Now that March is getting closer, sports bettors around the world are starting to create their very own March Madness betting strategies to help them stand out from the pack and win either their NCAA basketball bets or their March Madness bracket.
The three-week period hosts 67 games, which can be a minefield of upsets if you aren’t careful. Having a solid March Madness betting strategy and doing plenty of research on the teams in this year’s tournament will help lead you to more winnings.
There are rumors and stories about gamblers who play longshots, pick the right underdogs, and create a perfect or near-perfect bracket; or the winner who knew nothing about basketball makes absolutely random picks with no research, and ends up winning their bracket pool. You have to understand these instances are very rare and even if you try to copy their mindless selection strategy, you likely won’t end up with the same result.
There are 18 quintillion – I repeat – QUINTILLION different combinations of picks in a March Madness bracket, and as a bettor, you know where we’re getting with those odds.
Playing in March Madness bracket pools are fun, but the first step in your March Madness betting strategy is to not put all of your eggs in one basket. Betting individual games, props, futures and combining all of those different wagering types into a parlay will give you more options and excitement than straight-up bracket picks.
With even a basic March Madness betting strategy and some solid advice from your pals at Sports Betting Sites, you will be more prepared and ready to confidently place your wagers come to Selection Sunday.
We’ve compiled a few basic sports betting tips to help you with your March Madness betting strategy:
The first step in your March Madness betting strategy is to monitor the odds. This can be time-consuming and annoying, but you have to understand where the odds are moving and note any trends you may see.
The March Madness odds are always neatly laid out and even some sports betting sites keep track for you and compile all of the odds in one convenient place. Finding one that monitors lines from several different sportsbooks will save you time.
Why do you need to monitor the lines? Because when oddsmakers set the odds for a specific game, there can be an influx of action on one side, and the odds need to be adjusted to move some of the action in the other team’s favor. This can open up some opportunities to score some great odds (usually on an underdog) if you want to take a risk.
If the lines move, sometimes it makes that game not worth betting on. If a team is -1200 to win, and you don’t believe there is any chance the underdog can win, you should abstain from betting on that particular game. In this case, maybe you can take the over/under for a better odds opportunity.
Yes, choosing underdogs is an important part of successful March Madness betting. But the first round isn’t the best time to be looking at predicting huge upsets.
You won’t see a No. 16 seed beat a No. 1 seed in the first round. Ditto goes for a No. 15 seed against a No. 2 seed. The same logic can be applied to No. 3 seeds facing No. 14 seeds. And so on and so forth.
While these upsets have no doubt happened in the past, you don’t want to start the tournament off by heavily investing in the rare exceptions. If you have extensively watched a No. 15 seed throughout the regular season and know the No. 2 seed it’s matched up with could struggle with their great defensive play, then absolutely, feel free to submit a wager.
But you don’t want to use early-round underdogs as your primary strategy. That might change should they survive into the Sweet 16 or beyond. Right now, you’re better off sticking with what you know from the regular season, in addition to what you know about the rarity behind such drastic first-round upsets.
At first thought, yes, betting on the top-seeded teams could work for a time, but focusing solely on the higher-seeded teams in your March Madness Betting Strategy might not get you past the Sweet Sixteen.
While it’s common for a top-seeded team to make it to the championship, it’s very unlikely that two No. 1 seeds are going to be battling for the title on April 6th. What’s even more unlikely is all four No. 1 seeds reach the Final Four – which ensures your bracket and/or betting strategy is doomed to bust.
If you’re noticing a team who has been known to blow out competitors in the regular season, suddenly only winning by a few points or buzzer-beaters in March Madness – they’re no longer a lock, and probably shouldn’t be on your bet slip next game.
So our suggestion is to stop focusing on top seeds, take a look at those middle of the pack seeds that could provide a little shock and awe. Ultimately, you will get way better odds on a closer No. 8 v No. 9 matchup, because neither team is heavily favored.
While it’s evident that many bettors just tune in on Selection Sunday and make picks based on the team’s seeding position, it’s detrimental to look at the regular-season results for each team; especially in the first two rounds.
There’s a possibility that a team is seeded against a team they’ve played already this year, or a team they’ve beat might have crushed that team in the regular season.
When you get to the second round, it can be tempting to look at how they performed in the first round and base your bets off their ‘playoff record’ – but we urge you not to solely consider these few games when making decisions.
Consider how a team might have fared against a similar team in the past, while also considering the pressure of the Big Dance might show to be a bit too much for another.
Once you’ve made it to the Sweet Sixteen, you have a better idea of how a team is handling the pressure of the playoffs, and you can start focusing more on playoff performance and who is on a hot streak.
We hope these tips help you make better betting decisions for the 2020 March Madness tournament, whether you’re betting on an online sportsbook, or selecting your bracket picks, do your research and have fun with it!