With our favorite time of the year quickly approaching, betting on march madness is here. March Madness truly lived up to its name in 2021, with the Sweet 16 featuring the highest average seed in tournament history, and two double-digit teams making the Elite 8.
The opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament produced quite a few shocking upsets, to say the least. Somehow, with an enormous amount of luck on his side, bet. one bettor ended up taking full advantage of college basketball’s underdogs shocking the world. The gambler won a whopping $33,201.09 on a 10-leg, $10 parlay with his He correctly picked several upsets from the first weekend of the tournament. That’s quite impressive and certainly was lucrative. Maybe that will be you!?
The past couple years have been really tough on college sports and the tournament because of Covid, but this year’s tournament will be huge. Teams are playing at their very best right now and we will for sure see some of the best matchups in NCAA history. Whether you throw in $10 or $1000, here are some of the best college basketball tips and tricks for 2022 March Madness.
Tip #1: March Madness Champions Are Balanced Teams
This is the simplest March Madness betting strategy we have. Whether filling out a bracket or betting on March Madness National Championship futures, there’s little value in picking a one-dimensional team. To win it all, a team has to have an elite offense and a stifling defense.
At least, that’s what history tells us. Over the last 18 tournaments, only one champion has ranked outside the top 20 in offensive efficiency at KenPom (UConn, 2014) and none have ranked outside of the top 20 in defensive efficiency. Every year, you will find relatively high seeds that are lacking at one end of the court. These teams are not good bets to win the tournament.
Tip #2: Don’t Pay Attention to “Expert” Brackets
ESPN, CBS Sports, Yahoo, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report, The Athletic: experts from every sports site are going to post their March Madness picks. When it comes to toss-up games with narrow point spreads, it can be tempting to look at who the majority of the pundits are taking.
But beware. While some of these people truly are experts who earned their status through years of studying Xs and Os, others “earned” their roles by doling out controversial hot-takes that garner clicks and many more are simply recognizable names who played the game at a high level. This doesn’t mean they know the best March Madness betting strategies!
Tip #3: “Home-Court Advantage” Still Matters in the NCAA Tournament
Pay attention to where games are being played. Some schools will have to travel across the country to play their opening-round games; others will endure only a short bus trip to the stadium. Teams playing close to home don’t have to confront jetlag, and the crowd tends to be behind them. Don’t underestimate the emotional boost strong support can provide.
Factors like travel and crowd noise have a bigger impact on college athletes than on seasoned professionals. College basketball players are 18 to 21-year-olds with relatively little game and life experience. Factors like travel and crowd noise have a bigger impact on them than on seasoned professionals.
The best recent example of home-court causing a massive difference came in the 2017 tournament. No. 2 seed Duke was placed in a regional quartet with no. 15 Troy, no. 10 Marquette, and no. 7 South Carolina in Greenville. If your geography is a little rusty, Greenville is in South Carolina, 103 miles from Columbia. Duke was a 6.5-point favorite.
We are in for another great March Madness. Looking forward to the games, and all the betting opportunities. In the end, good luck, trust your judgment and your knowledge of College Basketball and enjoy!