How To Make Winning College Basketball Picks

10 Winning Tips on Making College Basketball Picks

College basketball picks can offer sports bettors a solid stream of income for a good five months. With over 300 Division I teams in 32 conferences, there are plenty of value-based bets to make. But sports bettors need to do the work and stay focused on the college basketball season. Here are 10 tips for making winning college basketball picks.

Be sure to start focusing on the college basketball season long before any odds are posted. Stay tuned-in throughout the year and once the preview publications hit the newsstands in late summer-early fall make it a primary focus. Read up on conferences, teams, players and coaches. Consider changes in rosters, how many upperclassmen are coming back and any new impact players, whether they are transfers or freshmen. This is the time to get a feel for what may happen during the season.

Before you place a bet you must do your matchups, check for any roster changes, whether they be related to injury or suspension and for recent performances in the last three to four games. Is one team on the skids after a hot start? Is a young team starting to find a way to win and really gelling? Is there controversy getting in the way of a club’s success? Is there a major mismatch on the court that will favor one team or a playing style that will help put one club over the top? Use the latest information.

Look to college basketball odds that are published early called overnights. These tend to be soft and they can offer great value if you do your homework. As the time towards tipoff progresses, lines will stiffen up, making it tougher for you to make winning college basketball picks. Also check for reduced vig going into the weekend or on early lines. Sportsbooks are always offering unique perks to try and get action at their establishment and this is one of the more common ones you should be taking advantage of. By doing so your risk is lowered by 50% as you pay -105 on each bet and not -110.

Teams that have great foul shooting and tough defenses often find a way to win or to at least stay in the game. Consider a motivated home underdog that matches up well with their opponent and has these attributes.

Try to foresee when that powerhouse team is ready to throw in a clinker and finally be defeated. Chances are it won’t be at the start of the season but somewhere in the middle to late part. It may be at the hands of a conference opponent but it may end up being one of the weaker ones. Teams that have been playing great ball and go up against an inferior opponent will often come in expecting to win, will play a complacent game and see victory slip away. Betting against teams in the situation can be a very profitable endeavor.

The road can take its toll on a college basketball team so pay attention to those road trips. A team that has been away for two games and won both and is about to play a third one as a visitor could be mailing it in and primed for a loss.

By the way, a great team that gets humiliated probably won’t let that happen two games straight. The early line on their next game may have them as favorites but by a lower spread than you might expect. A focused favorite is the best bet in sports. Take that wager if you see it.

Betting on the second-half of a college basketball game can be a good venture. If a top team played a bad first half and they are a lot better than the opponent that’s besting them, consider taking the underachiever in the second half. Chances are they will turn it on and score more than their opponents. This is an especially good bet if the second half spread is low. Second half spreads must be posted quickly and that gives the sharp college basketball bettor a solid edge.

The college basketball season is long. As it gets into January some good teams will hit some bumps in the road. Conference play has started and in many leagues the competition can get very intense. That team that was hammering nonconference opponents may lose three or four of their conference games. Look for teams that are over rated and over priced due to how they performed against nonconference opponents. Bet against them. Also, as you get into February, you’ll notice that some clubs will have given up and others will be tired. Again, look for these vulnerable teams and soft spreads that you can exploit.

Finally, consider using a professional college basketball handicapper with a good track record and plenty of seasons in the business. In the long run, a college basketball pick service can help you win some of the tighter games and will connect you with games you may not have considered. They won’t be right all of the time, but they should be correct enough for you to make money on your college basketball picks.

Utilize the college basketball tips in this article to enhance your ability to make winning picks. This NCAA Basketball season offers great betting opportunities, and if a handicapper stays connected, they can make cash on a steady basis. But in order to do so, they must pay attention to the changing fortunes of teams, stats and matchups. Making winning college basketball picks is a daily process.