College basketball is more than a pastime for many people. It has evolved into a lifestyle that surrounds people’s weekends, and at the same time, it adds an element of fun to their lives. As you might suspect, there are plenty of ways to increase your odds in predicting the winners and losers on the hardwood. That being said, here are seven practical steps that will help you make your pick with confidence!
Research the Teams Playing and Their Records
If you want to consistently access profitable college basketball picks, you need to research the teams playing and determine if they play teams with terrible records. Not necessarily bad like 3-18, but the record might be 0-10 or 1-9. The best bet is to stick with teams at a good record because they are more likely to win. If a team is 10-3 and plays an 11-3 team, then the odds are pretty good that the game will end in a victory for the favorite. The same principle applies to two 3-2 teams.
Play Against Your Streaks
Often people will bet on games where teams happen to be playing at home, and they will be the favorites. That is not without merit since most home teams win more than they lose on average, but this one does not work out as much as it usually would if you play with your system. You are more likely to lose than win with your system. If a team is 2-6 on the road and they play a team that is 2-6 at home, they will not win too often. Instead, they will lose way more often than they will win.
Do not Bet Against “Hot” Teams.
There is no need to go out of your way to find a bad game. Do not bet on one if a “hot” team is playing! Why? Heating up can be the fault of either a good team or a mediocre team getting hot. To determine which it is, look at the stats for both teams and see how reliable the stats were in previous games. If they were terrible in the past but suddenly won, they may be getting hot and playing better. On the other hand, if the stats were good in previous games and now they are winning, it is much more likely that it is a good team and not a streak.
Be Wary Of Four-Point Favorites
If a team is a 3-3 favorite and plays a 4-3 favorite, they are likely to win at least half of their games. There are times when teams ahead by four points will still come up short. It is much easier for them to lose than it is for them to win, but if the underdog gets hot, there are still plenty of chances for them to win.
Pay Attention To Injuries
Sometimes the best teams will not show up on the court when they have players out injured. That shows that they can sometimes still win even when they are missing some of their key players.
Be Wary Of An Upset
An upset is an exceptionally rare occurrence is an exceptionally rare occurrence in sports betting, especially college basketball betting. An upset is when a team is favored to win the game but loses. If a team is favored to win by three points and only win by one point, that is considered an upset, and you should not bet on it. They have got to win by four points or more, or else it falls under the category of an upset.
Know That Defense Matters
When looking at teams, do not look only at their records; also look at their defenses, because this will determine how well they do in the future. The better their offense, the worse their defense will usually be, and vice versa. If a team is 5-5, but their defense was ranked in the top ten, their chances of winning another game are higher than if they were not in the top ten. It does not matter if they are a top five offense or are position 30 in the country in defense. If they have a good offense and bad defense, you will have difficulty predicting how well they do in subsequent games.
Do not Bet Against Undefeated Teams.
No one wants to bet against undefeated teams because their record does not indicate how well they can play. If they were to lose in the playoffs or tournament, then it would not end their season, and they will have a chance to win the next game. Finding the best college basketball picks is about a lot more than luck. You need to put in the work, and you need to know what you are doing.