The multiplier that many sharp bettors rely upon is 2.3.

That means if the point spread in a game times 2.3 is greater than the betting total, we're likely in correlated-parlay territory.

For example, this week Ohio State is favored by 28 points against Marshall. The betting total is 47 points.

Bettors should play a two-leg parlay of Ohio State -28 and over 47. An equally appealing alternative would be to play Marshall +28 with under 47. (We're assuming bettors can find a book that will accept this kind of action.)

Sept. 1, 2010