Futures odds differ from daily sports betting lines in that you are typically not wagering on an upcoming specific game, but rather a long-term, often season-long event, usually on how many overall games a particular team will win.

For example, before the College Football season starts, the sportsbooks will post a projected win total for almost every major team. Bettors wager either Over or Under the total, much like they would for an individual game. For example, you might see a "10.5" next to Ohio State. This means the sportsbooks are predicting that Ohio State will win 10.5 games this year. Obviously, it is impossible for a team to win half of a game, so if you like the 'Over,' you are predicting Ohio State will win 11 or more games. If you like the Under, that means you are betting Ohio State will win 10 or fewer games.

These kinds of futures odds can typically only be wagered on prior to the start of a season.