NCAA Handicapping Tips

Handicapping Tips for NCAA Basketball Betting

When it comes to NCAA basketball betting, you can go two different routes:

1) Rely on somebody else's handicapping service.
2) Handicap your own college basketball games.

The first option can be good for those who want action on games, yet don't have the time or desire to do their own research. However, the problem with depending upon somebody else is that they might not really be that good of a handicapper. And if they are accurate when predicting a game's outcome, you'll probably have to spend money to view their picks.

Assuming you are pretty serious about NCAA basketball betting, doing your own handicapping is always a good idea. By doing your own research, you can place bets with a fair amount of confidence. And as your skills improve, you might start earning some profits too! Keeping this in mind, let's look at a few NCAA basketball handicapping tips.

1. Look Deeper into the Stats

Anybody can look up stats such as Against the Spread (ATS) records, home/away records, points scored and points allowed. However, what truly fuels handicapping success is the willingness to go beyond just the basic stats.

So rather than simply looking at how many points a team allows - which can be artificially inflated due to playing style - you should be check out team field goal defense and turnovers forced. Any team which can force turnovers and bad shots has a great chance at success every game. That said, always take a deeper look at the key stats.

2. Become a Conference Expert

One piece of NCAA basketball betting advice that we always stress at GTBets involves focusing on one or two conferences. The simple reason why is because this enables you to become an expert on a small number of teams and discover their strengths and weaknesses.

To illustrate an example of this, let's say that you're interested in Big Ten basketball betting. Well you could then start learning everything you can about these 12 teams before the season starts and also watch as many in-season games as you can. Once conference play starts, you'll really have a good feel for how the teams stack up against each other.

3. Beware of Big-Time Matchups

In theory, handicapping the highly-touted college basketball matchups is easier than mid-major and smaller Division I games. For example, if you're into ACC basketball betting and look at Duke vs. North Carolina, there's going to be more pre-game information and coverage available.

But the thing to understand here is that much of the betting public will be researching these games too, meaning soft lines are harder to find. So while it's perfectly alright to wager on big games, you'll often find more value in mid-major and small conference Division I games.

4. Stay Current on the Season

A common tendency among many college basketball bettors is to get really excited at the beginning of the season and do lots of research. Then, as the season progresses, these bettors will study their picks less and less as the luster wears off.

However, if you want to be successful year-round, it's important to consistently research specific teams and conferences. By staying current on the season, you'll know who's hot, which players are slumping, who's playing well on the road, etc.

5. Don't be afraid to pass on a Game

Many bettors start studying a matchup and think that this locks them into wagering on it. But if you're not comfortable with how you handicapped a certain game, there's no shame in walking away. Some contests are just difficult to handicap, whether it's due to a lack of history in the matchup, or because two teams feature vastly different styles. So if you're in doubt, just pass on the game and begin studying another one.

The aforementioned tips should certainly give you a boost when it comes to handicapping NCAA basketball games. And with a lot of work and experience, you can become a successful bettor who hauls in profits!