G ST +4 5x
VCU +3 5x
VCU +3 5x
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Damn knew shoulda took San FranComment -
1half clippers -.5 .5x late money came in on themComment -
2half vcu +3 .5x
2half vcu o/u 67 under .5xComment -
Oregon is being played tight by webber st webber will be getting like 7 or 8 pts in the 2half????Comment -
I dont think oregon is that good I like itComment -
2half sf/idaho o/u 73 over .5xComment -
YA I DIDN'T GET IT IN BUCK BUT IL LIKED IT VCU COMING OUT STRONG
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LET'S GET IT RANDY
BUCK
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Being late to the party may float as fashionable when arriving at your office’s Christmas bash, but showing up late to the dance - the Big Dance that is - will turn your pockets inside out.
Plenty of sports bettors jump head first into the NCAA Tournament with as little handicapping as watching the selection show on Sunday night. If you’re one of these bettors, who doesn’t pay attention to the college ranks until the brackets come out, don’t worry – you still have time.
The second round of the NCAA Tournament is just hours away, kicking off four straight days of non-stop college basketball betting. Here are some tips and pointers to get you up to speed with the NCAAB sharps:
Ignore the trends, except for the No. 5 vs. No. 12
Trends are about as useful as those decorative hand towels hanging in your bathroom. Sure, they’ll get your hands dry once in a while but they’re more for looks than anything.
Heading into the tournament, news sources and statistic nerds have thrown tons of NCAA trends at the wall, and only a few of those stick. We at Covers.com are just as guilty for pumping up some historic numbers, putting them together more for your enjoyment than actual practical use.
But there is one trend that should carry water with bettors. Since 1988, a No. 12 seed has knocked off a No. 5 seed in all but two NCAA Tournaments. Over the past four NCAAs, the No. 12 seed is 9-7 ATS versus the No. 5, so shopping which matchup produces the annual upset is important.
Right now, the Vanderbilt-Richmond (+3) and Kansas State-Utah State (+2.5) games have the tightest pointspreads of the No. 5 vs. No. 12 contests.
Consider bench depth early, less later
How far down the bench a coach can confidently go has a huge impact in the second and third rounds of the NCAA, but carries less importance as a team gets deep in the tournament.
Teams will be going all-out in their opening game, which can sometimes leave them flat in the second-round matchup when you factor in travel and nerves. A team with a deep bench, like Kansas, can absorb a poor performance from one of its starters, while a program like Syracuse, which uses its bench sparingly, may suffer a huge drop off if a star player underperforms or gets into foul trouble.
As the field shrinks and days off become more abundant and team’s with stingy rotations have time to rest and recover, as well as mentally prepare for the upcoming round.
Of course injuries can come into play, so keep an eye out for sprained ankles and pulled hammies.
Consider talent early, coaching later
This strategy has been barked by a lot of the NCAA talking heads heading into Thursday.
Talent can get you through the first two games, especially for higher seeds facing lesser opponents. Matchups are the most important aspect of betting college hoops and filling out your bracket, and one bad matchup involving an uber-talented player can be the ball game.
A program loaded with potential, like Kentucky, can more than likely waltz past Princeton and West Virginia or Clemson in the third round on the backs of studs like Terrence Jones and Brandon Knight. But once that team runs into a group as equally as talented in the later rounds, that’s when coaching takes over.
It’s no coincidence that Tom Izzo has Michigan State in the Final Four almost every other year. He’s one of the few coaches who know when to take the reins and when to let his players play.
A team that will likely undergo this transition during the NCAA are the Florida Gators and Billy Donovan. Florida, a No. 2 seed in the Southeast Regional, has a talent-rich roster and a sleeper star in SEC Player of the Year, Chandler Parsons. But if the Gators are going to dig deep into the tournament this March, it will be Donovan’s two national titles that get them there.
Size kills
A dominant big man can carry a college team far in the NCAA. But not all size mismatches have to do with the big boys under the basket.
Size advantages on the perimeter are just as important. Smaller guards can get beat up by bigger opponents, who can back them down or shoot over them. So be wary of teams with tiny dancers in the backcourt.
Florida is one team that runs this risk with a lack of size in its guard ranks. Starters Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton stand 5-foot-11 and 6-foot-2 (in the program) respectively, leaving them vulnerable to bigger backcourts.
Having a towering frontcourt also has its advantages. Just look at Duke last March, jumping on the back of 7-footer Brian Zoubek. He was nothing more than a bag of meat in the middle for most of his college career. But Zoubek was the difference on the Blue Devils' road to the national title, averaging over seven points and 10 rebounds in the NCAA while limiting small opponents around the hoop.
Illinois is a tall team to watch this March. The Fighting Illini have a tough second-round opener against UNLV (-2.5), but boast one of the biggest squads in the land. Mike Tisdale is a legit 7-footer, starting forwards Mike Davis and Bill Cole both stand at 6-foot-9, and Jereme Richmond (6-foot-7) and Meyers Leonard (7-foot) add more size off the bench.
The Rebels have Carlos Lopez, at 6-foot-11, and Brice Massamba, at 6-foot-10. Both of those guys come off the bench for UNLV, which starters only run as big as forward Quintrell Thomas at 6-foot-8.Comment -
2half dallas -4.5
2half dallas over 105
2half philly +2
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nice buck brother see you tomorrow bro going to look at a few games now leaning old dominion and clemsonComment -
Im likin marquette and gonzaga beanComment -
hey fellas whats up are you ready for some hoops
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looking forward to your picksComment -
Clemson +3, thoughts?Comment -
Wvu all The way!!Comment -
I like Clemson, zags, Marquette, Richmond, and Kentucky.Comment -
I think Wvu wins by 8 they are do for a run of winsComment -
Joe mazzula is key Wvu wins easy they have had a few extra days to prepare and Wvu excellent offensive rebounds! They win easyComment -
what up bean ayo buck and slimesLETS GET ITComment -
whats up guys hey if you want in on the bracket at fox.com hooters sec gruop name is SBR boyz and password is in capital letters SONNY1515 12 PTS FORM EACH PLAYER GOES TO WINNER I DON'T WANT THE POINTS NOW IF YOU PAY THE WINNER YOU PAY I TRUST YOU GUYSComment -
Hey sonny, do you know when the lines will be up for the betfreesports site?Comment -
Sonny bean any picks?Comment -
Clemson 1st Half +2 2x
Clemson/West Virginia 1st Half Over 56 2xLETS GET ITComment -
Old Dominion ml 3xLETS GET ITComment -
Clemson vs west virginia the key number might be the 996 miles clemson had to fly to get to fla and the lack of time to prepare for today's game. Looking at this game the effective height edge goes to clemson with grant in the middle helping that stat out but the avg height of the team as a whole goes to west virginia. Now sure clemson has shook their tourney jitters with already playing a game, but this w.virginia team made it to the final four last year and is use to the big stage to. The better defensive team is clemson but not by much they are ranked 19th in the nation with pts allowed 60.9 but wvirg is 70th in nation allowing 64 pts. W viginia hold a off rebounding advantage 14.4 /game good for 9th in nation and clemson is avg 11.3 ranked 188 and they are even in def. Reb with 23 a /game each . There is a height advantage at the guard position for w virginia(bryant,mazzulla,mitchell) all being 6'2 or above were as clemson stitt 6'2 and young 5'9 could be a factor and they have experience in big games. I think the turnaround and lack of time to get ready and the offensive rebound factor could push the advantage to w virginia but i'm not sure how to bet it might just go halfs with 56.5 being the o/u in 1half .glComment -
1half wvirginia /clemson o/u 56 over 1x
1half w.virginia -1 1x legs and experience and off rebounds
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Wat up Bean Sonny Ayo im pumped lets get it!
Penn St. +1.5 1h 5x
Clemson under 57 1h 5x
ODU ml 5x
More comin in bout half hr good luck guysComment -
Sonny it locked me out my pick will have to be this way w virgComment -
Yo i got one i filled out at espn i'll use if it's okComment -
Old dominion / butler o/u 122 over 1x
1half old dominion -1 1x revenge for them getting ko last year by butler and on the bus they watched that film over and over and today they have a deeper team.plus there rebounding edge his going to be big and hazzell is nasty and matt howard is overrated now mack vs bazemore will be a good match up. It will be who ever else on each team steps up will win the game and old dominion has more players in finney ,james ,carter, and cooper have the advantage in my opinion. Gl THE SHARP MONEY WENT ON THE UNDER PUSHING IT DOWN FORM 124 TO 122 WITH 67% OF THE PUBLIC ON THE OVER BUT I LIKE THE OVER STILLComment
