Who's the best team? Who shouldn't have made the tournament? Which lower seed is favored? Who are the Sharps backing? Las Vegas, Nevada (March 16, 2009) - If understood properly, Las Vegas odds offer compelling insight into the NCAA Basketball Tournament. RJ Bell of Pregame.com provided the following tidbits: According to Las Vegas, the worst at-large team in the tournament is Dayton, which would be an underdog on a neutral... Read more

#1) Margin of Victory Statistically speaking, this factor matters twice as much as the second most important factor - so ignore at your own risk. Margin of victory is simply the average number of points that a team wins or loses by. Why is this important? Because with only 30 or so games a year, getting lucky in even a handful of close games can make a team look much better record-wise than it truly is. But if a team... Read more

The only sports bettor on Forbes' recent list of Gambling Gurus, RJ Bell of Pregame.com explains the eye-popping math behind the odds of a perfect NCAA Tournament Bracket Las Vegas, Nevada (March 15, 2009) - This week over 40 million Americans in offices across the country are expected to fill out brackets for the 2009 NCAA Tournament. The purpose is to pick the most winners, but many dream of picking the perfect bracket... Read more

Sports betting authority RJ Bell of Pregame.com provides a simple blueprint to improve anyone's bracket results. Las Vegas, Nevada (March 15, 2009) - "Over 12 BILLION dollars is expected to be wagered on the 2009 NCAA Basketball Tournament - which is more than was bet on the Super Bowl," said RJ Bell of Pregame.com. "And over 40 million Americans are expected to take part in bracket-style office pools." No sporting even... Read more

For the first game the star is out, the other players on the team rally to the rescue, playing with extra effort to compensate for the star's absence. In addition, the opponent often lets down - thinking it may be an easy game with the star out. Also, if the star's absence is announced the day of the game, the betting market tends to over-adjust; bettors betting the game at any price, with a sense of processing insider... Read more

College Basketball is the primary sport in which the relative experience of the players increases to such a degree during the regular season. Because so many freshman and sophomores command significant playing time, the difference between the first and second half of a season can be substantial - especially for a young team. Also keep in mind that with a NCAA season of well over 30 games there's enough time for a young... Read more

Knowing more than a few sportsbook managers and bookies, I can tell you that they feel the most "exposed" when it comes to college basketball. Bookies love an edge, and many professionals make the strong case that college basketball gives the players the best chance to beat the book. Objective proof college basketball offers the best opportunity: 1) The limit on CBB side bets is typically as low or lower than any... Read more

How many basketball games are really fixed? Las Vegas, Nevada (8/6/08) - Former Toledo basketball player Sammy Villegas has been charged with point-shaving. The indictment references games from the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons. A closer look at the numbers tells a fuller story. The main game in question was played between Toledo and Central Michigan on February 4, 2006. Toledo was a 15-point favorite, and won the game... Read more

Yes, you read the title right: Basic statistical analysis concludes that approximately 40 college football and basketball games were NOT played fair & square during the prior 12 months. Exactly how was this number calculated? The Pregame.com staff estimates that 700 football games and 3300 basketball games were available to be bet on this past season (only games that can be bet are worth fixing). That number could vary... Read more

from March 19, 2008 (USA Today) Excerpts ( read full story ) John Calipari says: Chill (about free throws) "We've been about the same for three years. What has been our record for three years?" he says. (Answer: 99-9.) "It's something I don't spend a lot of time with."