From mid-November right through the madness of March, sports bettors all over the country have a golden opportunity to build their bankroll betting on college basketball. To get started, all you need to do is set up a betting account at any of the featured online sportsbooks at SportsBettingStats.com. The next step is to gain a better understanding of how to bet on the college game.
Just like the pro game in the NBA, the primary way to bet a college basketball game is through the use of a “point spread”. Oddsmakers use a point spread as a way to level the playing field in any particular matchup. Contrary to popular belief, a spread does not pertain to a predicted margin of victory, rather it is designed to even out the money that is bet on either side of a basketball game. That is why many times you will see a point spread move one way or the other after it has been released. This is the sportsbook’s way of trying to steer bettors to a particular side based on the early money that has already come in.
The main thing to remember about college basketball point spreads is they are not as nearly as sharp as the betting lines for NBA games since there are far more variables that can affect the outcome of a game at this level. While the betting public is fixated on betting favorites, many times at the college level the true value in the point spread for a game is with the underdog, especially when they are playing on their home court.
Another popular way to bet on college basketball is through the “total line”. This betting line reflects the projected total combined score of both teams in a matchup and you have to bet whether the actual total score stays UNDER that number or goes OVER. Given the large number of schools that have a Division I basketball program, there can be a wide range of lows and highs when it comes to betting lines for totals. There are hard-nosed defensive-minded coaching strategies where the goal is to keep scoring to a minimum. Other programs take a wide-open approach to their playing strategy which, in turn, often leads to a high scoring affair. You really need to gain a thorough understanding of each team’s style of play in a particular matchup when betting total lines.
While they are not as prevalent as they are in the NBA, sportsbooks will offer money line betting odds for college basketball. This is a head-to-head matchup where a team has to win the game straight-up for the money line bet to pay offs. The way that oddsmakers even things out is by forcing you to risk more money than your original bet to take the favorite, while enticing you with more money than your original bet to take the underdog. The higher the money line the bigger the mismatch on the court.
If you are looking for a way to generate a bigger payout than just betting on a single game, most sportsbooks will allow you to create a multiple team “parlay” of bets. A parlay can range from two games tied together all the way to 10 or 11 depending on the individual sportsbook. While the payouts on multi-team parlays are higher starting with 13/5 betting odds for a two-team parlay, always keep in mind that you need to win every game in order to cash-in. The one exception is if a game ends in a tie with the point spread. That game is then considered a PUSH and the rest of the games included in the parlay remain in play.
You can also bet futures and props in college basketball as a way to add even more action to the games or the season as a whole. One of the most popular futures bets is which team wins that season’s national title, while a good example of a prop is which player wins the Most Outstanding Player award in March’s annual NCAA Tournament.
Be sure to check-out the NCAAB section on the SportsBettingStats.com home page for some insider tips and strategies for betting on the games.
