March is on and with it comes betting. March is the beginning of the brackets and office pool frenzy that lasts over an entire month.
The madness begins with the various conference tournaments that take place in the first two weeks of March. All Division One basketball teams are attempting to win their conference tournament, and earn a trip to the big dance. Betting on conference tournaments can be just as fun as betting on the NCAA Tournament. One strategy to consider with conference tournaments is taking future bets on certain teams. Sports books will put out odds for each conference tournament. In this case, consider taking talented teams that may have underperformed throughout the regular season, but will now try to salvage their last chance at making the NCAA Tournament. There is a decent opportunity that a team like this will get hot and win their conference tournament, thus equaling a substantial payout.
When the conference tournaments wrap up, it comes time for the real fun. Making the NCAA Tournament is a goal that all Division One teams set out to accomplish at the beginning of the season. The teams that make it are being rewarded for their stellar season. That being said, the conditions and atmosphere around the games are much different than the regular season. The teams have less time to prepare, and are almost always playing an opponent that is completely unfamiliar to them. This is what leads to the Madness. The potential for upsets is much greater, as the crowd will typically back the lower seeded team, and lower seeded teams typically have experience in winning big games.
So how do you pick an upset? Upsets will provide you with a better payout if you wager on the moneyline. You may get odds on 13-seed vs a 4-seed at +350. Before selecting a moneyline upset, take a look at the point spread of the game. If it appears much closer than what the seeding matchup should suggest, there is a good opportunity that this game will be an upset. For example, if a 4-seeded team playing a 13-seeded team is only a 2-5 point favorite, an upset could be on the horizon. The odds makers are telling us that this game will be close, despite the difference of seeding. At this point, consider taking the underdog with the moneyline, to collect a pretty decent payout.
You will find several situations like this throughout the first round of the tournament that is famous for upsets. If you are able to hit just one or two, there is an opportunity to be on the plus side of things. There are plenty of games to choose from, so be selective and make sure to know the teams that you will wager on. Filling out a bracket is always fun as well, as most sports books will offer some sort of contest for the tournament.
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