I just want to give some hard earned advice to those who want to bet on college hoops. Of course there will be those who disagree with me and my philosophy, and there will be games or instances in which whatever I espouse or recommend should be ignored, but I’ve been handicapping college hoops for well over 20 years and have shown a profit for all but one of those years. Several years back I hit 18 totals wins in a row. I’m not a guru or savant. I’m just like you and some of the brilliant pro cappers and posters here at pregame. You won’t find a better resource anywhere online.
So what’s what? How do I profit on college hoops?
1. Don’t waste your time on top 20 teams. Generally speaking, any of the teams can win on any given day. They get the top recruits in the country so it’s anyone’s guess. Yeah, they’re on tv, but you’ll most likely be the sucker who’s been hyped up for the wrong team and that costs money.
2. If you want to win, focus only on the conference or conferences in your neck of the woods. I live in Southern California and have found success betting the Big West conference. I know this conference, these cities, teams, and the year to year hierarchy, but the further I go out to the PAC 12, the West Coast conference and the Mountain West my returns lessen. And although I follow the Big Sky it’s really a crap shoot. One of the best lessons I’ve learned came from Steve Fezzik was in which he emphasized teams and the cities they played for. There’s a hierarchy in coaching and talent that can’t be ignored and if you can tap into it you’ll be leaps and bounds ahead of everyone else. Pool does this with the conference he covers.
3. Find cappers and posters who specialize in sides or totals. There’s some really good pros, Shaker, Goodfella, Essler, who are consistent winners. There’s also many forum guys who do exceptional work too. I won’t mention names because I don’t want to leave anyone out.
4. Not every handicapper is good every year. I know this from personal experience. How I handicap this year may not work next year. The energy or cycle of probability changes from month to moth, and year to year. Pay attention! If your square peg isnt finding nirvana in a round hole, back off or quit for the season. Going broke sucks no matter how right you are and how the universe ***** you over.
5. Don’t bet every game, or every big game on tv. You’re an idiot if you do.
6. Focus on what you know and not what you’re speculating or guessing on. It’s fun to build a position on one of your local or conference teams. Enjoy the process and don’t be afraid to share the process or ask for help.
7. Have fun and don’t bet the house.
8. Good luck.
P.S. I find late November to Dec 31 to be the best times to win. There’s lots of bad lines to take advantage of if you’ve done your homework. Check out the Blue Ribbon Guide to College Hoops for great team analysis.