College basketball season began on November 7th, and you don’t want to miss out on any more opportunities to place a winning bet. There’s no limit to the amount you can win.
But if you’re not familiar with college basketball betting, these tips will help you get started.
How to Bet on College Basketball
There are several ways you can place college basketball bets, including online. You can also do so at a sportsbook. If neither of these options appeals to you, take advantage of sports betting apps that allow you to place wagers on your phone.
Most betting sites offer odds for games around the country. There are plenty of betting options available wherever you may be located.
Most sportsbooks accept wagers on individual games and various team props within each matchup.
Types of Bets
There are many bets you can make on college basketball. These include moneyline, point spread, and over/under betting. Keep reading for the rundown on each type of wager.
1. Moneyline
A moneyline bet is a straight bet on the winner of a game. The team that is assigned the favorite will have negative odds.
The sportsbook will assign the other team the title of the underdog. Their odds are positive.
Let’s say Kentucky’s team has -110. You will need to risk $110 to win $100 back if they win their respective game.
If a team has +110 odds, you would have to risk $100 to win $110 back when the team is successful.
2. Point Spread
The most common wager in sports betting is point spread betting. The gambler bets on whether one team or player will win by a certain amount of points.
Let’s say you want to make a $100 bet on Duke vs Virginia Tech. If Duke is favored by 7 points, this would mean that Duke would need to beat Virginia Tech by 8 points or more for your $100 wager to be successful.
3. Over/Under
Over/under betting is a wager on the total number of points scored by both teams in a game. The oddsmakers set the over/under amount. You must predict whether the total points scored by both teams will be higher or lower than the set number.
4. Futures
Futures mean you’re betting on the outcome of a game or season. You can bet that your favorite team will win the championship, or even make it to the NCAA Tournament. If they do, you’ll win the bet.
5. Parlays
Parlays combine multiple individual bets into one larger wager. You’ll make several straight-up bets on different teams. If all of them win, you get paid out at the odds for the entire parlay.
If one of your bets is incorrect, you lose the bet. This is true even if all of your other wagers were correct.
Tips for College Basketball Betting
When making college basketball bets, it’s best to only bet on teams that you’re familiar with. You don’t want to bet on a team because they had a good season last year or because they have one amazing player.
Instead, make sure that you’ve watched enough games from each team. That way, you can feel confident about their abilities before placing a wager.
Don’t focus on streaks or slumps either. Just because one team went undefeated for four games doesn’t mean they’ll be able to keep it up throughout the entire season.
Injuries happen frequently during sports seasons as well. Even if someone is injured early in the season, it doesn’t mean that they won’t play later on.
Here are some other basketball betting tips to keep in mind.
Set a Budget
When you’re betting on college basketball, the best way to avoid going into debt is to set a budget.
You can do this by calculating how much money you have available to spend. Then, subtract all your expenses. The total is how much money will be left over for your betting hobby.
Once you calculate that number, make sure that none of your bets are going outside of your budget. If they are, then consider cutting back on some of those bets.
There’s also another way to set your budget. You can use percentages instead of actual dollar amounts. This will allow for fluctuations.
You might have earned money in a recent bet. With a budget based on percentages, this money will be available for you to use for other bets.
Free College Basketball Picks
Beginner bettors can benefit from free picks. This site offers free betting advice for all levels of sports bettors.
Websites even offer premium packages if you feel like spending a little money on your picks.
Home Team
The home team always has an advantage over the away team.
The crowd plays a huge role in influencing players’ emotions during the game. Playing at home can help with motivation and confidence. This might be the push a team needs to win the game.
The home team is also more familiar with their surroundings and playing conditions. This makes them more comfortable. They know where to stand on the court and how to take advantage of their environment.
Teams may even have better records than their opponents because they play on their own courts.
Track Your Bets
You’re going to make a lot of bets, so it’s essential to track your wins and losses. It will help you keep track of your bankroll, and also give you an idea of how well-informed your picks are.
You can keep track in a spreadsheet or on an app like Excel. Some sportsbooks offer their own tracking systems that automatically import data from the site.
Besides analyzing your betting success, tracking can also help you identify which teams have been hot this season. Tracking provides an easy way to compare different teams’ records head-to-head over particular periods.
Look at the Players’ Stats
To find the best betting opportunity, you need to look at both teams’ stats.
Check their roster and see how many players are returning from last year. This will give you an idea of how good the team was last year. It can also signal how much better or worse a team might be this year.
Look at a team’s current stats this season as well. You’ll get an idea of where they stand right now. Compare a team’s current stats to their opponent’s and see which team is better.
Use this information to determine if the teams are evenly matched or if one is dominant over the other.
Checking the roster will also help identify any recent trends that could affect future results. Things like injuries and suspensions can affect a team’s performance. You’ll want to keep an eye on the injury report and make sure that both teams are at full strength before placing your bets.
Consider Live Betting
If you want to watch the game as you bet on it, then live betting is a great option. You’ll have access to real-time stats and scores. This allows you to make adjustments in your betting strategy if necessary.
Avoid Parlays
While parlays offer the highest payout, they also come with the highest risk. The idea behind parlay betting is that everything will work out according to plan. However, as a spectator and bettor, you know that this isn’t always the case.
If any of the items in your parlay lose, then you’ll lose everything. This is why it’s best to avoid parlays for sports betting. Wait until you have more betting experience to participate in parlays.
Research the Coaches
The coach of a team is one of the most important people at a sporting event. They make all the decisions on how to play and what plays to run on offense or defense. If you want to be successful at betting, then it’s important that you understand how coaches think when they’re preparing for an upcoming game.
Can Anyone Bet On College Basketball?
Nearly every sportsbook offers college basketball betting. It’s legal for US citizens to bet on college basketball. However, some states restrict gamblers from betting on their home team.
Check your state’s guidelines before placing your bet.
In most states, the minimum age for betting on NCAA games is 21. Montana, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Washington have a minimum betting age of 18.
Place Smart Bets
College basketball betting is a fun way to get invested in the sport. You can bet on an online sportsbook and use free college basketball picks to give yourself an advantage. Our sports and outdoors section contains articles on all kinds of sports, including college basketball. Read some of our articles and get ready for the big game.
