College Basketball betting can be a little tricky for sports bettors during the NCAA Tournament in the middle of March. Many college basketball bettors begin to bet college basketball once football season is over and that is the time when conference play begins. Most college basketball teams have been competing against conference opponents since the first week of January. In the first round of March Madness bettors are looking at 32 games involving teams with possible no head to head meetings to reference when handicapping for a winning side or total. In essence we have 32 non-conference games in the first round and 16 in the second round before the possibility of teams within the same conference competing against one another during the NCAA Tournament. For this reason it can be very challenging for sports bettors to find a winner and avoid the trap of simply betting on a team because the betting public is either familiar with the coach or program.
There are some key statistical categories to look at when handicapping the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. In the first round it’s always a best practice to look at recent form. Historically teams who have performed poorly down the stretch of the season after success in the beginning have been eliminated early. Look to bet against teams who have dropped seven to eight of their last 10 games. These teams often enter the tournament based on a good non-conference record and the strength of their conference. Another stat to look at is free throw percentage. Betting favorites who can’t make their free throws will have a difficult time covering the point spread. Teams who are behind and facing elimination are often desperate and will begin fouling in the final two minutes to extend the game in hopes of drawing closer to their opponent. It’s a very good practice to look at free throw percentage and specifically key on the ball handlers who most likely will find themselves on the charity stripe in the final minutes.
Another stat for the sports betting public to research is defensive field goal percentage. Good defensive teams know how to stop the dribble and avoid easy buckets. A sound defense will take teams far during March Madness. Look for teams who can defend the paint, which will force their opponent to shoot more difficult shots. Part of defending the paint is rebounding the basketball. Teams who are good on the defensive board will avoid giving up easy points around the basket.
Experience is something professional bettors will look for when backing teams in college basketball’s NCAA Tournament. There is tremendous pressure on these 18-22 year old athletes to perform on the big stage of March Madness and mature teams are most likely to handle it better. College Basketball teams from major conference will lose scorers to the NBA early. That will force coaches to replace their top scores with less experience players. Teams loaded with senior talent can go far during the NCAA Tournament. Often times teams from the smaller conferences who have early success during March Madness will be tagged as the Cinderella team during the college basketball tournament. Professional bettors have already identified such teams heading into March Madness. That’s because teams from mid major conferences will not have their impact players leave school early for the NBA. This allows the mid major NCAA Tournament teams to sport several seniors on the court and in turn will produce a long run during March Madness.
Another thing for the sports betting public to consider is the size and strength of each team. Many early round games involve the top teams from college basketball facing teams from very small conferences. There is a tremendous size and strength advantage for the bigger programs in the first round and sports bettors will look to bet on the heavy favorite who has scoring production from their forward and center position in the paint. Such teams can win by wide margins because of their height and strength advantage will allow them to position themselves for easy baskets.
The NCAA college basketball tournament is a very exciting event. Professional bettors look at this event as just another sporting event to bet on and don’t get caught up in all the hype and hysteria that goes on during the media presentation of this tournament. Professional sports bettors will always follow the best practices when handicapping the NCAA March Madness Tournament.
Author: Tony Tellez
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Canada duty