There are plenty of popular sporting events out there, but few are as popular as the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. “March Madness” is the perfect name for this event as this is always an unpredictable three weeks.
Betting on March Madness is almost as exciting as just watching the games, especially when there is some winning involved. This can be a profitable event to wager on, but only if things are done correctly.
You will find plenty of articles that provide March Madness betting tips and strategies, but this article is a bit different. You will still see some tips provided, but this really describes the best times to place a wager on the NCAA Tournament.
Fill out A Bracket First
Before you even start to think about betting on March Madness, you should get a bracket and start to fill it out. If you are feeling strong about your picks then you can go ahead and enter that into a bracket pool as well.
The reason that you want to get this bracket filled out first is that you don’t want this to affect your betting decisions. Filling out a bracket will help you recognize the games that are going to be on the schedule, and can also be a preview as to what is coming.
Get Early Bets In
The best time to bet on the NCAA Tournament is usually as soon as the odds are revealed. The early betting lines will come out nearly as soon as the tournament bracket is announced and this is where you will get some value.
If you aren’t in on the bets early then you will want to watch the line movement and wait until you think you have found a good betting opportunity. These betting lines and odds are going to move based on how much action comes in for each side.
Look For the Upsets
Since the NCAA Tournament is always an event that has a number of upsets, you need to be looking for these when making bets. You usually want to stay away from the 15 and 16 seeds, but every other team should be on the table.
When you are looking for upset picks to make, be sure to look closely at the matchups. You can also follow along to NCAAB experts and they might be able to guide you in the right direction.
If you feel good about an upset pick then go ahead and pull the trigger.
Check Injury Reports
The perfect time to place a bet on the NCAA Tournament is after you have taken a close look at the injury reports for each team. There is plenty of research that must be done, but looking at the injury reports is extremely important.
This might not be a big deal for the first round of the NCAA Tournament, but injuries will pop up throughout the season. You don’t ever want to wager on a team that will be taking the floor without a top player.
Only Bet When Odds Are Valuable
We mentioned this a bit earlier, but you only want to place a bet when you have found some value in the odds. Even if you are going to be betting on the favorite, you can still find a time when you will get the biggest return for your investment.
You never want to make a bet simply because you think a certain team is going to win. Taking a moneyline favorite with odds that aren’t great is only setting yourself up for a disappointing loss.
Can Always Bet In-Game
If you fail to get a pre-game wager in then you still have some time to make a bet. Live betting has emerged as a popular form of betting as well, and this is another great way to win some money.
When you are looking to make a live bet, there is typically one specific time to make this type of bet. The easiest way to win money with an in-game wager is to make a moneyline bet on a team that is losing early on in the game.
You will need to be following along with the action, and be ready to act quickly if you plan on making a live bet.