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College game flow: when games go over and when the cover is settled

When do games go over, and when is the cover settled?

Pick a season and week, then choose when the game went over to see those games. FBS games from the past four seasons with quarter scores and a closing line.

Totals 43.5–51.5 ✕

When did they go over?

1,292 games · 2023–2026 · Totals 43.5–51.5 · pick one to list those games
Went overAll games1,292100%By halftime272%In Q319915%In Q444034%In OT141%Stayed under61247%
Last 5 minutesCover changed hands14611%Over cashed17914%Leader lost the game1078%
53% went over. Of the 680 overs, 4% had cashed by halftime and 33% by the end of the 3rd quarter. Covers were settled only in the 4th quarter or overtime in 18% of games.

All 1,292 games

2023–2026 · Totals 43.5–51.5 · newest first · showing 50
GameLineTotalPoints by quarterOverCover settledFinal
2026 · Week 8
 LIB -8.5 50.5 14172740 U LIB Q1 34–6
2026 · Week 8
 NMSU -3 46.5 7244754 Q3 NMSU Q2 30–24
2026 · Week 8
 FIU -10.5 46.5 15213949 Q4 MTSU Q1 26–23
2026 · Week 7
 ORE -6.5 50.5 072031 U NEB Q1
Lead lost
 14–17
2026 · Week 7
 FRES -6.5 46.5 10263349 Q4 SDSU Q1
Late over
 23–26
2026 · Week 7
 UNM -14.5 46.5 3101731 U HAW Q1 21–10
2026 · Week 7
 UTAH -15.5 49.5 7133751 Q4 COLO Q1
Late over
 27–24
2026 · Week 7
 OHIO -17.5 46.5 7274155 Q4 OHIO Q2 48–7
2026 · Week 7
 SJSU -6.5 46.5 772435 U SJSU Q1 24–11
2026 · Week 7
 ND -10.5 47.5 10313752 Q4 BYU Q1
Late over Lead lost
 24–28
2026 · Week 7
 OU -7 44.5 10172034 U UK Q1 21–13
2026 · Week 7
 VAN -5.5 48.5 7284952 Q3 ARK Q2 31–21
2026 · Week 7
 BAY -3.5 50.5 7132323 U TCU Q1 17–6
2026 · Week 7
 USF -20.5 46.5 2121931 U USF Q4 2–29
2026 · Week 7
 UL -3 49.5 7193239 U UL Q1 6–33
2026 · Week 7
 TLSA -3.5 47.5 7384155 Q4 TLSA Q2
Late over
 38–17
2026 · Week 7
 UGA -19.5 50.5 21313851 Q4 AUB Q1
Late over
 27–24
2026 · Week 7
 ALA -7.5 50.5 9222936 U TENN Q1 10–26
2026 · Week 7
 TTU -16.5 50.5 28536078 Q2 TTU Q2 25–53
2026 · Week 7
 DUKE -3 46.5 10242744 U UNC Q1 24–20
2026 · Week 7
 MICH -6 43.5 331739 U PSU Q4 18–21
2026 · Week 7
 AFA -1.5 49.5 3304472 Q4 AFA Q4 31–41
2026 · Week 7
 TOL -7.5 51.5 10384848 U TOL Q1 34–14
2026 · Week 7
 M-OH -9.5 47.5 14244148 Q4 M-OH Q2 14–34
2026 · Week 7
 TEM -17.5 47.5 14214269 Q4 CLT Q1 38–31
2026 · Week 7
 BUFF -6.5 43.5 1023303643 U BUFF OT
Late cover flip
 18–25
2026 · Week 7
 OSU -3 49.5 3172034 U OSU Q3 19–15
2026 · Week 7
 TEX -13.5 51.5 10273451 U FLA Q1 27–24
2026 · Week 7
 SMU -10 51.5 3232936 U Push 13–23
2026 · Week 7
 NU -7.5 50.5 10242745 U MSU Q1 24–21
2026 · Week 7
 BGSU -6 46.5 320274863 Q4 BALL Q1
Late over
 32–31
2026 · Week 7
 PUR -3 50.5 10414464 Q4 WASH Q1 38–26
2026 · Week 7
 APP -1.5 48.5 21385267 Q3 APP Q3 35–32
2026 · Week 7
 ECU -5.5 49.5 717233447 U UAB Q3
Late cover flip Lead lost
 17–30
2026 · Week 7
 GASO -3 44.5 14233038 U GASO Q2 23–15
2026 · Week 7
 JXST -3 44.5 21344851 Q3 Push
Late cover flip
 24–27
2026 · Week 7
 DEL -1.5 49.5 8284963 Q4 MTSU Q3
Late cover flip Lead lost
 30–33
2026 · Week 6
 BOIS -8.5 48.5 28454869 Q4 FRES Q1 38–31
2026 · Week 6
 ASU -20.5 51.5 10233042 U HAW Q1 12–30
2026 · Week 6
 JMU -7 51.5 10163051 U GASO Q4
Late cover flip
 27–24
2026 · Week 6
 UTAH -15.5 49.5 14385165 Q3 UTAH Q4 24–41
2026 · Week 6
 MINN -2.5 48.5 10234054 Q4 PUR Q1 13–41
2026 · Week 6
 ALA -2.5 51.5 3243437 U UGA Q3 20–17
2026 · Week 6
 UVA -14 49.5 14243153 Q4 SYR Q1
Late over
 25–28
2026 · Week 6
 AFA -7 48.5 7213535 U AFA Q3 28–7
2026 · Week 6
 LT -3 48.5 0233763 Q4 UL Q3
Lead lost
 31–32
2026 · Week 6
 LSU -9.5 50.5 1738415469 Q4 UK Q1
Lead lost
 34–35
2026 · Week 6
 NEV -10 48.5 7203043 U NEV Q3 30–13
2026 · Week 6
 NDSU -3 47.5 7141720 U UNLV Q1 7–13
2026 · Week 6
 TENN -13.5 51.5 072441 U ARK Q1 24–17
Final score is away–home. Points by quarter are combined points at the end of each quarter; the highlighted one is when the over cashed.Show 1,292

When was the cover settled?

From the end of that quarter on, the side covering never changed
Q1 51% 658
Q2 15% 199
Q3 15% 197
Q4 17% 214
OT 1% 11
Push 1% 13
The team leading at halftime won 82% and covered 71% of 1,195 games
The team leading after 3 quarters won 87% and covered 74% of 1,223 games

Going into the 4th quarter

Points the game still needed after 3 quarters, and how often it got there
Points neededGamesWent over
Already over226100% 226
1–38694% 81
4–714683% 121
8–1010271% 72
11–1414458% 83
15–1711041% 45
18–2115123% 35
22+3275% 17
Quarter scores from ESPN for the past four seasons; closing lines from the ESPN odds feed. Timing is to the quarter: an over that cashed with 10 seconds left in the 3rd counts as Q3. “Settled” means the team covering at the end of that quarter covered the closing spread at the end, with no change in between. Last 5 minutes (4th quarter, plus overtime) compares the score with 5:00 left, from ESPN scoring plays, with the final. History, not a prediction: none of this has shown an edge against the market.