College Basketball Betting Tips
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- Ncaa College Basketball Betting Tips
- College Basketball Public Betting
- Ncaa Basketball Betting Picks
- Tips On Betting College Basketball
- Ncaa Basketball Betting Tips Freepik
College basketball is one of the most complicated sports to bet on, especially early in the regular season. The good news? This difficulty means that if you do your homework, you can get a huge advantage over the rest of the sports gambling public.
College basketball betting presents a unique challenge when compared to pro sports or even college football.
There are many helpful tips that can help college basketball betting be a profitable endeavor. Here are a few of those tips. Use caution with spreads and totals early in the season. With teams breaking in new players or even coaches, it is best to exercise some restraint early in a new season. Yes, I know this one is obvious. But, if you’re being honest with yourself, how many times.
The reason is that roster turnover is so high among top-tier programs as game-changing players leave after one season for the NBA.
Also, players who feel as if they aren’t being given a chance to perform will transfer. These moves completely change the landscape of each conference, every year. While casual fans might be more interested in wagering on the marquee games, there’s plenty of money to be made in the “mid-major” conference arena as well.
In this article, I’ll dive into a few things to take into consideration before placing a bet on a college basketball game early in the season.
1. Recruiting
Ncaa College Basketball Betting Tips
Yes, I know this one is obvious. But, if you’re being honest with yourself, how many times have you evaluated a team’s recruiting class before betting on a game?
Early in the season, teams are typically still figuring out how to mesh with one another on the court, and talent becomes extremely important when all else breaks down.
One player has the ability to take over a game in the closing minutes and single-handedly changing the outcome.
Do a little digging and do your best to find out which team has the best player. While this might not be enough to make you choose a lesser team over a superior team, if you’re on the fence and all other things seem equal, go with the talent every time.
2. Check Returning Starters
As I mentioned earlier, there’s a huge amount of roster turnover from year-to-year among the country’s top teams. That means there’s a huge opportunity for teams that are returning multiple starters to capitalize against teams who are playing together for the first time.
When you’re comparing two teams without much historical data from the current season, check out how the current roster performed in the previous year.
A great stat to get this information is the minutes-per-game played the year before. Teams with several players who averaged 15 or more minutes-per-game in the previous year should be considered “experienced” if you’re looking to check the box.
It might seem like sportsbooks will account for this information, but this is a great time to remind you that the public moves the odds. Vegas might have the inside info, but the public often bets without doing the necessary research.
3. Coaching Matters
College basketball is known for its legendary coaches. Coach K, Bill Self, John Calipari, Roy Williams, the list goes on. These coaches have a tremendous impact on young teams and can be the difference between a win and a loss when two evenly-matched teams play each other.
Early in the year, players have a tendency to try to overperform in an attempt to assert themselves to their teammates and the rest of the country. Unfortunately, this can backfire if they aren’t reigned in.
Coaches who have a historical appeal to athletes seem to have more success in calming players down and getting them to play within the system that has proved successful over the years.
If it seems like the majority of the top teams usually go half the season undefeated or with only one loss, it’s because that’s accurate.
While there’s no question that it’s important to consider coaching all season long, it has a particularly high impact in the early going before players have had a chance to get comfortable. If all else seems equal, go with the team who has the better head coach.
4. Play the Odds
This isn’t necessarily specific to the early part of the season, but it’s especially important because you can get a big advantage over the public when information is still relatively limited.
Typically, the public tends to bet on favorites. It makes sense, when you really break it down, it’s betting on the better team. Don’t fall into this trap! Tremendous value can be found in betting on underdogs, especially on the moneyline.
If the game is between an experienced underdog and an inexperienced favorite, pulling the trigger on a few of those underdogs could prove profitable.
Keep in mind that your goal is to grow your bankroll, not necessarily to win games. If you’re able to win five or six games at around +200 to +150, it’ll leave you in the green even if you lose more than 50% of your games.
5. Look for Trap Games
Most good teams spend the early part of their season playing teams that qualify more as a warm-up than real competition. That means players can easily get caught looking ahead to better opponents and slip up during a game that should be an easy win.
Trap games are a phenomenon that can be seen throughout all sports at all levels. The idea is that teams overlook certain games because an upcoming (or theoretically, a past) game has their attention. Right before conference play begins, many teams have proven to be particularly susceptible to losing against inferior opponents.
When you’re breaking down a game and deciding which way you want to bet, check out each team’s schedule and look at when the next “big” game is for each team. If they’ve played a string of bad or average teams but their following game is a big one, consider going the other way.
Don’t forget about the trap game theory as the season continues because it’s a useful consideration throughout the season. It just happens more often in the early going as teams haven’t yet played consistently good competition.
College Basketball Public Betting
6. Don’t Neglect Small Conference Teams
The top-tier programs are the ones who get hit hardest by the NBA and transferring each year. For teams with no NBA prospects or transfers, there’s a unique amount of consistency from year to year.
The difficulty with betting on college basketball early in the season is that you simply don’t know what you’re getting with most teams.
However, smaller conference teams have a better track record of returning players from the year before.
If you’re able to find a matchup between two smaller conference teams that each returned the majority of their players, you can get a much better feel for the game.
It’s always prudent to get to know the small conference teams. Sportsbooks make their money on games with a lot of action, so if you’re smart, you can capitalize on games that are largely being ignored by the public.
Conclusion
Ncaa Basketball Betting Picks
While most bettors look forward to making their money during the tournament, you can be profitable on the other end of the season with these tips. Remember, much is unknown early in the year, so it’s crucial to do the necessary research to give yourself an edge over the public.
Game: Ole Miss Rebels vs South Carolina Gamecocks
Date: Saturday, February 13, 2021
Location: Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, SC
TV: SECN
Odds/Point Spread: Ole Miss (-1.5)
Tips On Betting College Basketball
The South Carolina Gamecocks (5-8) host the Ole Miss Rebels (11-8) at Colonial Life Arena on Saturday. South Carolina opens this game as 1.5-point underdogs. The O/U opens at 137.
Ole Miss will take the court with a mark of 11-8 on the year. They are turning it over 13.7 times per contest and as a basketball team are committing 17.3 personal fouls on a nightly basis. As a unit, Ole Miss is snagging 36.5 boards per contest and has 246 assists this year, which ranks 115th in D-1 in terms of passing the ball. The Rebels are shooting 28.5% on three-point attempts (102 of 358) and 67.6% from the charity stripe. They are averaging 69.7 pts per game (224th in the country) while shooting 44.6% from the floor. When they are on defense, the Rebels are able to force 16.7 turnovers every game and they draw 17.3 personal fouls. The Rebels defense is giving up a field goal percentage of 42.3% (421 of 995) and they relinquish 32.3 boards per game as a basketball team. They currently rank 247th in college basketball in allowing assists with 243 relinquished this season. They are surrendering 37.3% on 3-point attempts while they are 32nd in college basketball in PPG allowed (63.2).
The Ole Miss Rebels stepped onto the hardwood against the Missouri Tigers and walked away with a win by a score of 80-59 in their last game. Ole Miss finished the game with a 56.9% field goal percentage (29 of 51) and converted 8 out of their 21 shots from beyond the perimeter. From the charity stripe, the Rebels converted 14 of 17 shots for a percentage of 82.4%. When talking about grabbing rebounds, they collected 31 with 7 of them being on the offensive end. They also dished out 21 assists for the matchup in addition to earning 9 steals and 3 blocked shots. Pertaining to the defense, Ole Miss allowed their opponent to shoot 56.9% from the field on 29 out of 51 shooting. Missouri recorded 15 dimes and had 6 steals in this contest. In addition, the Tigers had 15 boards (3 offensive, 12 defensive) and added 3 blocks. Missouri went 33.3% when shooting free throws by making 5 of their 15 tries. They made 8 of 19 shots from beyond the perimeter.
Jarkel Joiner is someone who was important in this contest. He ended up with 21 points on 8 of 14 shooting. He played for 36 mins played and totaled 3 boards. Joiner ended up going 57.1% from the field and also totaled 3 assists. One more player that played a role in the matchup for the Rebels was Devontae Shuler. He pulled down 2 boards and earned 3 assists. He ended up going 41.7% from the floor for the matchup by going 5-of-12 (15 points). When this game wrapped up, Shuler was on the court for 35 min.
Ncaa Basketball Betting Tips Freepik
South Carolina has a record of 5-8 for the season. When it comes to offense, the Gamecocks are connecting on 42.6% from the floor, which ranks them 256th in the nation. South Carolina has accumulated 963 pts on the year (74.1 per contest) and they grab 37.4 rebounds per contest. They are dishing out assists 13.7 times per contest (147th in the nation) and they lose possession via turnover 15.5 times per contest. The Gamecocks have committed 19.2 fouls every game and they shoot 63.8% from the free throw line. The Gamecocks on defense are ranked 291st in Division 1 in points given up per game with 75.9. They have given up 14.0 dimes and 37.1 total rebounds per game, which has them ranked 248th and 268th in those categories. The South Carolina defense concedes 34.3% on 3-point shots (102 of 297) and their opposition knocks down 75.1% of their shots from the charity stripe. They are forcing 16.9 TO's every game and have let teams shoot 44.1% from the field (216th in college hoops).
When they last stepped on the court, the South Carolina Gamecocks took a loss by a final score of 81-78 when they faced the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Gamecocks earned 20 defensive boards and 12 offensive boards for a total of 32 in this game. They stuffed 7 tries while recording 12 steals for the game. The Crimson Tide had 19 fouls in this game which got the Gamecocks to the free throw line for a total of 14 shots. They were able to make 8 of the free throw attempts for a percentage of 57.1%. When it comes to three-point shots, South Carolina converted 6 out of 25 tries (24.0%). In all, the Gamecocks finished 32 for 72 from the field which had them shooting 44.4%. The Gamecocks permitted the Crimson Tide to make 26 of their 68 tries from the field which left them with a rate of 38.2% in the game. They wrapped up this game 35.3% from beyond the arc by hitting 12 of 34 and finished the contest at 17 out of 20 from the free throw line (85.0%). In regard to rebounding, South Carolina allowed Alabama to grab 33 in total (14 offensive).
A.J. Lawson ended up being a factor for the Gamecocks in this game. He converted 8 out of 18 for the contest giving him a field goal percentage of 44.4%, which got him 21 points. Lawson collected 6 boards in his 32 mins and added 2 dimes for the matchup. One more player that ended being a contributor for South Carolina was Justin Minaya. He was able to score 15 points in his 38 minutes on the hardwood by way of 6 out of 12 from the floor in this contest. Minaya ended up shooting 50.0% from the floor while contributing 2 assists and 7 total rebounds.
Who will win tonight's college basketball game against the spread?
Tony Sink's Pick: Take Ole Miss (-1.5)
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