Every year, college basketball offers bettors one of the best betting opportunities.
However, there are tons of teams over 30 conferences nowadays, and it can be overwhelming to start, especially if you’re new to college basketball betting. Finding a way to sort out all the games and teams can be very challenging, and we won’t blame you if you find it a little hard to take in everything.
Thankfully, basics about starting in basketball betting, like the terms you need to know, the types of bets you can wager are readily available. There are even tips on how to increase your chances of winning and the payout you receive on each win.
This guide will be broken down into smaller sections so you’ll have an easier time sorting out the information you’ll be receiving.
How Do Odds Work?
Let’s say that Michigan is favored with 7 ½ points over Indiana with 129 total points. What does this mean? If you bet on the favorite, which in Michigan, you’re going to need them to win with 8 points or more if you want to win the bet.
However, if you are willing to try your luck with the underdog, which is Indiana, for you to win, they need to lose below 7 points or straight up win the game.
Now, what does the number 129 signify? This is what we call the over. It’s on the over/under bet, in which you’ll wager how many points the game will have on the total. The oddsmaker will publish a specific amount of points and, in this case, 129 points.
If you think the total number of points will be more than 129 at the end of the game, you should bet on the over. If you think otherwise, you can bet on the under. Now that you know how the odds work let’s move on to the types of bet you can wager on in detail.
- Moneyline Bet: This bet is easy as you only have to look at the NCAA Basketball Moneyline Odds and bet on which team will win the game. It’s straightforward to learn. It’s one of the most popular types of bet too.
- Spread Betting: This bet wagers on how many points a team will win over the other or vice versa. This is an excellent bet if you think a particular team will lose the game and is only the type of bet that lets you bet on the losing team.
- Over/Under Bet: This was explained just now, so to review it, the oddsmakers will publish a specific amount of total points, and then you’ll wager if the total amount of points at the end of the game will be over or under their published number.
- Future Bet: This is a wager where you’ll bet on which team will win the tournament. This has a specific time bracket where you can’t place a future bet if the championship is near. Typically, it is placed before the season starts.
If you don’t mind waiting, this is a good bet for you to take, and it usually has a very big payout.
General Tips When Betting for Newbies
Before you go to the booths and place your bets, you have to learn some tips to maximize your winnings and minimize your losses.
The first one is to make a plan. Finding out the types of bets you want to wager in, the amount of bankroll you want to have, as well as for deciding how much money you want to wager on each bet is essential.
By following your plan, you can be smarter with your bets and minimize your losses as much as possible.
Another important thing you need to know is that information is king in sports betting. As a college basketball bettor, you need to watch the games, not just to enjoy them but also to learn.
By watching, you can find some key information like how many points a specific player gets per game, how he makes those points, or some key plays that a specific team regularly does.
You’ll also find out where people excel and struggle, which can make or break them when playing against a particular team.
And lastly, you need to find value, especially when betting against the public. Fading the public is a viable strategy in college basketball because the media often influence public perception.
When the media overhyped a particular team, the chances are that the public will rush to bet on that team. To balance the dynamic, oddsmakers will add more value to the other team, which you can take advantage of if you find the right timing.
Final Words
There are many more things you need to know when it comes to college basketball betting. However, the things mentioned above are a good way to start your research.
Not only that, there are a lot of articles out there that talk more in-depth about advanced strategies, so if you feel like you’re ready for them, you could try them out, and with all that said, happy hunting.