Here’s what not to do when betting college basketball props.
Key Points
– College basketball props can tie up your money for an entire season.
– There must be significant value to wager on college basketball props.
College Basketball Props – What Not to Do
A lot of sports bettors consider season-long college basketball props. They will wager on teams to win the national championship, for example, just as the college basketball season is about to begin.
These wagers do serve a purpose, but if you are going to do it right there are some things you should avoid. Remember, betting on college basketball props ties up your money for an entire season. Do your homework and make wise choices.
When considering these bets, here are a few things you probably shouldn’t do to avoid common college basketball betting mistakes.
Don’t Pick Favorites
When you place a wager that covers the entire season, you are obviously locking your money away for the duration. It only makes sense that you would want to give yourself a chance to win.
With your money tied up for so long, you can’t simply pick favorites or bet on your favorite team. In the race for the national title for example, the preseason favorite rarely wins it all. Over the last several years, the average preseason odds of the eventual national champion hover around +1700.
A smart bettor would be able to make more money over the course of a season by using that money to place regular wagers. In the end, they will profit more from the bets placed throughout the season. In addition, the public enjoys betting on favorites, so any team with low odds has almost certainly lost its value.
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Only Bet College Basketball Props If You Have an Edge
Do not wager unless you have a significant edge. This seems obvious, but many bettors miss this important point. The edge has to be extremely large in the case of these college basketball props.
If there is not a significant edge presented, the answer is simple. Don’t bet. It only makes sense to postpone placing these season-long bets in favor of using those funds to place wagers with better odds and shorter time frames.
Don’t Bet Too Much of Your Bankroll
Even if you believe you have a significant advantage in many bets, you should probably keep the amount of money you tie up in these wagers to a minimum. Proper money management is something you encounter when you first learn how to bet on basketball.
You should keep more money on hand to wager on games throughout the season. You will have numerous situations throughout a college basketball season where you will find betting value.
When you tie up money in college basketball props, you have two options essentially. You can place larger bets than you should during the season or you place smaller bets than normal to try and grow your bankroll slowly.
Neither of those scenarios is very appealing. The bottom line is to make sure you don’t bet too much of your bankroll on college basketball props.
Don’t Bet When You Can Get a Better Edge on a Team
When you can easily gain a better edge on a team, place the bet. Seasonal wagers aren’t always the best way to profit from a strong opinion about a team.
Another way to grab an advantage is by having an ultra-secure online gaming platform.
If you believe a basketball team to be particularly strong, you can probably profit more from betting on them frequently throughout the season than you would from season-long college basketball props.
Additionally, once you make a season-long bet, you can’t change it. As a season wears on, you may change your opinion of a team. You might even bet against them during the season. You can bet against them in the national championship futures market, for example. However, your original bet is still active.
Don’t Bet College Basketball Props in Doubt
When there is too much doubt about potential outcomes, any bet suffers from uncertainty. One that is locked in long-term suffers even more. A great example is the Duke team from 2010.
The Blue Devils were a strong favorite to win the national championship that season. They appeared to be the best team in the nation from all angles. The problem was that they wouldn’t reach their full potential unless Seth Curry and Kyrie Irving could prove themselves.
Duke had won the national title the year before, but Irving was just a freshman and there were tons of questions surrounding him as well as the rest of the Duke roster.
With all that uncertainty, do you really want to tie up your money at short odds? Remember, your stake can’t be used during the season. That’s probably a little too much doubt to lock your money up for a season.
When you’re really in doubt, you could use free picks to win more bets. Just remember, prop bets only really make sense when you can predict a team’s play with some degree of certainty.
Don’t Get Emotionally Involved
It can be far too easy to place several of these prop bets on your favorite teams. It’s the same for players you like. Maybe a team has a new coach that you really like.
None of those bets would make sense because you aren’t placing them for valid reasons. Just because a team is your favorite is not a good reason to back them with money that will be locked up all season long.
Most bets made on emotion are unlikely to win and almost certainly have no real value. It’s definitely acceptable to purchase a championship ticket for your favorite team, but you shouldn’t do so as part of your regular betting. It also shouldn’t affect your bankroll. Be sure to maintain a strong dynamic online wagering portal as well. That will help any bettor.
If you do the research and find significant value on your favorite team, that is different. Just keep in mind that emotions have no place in sports betting or in accurate college basketball handicapping.