How to Bet March Madness

March Madness means excitement. Monster dunks, buzzer beaters, pressure packed moments, big upsets and bonifide Cinderellas. Sports betting just doesn't get any better than this time of year. Betting on the the Conference Tournaments and the Big Dance itself what it's all about. Last week we looked at a fewMarch Betting Tips and I wanted to follow up on that and offer a few more suggestions as you get ready to bet on college hoops at this time of year.

Betting on Hoops? Do Your Homework

It should be said that basketball is much easier to handicap than football. There are less variables, fewer impact players, no weather issues and tons of scoring takes the emphasis off of one big play. Basketball schedules are less intimidating, games are more plentiful and in Tournament season there is plenty of time to handicap the opening rounds. Use this time wisely and do your homework. Which players are injured? Who is returning? Which teams are hot? What are the Tournament trends? Which players are hot and cold and how do these teams do in their appointed matchups?

ATS Records key Best Bets

One area that is most often overlooked is a team’s ATS record (results against the spread). Basically, you can get good insight of a teams performance in relation to public perception by studying a team’s ATS record. A team might have an excellent overall win/loss record - they might even be undefeated - but bad ATS record means that team is not winning by as many points as bettors expect. It's not uncommon with really good teams because the casual bettor (which is the lions share of the betting marketplace) loves to bet on favorites. Teams that rarely lose are popular for square bettors, who in turn drive the price up to a point so that the spread ends up higher than the actual talent gap between the two teams warrants.

If you dedicate just a little bit of time studying ATS records before the tournaments begin you will find a few gems in there - public favorites that simple do not cover the spread very often.

Favorites who are now Underdogs

As the Conference Tournaments end and we move on to the Big Dance, you have to be careful moving to the second round. Most of the teams in the big tournament have been winning all year and were likely favored in most of their games. As the tournaments progress, most of these teams will be playing better opposition and find themselves in the unfamiliar roll of the underdog. It's important to know how each team has done both straight up and against the spread in any previous games they might have played as an underdog. This helps identify teams both either thrive or fold when facing better talent.

Home Sweet Home

One more final tip, make sure and check your geography. These tournaments are played at neutral sites but often teams, especially the lower seeds, get to play close to home and occasionally even on home court. Team who play close to home travel less and attract more fans. Essentially, it's a home game in this case. That's no small edge considering the home team advantage in college basketball is currently 3 1/2 points.

Remember, do your homework, practice sound money management, and be sure to bet only what you can afford!

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#basketball #handicapping

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