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Every year, there are almost 50 million Americans who bet on the NCAA’s “March Madness” college basketball tournament. These people place bets worth a combined $9 billion on average.
If you’re interested in getting in on the action this year, you should make sure that you’re familiar with basketball betting prior to doing it. Betting on college basketball games isn’t always as simple as just picking which teams you think are going to win.
Before you begin betting on “March Madness” games, you should find out about the intricacies of basketball betting so that you’re prepared to place your first bets. You’ll have a much better chance of winning your basketball bets when you know exactly what you’re doing.
Want to find out everything there is to know about NCAA college basketball betting? We’ve put together a beginner’s guide that will help you place your initial “March Madness” bets without any problems.
Begin by Learning the Basic Sports Betting Terms
When you first start betting on NCAA college basketball games, you’re going to hear all kinds of new sports betting terms getting tossed around. It’s going to be important for you to know what these terms mean before you begin placing bets on college basketball games.
The good news for you is that there are sports betting glossaries out there that will teach you just about everything you need to know about the various terms that you’re going to come across. You’ll be able to use them when you hear terms like:
- Action/No action
- Point spread
- Parlay
- Backdoor cover
- Pick ’em
Don’t be afraid to bookmark one of these glossaries so that you can refer back to it anytime you hear a term that you’re not familiar with. It’ll make sports betting so much less intimidating for you when you have a glossary handy.
Make Sure You Understand the Rules of College Basketball
In addition to familiarizing yourself with all of the different sports betting terms that are used on a regular basis, you’re also going to need to know at least some of the rules of college basketball when you start betting on “March Madness” games. The rules are obviously going to play a big part in whether you win or lose bets, which is why you should try to commit as many of them to memory as you can.
If you don’t know the rules of college basketball, you might get confused at the end of a game when a team that is “in the penalty” starts shooting free throws almost every time they get the ball. This could lead to what looks like a surefire betting win for you turning into a loss.
You don’t necessarily need to be an expert on the rules of college basketball. But by learning about most of the basic ones, you’ll ensure that you understand what’s going on during a game that you’ve bet on.
Find the Right Sportsbook to Take Your College Basketball Bets
Sports betting has been legalized in a bunch of different states over the course of the last few years. As a result, you should find that there is no shortage of options for you when you’re in the market for a sportsbook.
But you shouldn’t just pick the first sportsbook you can find when you’re looking around for one. Instead, you should search for a sportsbook that’s going to extend a big bonus to you when you first sign up for an account with them. You should also search for one that offers a wealth of college basketball betting options if that’s mostly what you’re going to be betting on.
Don’t be afraid to spend a week or so testing out different sportsbooks to see what each of them brings to the table. You should eventually land on one that you like more than all the rest. It’ll be the one that you use for basketball betting purposes from now on.
Check Out the Different Types of Bets You Can Place on College Basketball Games
There are a lot of people who are under the impression that the only way you can bet on college basketball games is by betting on one team to beat another.
You can place bets like this. They’re called moneyline bets and are among the most popular types of bets around. But you can also place lots of other kinds of bets if you would like.
For instance, you can place what are called point spread bets on college basketball games. These bets feature one team, known as the favorite, “giving” points to another team, known as the underdog. If you decide to place point spread bets, you’ll bet on either:
- The favorite winning by more points than they’re “giving” to the underdog
- The underdog winning outright or losing by fewer points than the number of points they’re “getting” from the favorite
It’s often very exciting placing these types of bets because you don’t just need the team that you bet on to win. You either need them to win by a certain number of points or to not lose by a certain number of points.
There are also some other types of bets you might consider making on college basketball. They include parlay bets, teaser bets, if bets, total point bets, and live bets. You’ll enjoy learning about these types of bets and seeing what they’re all about for yourself.
Educate Yourself on How Strong Different College Basketball Teams Are This Season
If you spend almost every waking minute watching college basketball games these days, then you probably already know which teams are the best teams in the country. But if you’re not someone who spends much time tuned into college basketball games, you might not be familiar with which teams are the best of the bunch.
If you fall into the latter category, you’re going to need to keep a close eye on the college basketball rankings as you inch closer to the start of “March Madness.” These rankings will give you some indication of which college basketball teams you should bet on and which you should stay far, far away from.
Do Your Homework on College Basketball Games to Find Ones That Offer the Most Value
In the days leading up to college basketball games, there are going to be betting lines released for them. These betting lines will indicate which teams are favored to beat other teams and what the point spreads and moneylines are for the games.
If you’re planning on betting on any of these games, it’s going to be your job to dig into the matchups to see what you can find out about them. You might be able to spot college basketball betting lines that offer a lot of value if you look hard enough.
When you’re analyzing a college basketball matchup, you should ask and attempt to answer questions like:
- Have these two teams played yet this season and what was the outcome?
- Have these two teams played against common opponents this season and how did each of them fare?
- What are the home/away records for these two teams?
- Do these two teams have any key injuries that could impact their play?
- Do these two teams share any kind of history that could add some excitement to their matchup? (think North Carolina vs. Duke)
Your goal is going to be to try and find any interesting nuggets that could play a role in a college basketball matchup. They could help you find betting lines that look more intriguing than they might otherwise.
Consider Turning to the Experts for Help With Basketball Betting
If you don’t have a ton of time to devote to researching college basketball matchups, we don’t blame you! Casual sports bettors don’t usually have the resources to research the heck out of “March Madness” games.
Fortunately, there are plenty of sports betting experts out there that you can turn to for help when you need it. These experts specialize in sifting through college basketball matchups to find the ones that offer the most value possible.
Check this out to see how these experts might be able to assist you. They can provide you with the basketball betting advice that you need to pick winners when you bet on sports.
Decide How Much Money You’re Going to Wager on Individual College Basketball Games
When you go to place a college basketball bet, you’re going to have to decide how big of a bet you’re going to make. Most sportsbooks will let you bet anywhere from $1 all the way up to tens of thousands of dollars.
Most people aren’t going to have a big enough bankroll to place single bets for $10,000 or more. But it might not be out of the realm of possibility for you to bet $20, $50, or even $100 or more on single college basketball games. However, you’re going to need to come up with an amount that you feel comfortable wagering on individual college basketball games before you get things going.
It’s a good idea for casual sports bettors to create a sports betting bankroll for themselves. You can do this by deciding on a lump sum that you’re going to devote to betting on college basketball and other sports. From there, you can then chop your bankroll up into smaller bet sizes that account for just a small percent of your total bankroll.
By doing this, you’ll ensure that you don’t run out of money to bet on college basketball during the first day of March Madness. It’ll allow your money to last for a longer stretch of time and give you a chance to fully immerse yourself in the NCAA college basketball betting experience.
Avoid Chasing Your College Basketball Betting Losses at All Costs
College basketball betting can be a lot of fun. But it can also drive you absolutely mad when it seems like you just can’t win a game.
No matter how much time, energy, and effort you put into betting on college basketball, there will be times when you’ll go cold and lose one bet after another. You might be tempted to respond to this by saying, “I have to win eventually!”, and placing bigger bets than usual.
Those who take this approach are said to be “chasing their losses” in an effort to get themselves back to even again. And it’s a very, very bad approach to take to betting on college basketball!
When you go cold while betting on sports, you should make it your mission to remain consistent in how much you’re betting on individual games. It’ll give you time to turn your luck around and prevent you from making an expensive mistake.
Have as Much Fun as You Possibly Can While Betting on March Madness Games
“March Madness” is supposed to be something that’s fun for those who want to learn about sports betting. It’s not supposed to be something that makes you hate the game of college basketball.
With this in mind, you should focus on having fun while betting on college basketball games. If you, at any point, find that you’re not having fun, you should stop betting right away and take a step back from things. The last thing you want to have happen is for basketball betting to ruin your “March Madness” experience.
Start Placing Bets on NCAA College Basketball Games Today
Now that you know a little bit more about college basketball betting, why not place a few bets on “March Madness” games this year? You’ll see how much more exciting college basketball can be when you begin placing bets on it.
Keep all of the tips that we’ve talked about here in the back of your mind as you bet on college basketball games. They should help to enhance your experience as a whole and put you in a position where you can win some money while watching college basketball.
Learn more about sports betting by browsing through the other informative articles found on our blog.
