While professional sports leagues such as the NFL and NBA account for quite a bit of the sports betting handle that today’s top offshore sportsbooks operating online bring in, college basketball could have the widest appeal of any sport among the betting public.
Starting with nonconference play in early November right through March Madness and the quest for a national title, college basketball commands bettor’s attention over a five month span on almost a daily basis. One of the biggest reasons why betting on college basketball is so popular is its wide appeal across the entire country. With 351 teams playing Division I ball, there are a number of golden opportunities to cash in on the games each and every week during the season.
The most popular way to bet on a college basketball game is with the use of a pointspread. This is the handicapping tool that college basketball Oddsmakers use to level out the playing field (or court) between the favorite and the underdog in any matchup. Its ultimate purpose is to try and create an equal amount of betting action on each side of a game. Given the wide diversity between teams playing at the D-I level, pointspreads for college games can range from an even-up PICK in a tightly contested matchup to 30 points or more in a lopsided pairing.
You will find some of the highest pointspreads posted early in the season with every team playing a nonconference schedule. Things tend to tighten up quite a bit overall once conference play is in full swing in early January. You will also find some of the softest pointspreads posted early in the season given the rapid turnover in team rosters at the college level.
Another popular way to bet on college basketball is on the total line. This is a simple OVER/UNDER bet on the posted number for the combined score of both teams. Once again, there is a pretty wide range when it comes to the actual numbers on the board. College basketball in general generates much lower scoring totals than the NBA. While the top defensive-minded programs in the country may only average 60 points per game, the top scoring teams in the nation can average as many as 90 PPG. Using 75 points as a mean, the average total line would hover around 150 points.
To successfully win money betting college basketball totals, you not only need to understand a particular head coach’s preferred style of play (offense vs. defense), you need to know if that particular team’s roster has the right players to execute their plans.
Did you see my How to Bet on Sports | NBA Betting?
A third way to bet on college basketball is on the moneyline. With this type of bet, the Oddsmakers raise the risk for betting on the favorite while at the same time increasing the reward for betting on the underdog to pull off the straight-up upset. An example of a moneyline in a fairly close matchup might have North Carolina listed as -135 favorite against Duke as a +125 underdog.
The minus sign always designates the favorite with the plus sign identifying the underdog. Taking a $100 bet, you would win $100 on a North Carolina win, but owe $135 if the Tar Heels lose. Taking Duke for the same $100 bet, you would win $125 if the Blue Devils win and you would owe $100 if they should lose.
Any type of college basketball betting takes some added time on the bettor’s part to thoroughly breakdown any game they decide to bet on. Upsets are very common at this level, so there is money to be made betting underdogs. Scoring is rather consistent from one team to the next, so the opportunity to win money on the total line can also be rather attractive.
