Mid Season College Hoops Thoughts
by David A Lane of Predictem.com
This is such a great time of year for sports viewing and wagering on various events. The Super Bowl is this weekend, NHL hockey had its all star game, the Australian Open Tennis just ended, the NBA is as appealing as ever, and although the calendar is still a little ways from March, NCAA basketball has also been terrific thus far, and it is still early! The college hoops schedule is almost sixty percent complete which is one of the best times to make wagers on it for a number of reasons. Also, with the sheer number of games that are going on in sports and especially in college hoops, there is a large enough menu with which to choose from and enough bargains available that it presents good value to the bettor, especially small college hoops teams which the oddsmakers pay very little attention to.
One of the reasons this time of year is great for the gambler is that there are enough statistics available for researching anything a handicapper would deem necessary. Both non-conference and conference play alike are very important in determining whats what, as any college hoops aficionado would know. Many times conference play has more reliable stats for many teams due to scheduling out of conference cream puffs early in the season. These games, many of them being blowouts, never fail to throw the numbers askew.
Not only do the numbers become more consistent, but so do the players as they have settled into their various roles for the most part. Though its very easy for us to overlook the fact that many of these guys are freshman and last year they were still making arrangements for their prom, the fact remains. However, by this time of year as in football, there are no rookies. Players that are playing have gained crucial experience by now and that equates to more confident play on the court. This should negate the kind of craziness that makes you say to yourself, What am I doing betting on this?
Coaches have adapted their styles to the kids on their rosters by this time of year. Realizing pluses and minuses, making adjustments where they are needed and learning which buttons to press become second nature as the teams have evolved enough at this point that most will have earned some trust from the coaching staff, allowing a team to relax a bit more on the court which often helps them to play more solidly. Furthermore, any good coach (college coaches are all at least good) will have definitely realized and learned how best to conceal his teams weaknesses by now while at the same time finding a way to work from its strengths.
Another great reason tis the season: there are so many events available that bookies cant be on top of all the teams and all the games. With all the money coming in on the Super Bowl and the sportsbooks collective attention pointed elsewhere, the time is ripe to find a streaky college team(s) that can win you some dough. NBA lines are usually fairly representative of their teams because the players have been there awhile so the numbers are consistent enough. Pretty much, the same is true of the NHL. In college basketball, there are so many players, so many teams and so many games in that it takes quite a bit of effort to know it well. To top that off, many players stay at their schools for up to four years, while a few may stay only one year. Constant change is the one thing that can be depended on which certainly makes handicapping the sport more challenging. The gambler isnt the only one forced to learn as they go because the sports book actually enjoys the same advantage – albeit with more bells and whistles, a staff and possibly even Las Vegas Sports Consultants on their side. All of these unknowns and inconsistencies have to be compensated for eventually, and the crazy fact is, whether it’s the handicapper or sports book making the change in how that team is “rated”, often times it becomes the difference between being a winner or loser.
With so much movement in the sport comes the inevitable churning of teams within its ranks struggling to regain form, repeat past success, and/or to rise up from last place. On the line are the current positions held by coaches and staff, future paydays an athlete looks so forward to making (wouldnt you?), futures of professional franchises and of course the hopes and dreams of so many. There are so many more teams these days yet the pressure to win is greater than ever.
Since there is only forty percent of the college season left, hoops will only gain more steam from now until the tournament in March. Being ahead of the curve is always a distinct advantage and for a gambler its more than necessary – it is imperative.