The Seven Rules To Betting On March Madness

With the 2016-17 NCAA basketball season steamrolling toward its annual March Madness national championship tournament, there’s no better time for some expert college hoops betting advice. Whether you’re on the lookout for a value-packed underdog like last season’s national champion Villanova or simply seeking as much betting insight as possible, the seven rules to betting on March Madness that you’re about to get are a tried and true testament that all college hoops betting buffs need. Now, let’s get started.

The Seven Rules To Betting On March Madness

1. Home Dogs Have Bite

Home underdogs generally have something to play for against their favored visitors, not to mention the fact that they’ll be fueled by their crazed home fans. If a home underdog isn’t completely overmatched by a far superior opponent, then I see nothing wrong with backing the home team. However, if the home dog you’re planning on betting on isn’t getting a bunch of points and doesn’t have a boisterous crowd working on their behalf, the rod team could get the win and ATS cover.

2. Home Faves of Three Points or Less

Home favorites of three points or less are always an attractive wager, even though the low point spread suggests they’ll be playing a quality opponent. The good news is that home faves generally raise the level of their play to defend their home court, particularly against a quality visiting team. Don’t make the mistake of believing every matchup between two evenly matched teams is going to come down to a buzzer beater. Home faves of three points or less are always a good option.

3. Twice in One Season

Never count a team out to beat an opponent twice in one season. Some college hoops bettors believe that it’s extremely difficult to beat a team twice in one season, but I disagree, particularly if one team is clearly better than the other. For instance, let’s say North Carolina is facing a clearly weak Wake Forest team in the latter stages of the regular season after facing their ACC rivals in one of the numerous season-opening tournaments that are so popular in today’s game.

If the Tar Heels routed the Wake Forest Demon Deacons by 15 points in December, then unless there’s some significant change to either ballclub, you’ve got to know that the Heels are likely looking at another easy victory in their second matchup. Don’t be afraid to bet on one team to beat another twice in one season.

4. Big Win The Last Time Out?

Just like every other sport, a team coming off a huge, emotion-filled win in their previous contest, is almost surely due for a let-down the next time out. For example…let’s say the Indiana Hoosiers get all fired up for a home date against perennially-powerful Kansas and the Hoosiers manage to get a huge home win over the Jayhawks.

Now, in their next game, Indiana is a 6-point home favorite to beat a solid Purdue team. Well, you’d better know that Purdue is going to go all-out in order to get the statement-making upset win while the Hoosiers will likely be looking to get their energy levels back up to normal and their emotions in control after their thriller against Kansas in their previous game. Always be wary of backing a team coming off a huge victory in their previous contest.

5. Never Bet on Teams You Haven’t Seen Yourself

I know a lot of March Madness bettors probably make wagers on teams based on their seeds or SU records, but the fact of the matter is that you should never make a wager on a team that you haven’t seen for yourself. I mean, really…isn’t that kind of like a pitcher throwing a baseball with his eyes closed, hoping he hits the catcher’s mitt?

6. Make at Least One Upset Pick for Each Region

If you don’t know by now, you’re going to need to pick at least one upset in every region, likely in every round too. Predicting which upsets will take place can be extremely difficult, but it’s a virtual must as ‘upsets’ routinely happen in today’s parity-laden version of the NCAA Tournament.

7. Keep it Simple!

If you simply pick the best team to win, barring those upset picks you need to make, you’ll find out that the ‘better’ team wins far more often than you might imagine. While certain game’s point spread may make picking the ATS winner difficult, the better team generally wins outright. Keep it simple and never forget this simple March Madness betting rule.