(STL.News) Sports betting on college basketball has grown in popularity over the last few years, but this isn’t surprising given how entertaining the games are and how much hype is surrounding them. What may be surprising to some people, though, is just how popular it’s become, especially when compared to other sports like football or baseball. As you consider the reasons that make sports betting on college basketball so appealing to so many people these days, you’ll likely come up with several points that you can use to encourage others in your life who don’t understand it yet to try out the experience as well.
A look at the popularity
The number of bets placed on college basketball games has increased drastically over the years since 2012 and is currently up, according to an ESPN article. As more and more people start placing wagers on their favorite teams, what are some strategies that can help make these investments profitable?
Here’s a look at three ways you can profit from betting on college basketball.
- Know your team: Understanding your team, will give you more insight into how they perform when they’re on a hot streak or if they struggle in certain situations. This knowledge will also allow you to predict which players may be able to have an impact in upcoming games based on their previous performances and current statistics.
- Be aware of matchups: While it may be tempting to place a bet simply because your team is favored, it’s important to consider whether they’ll have success against their opponent. If one team excels in quickness while another dominates with size, it’s unlikely that there will be much scoring during a game between them, meaning fewer points for bettors as well.
- Watch for trends: Teams go through ups and downs throughout a season, so keep track of how yours is performing over time. Pay attention to both short-term trends (such as winning streaks) and long-term ones (such as overall performance). These can provide clues about how your team will do in future games.
Factors That Affect Odds
With billions of dollars at stake, it’s no wonder that betting on sports has become a widespread pastime. A lot of people are interested in college basketball betting—but a lot of them don’t know where to start. Today, we’re going to look at how you can get started, by examining some of the factors that affect odds and why they matter.
For example, let’s look at one of your favorite teams: Duke Blue Devils. In recent years, they have been notorious for blowing out opponents while still managing to make a run in March Madness. This might seem like luck, but it isn’t. It all comes down to their coach—Mike Krzyzewski. Coach K knows what he’s doing; he knows his team better than anyone else does, and he uses that knowledge to help his players succeed. Learn the full instruction to bet on college basketball and so much more here.
Types of Bets
There are three basic types of college basketball bets: money line, point spread, and over/under. If you bet on a Moneyline—or, more simply, cash line—then you simply must pick who wins straight up. That’s it. If you like Gonzaga but don’t feel confident they can cover a 13-point spread in a game against BYU, then perhaps that’s not your best bet.
Choosing a Sportsbook or Online Site
When it comes to choosing an online sportsbook, there are several factors that you need to keep in mind. As such, when you’re looking for a sportsbook to make your bets with, it’s important that you do some homework beforehand.
Below we’ve compiled some of the most important things to look out for when you choose your online betting site.
- Licensed Sportsbooks – Make sure that you only bet with a licensed and regulated sportsbook or bookmaker. This means they will have gone through all sorts of checks and balances by local and international regulatory bodies before they can start accepting wagers from players like yourself. This is one of the easiest ways to ensure you won’t be scammed or ripped off by shady operators!
- Secure Website – The last thing you want to happen when placing bets online is for someone else to gain access to your personal information via your browser history, cookies, or cached data on their servers (etc.). This includes potential malware attacks from third-party sites linked from these sites too!
- User Experience – If something looks too good to be true, it probably is!
Summary
For years, Americans have enjoyed betting on basketball; however, in recent decades, it’s become clear that many sports fans are more focused on college basketball than any other branch of professional athletics. Considering there are far less games in college than at higher levels, it only makes sense that teams and players would develop a stronger following by their communities.