We’ve all seen them, those ridiculously large college football point differentials. Maybe USC is favored 36 over a team joke. Or Florida is favored by 29 over Florida A&M. These games jump off the page immediately just because of the size of the spin.

And yes, they almost make you laugh because they are a joke, but what about betting on these games where the spreads can sometimes reach 40 points or more? Should you try playing a game with such a wide spread?

The short answer is no, but there are several reasons for this. First of all, when you’re talking about spreads this big, you’re also talking about some REALLY bad teams. And we’ve all been there, but nobody likes having to support a terrible team. Another sack allowed, another fumble, another missed tackle, it’s like the movie ‘Groundhog Day’, mistake after mistake.

That’s one of the reasons why you won’t see such large spreads on my system.

Another problem is that there is no true previous to follow. How can you determine if the team that takes the beating will keep working, playing hard until the last shot rings out and trying to get the score that makes the number?

Now, with the BCS involved, some schools will show no mercy because they’re trying to score those almighty points in the polls. You’d think that would ramp up even more later in the season, right? Well, even that theory isn’t a lock based on past performances.

And that’s my final point and probably the most important one. Statistical evidence does not validate taking either side in these unbalanced games. Looking at the data, we could only find one instance where teams covered with a winning percentage greater than 53%. With a breakeven of 52.7%, that’s not enough to inspire confidence.

My advice: stay away from the giant NCAA point spread!