Looking to Bet on March Madness? Follow These Easy Tips

March Madness 2022 is fast approaching and bettors need to be prepared if they are going to capitalize on betting the NCAA tournament. This year’s tourney reverts back to a “normal” tourney with early round games at different locations all over the nation. Last year, all 67 games took place in Indianapolis.

Before you begin placing wagers, begin your preparations by following these easy tips. Your winning percentage and bankroll will thank you.

The Bracket

Before ever wagering on a single game, most bettors will also participate in some bracket challenge. Whether it’s the office pool or an online contest, you want to give yourself the best chance to win. That is why you pick your champion first and work backwards.

The way bracket challenges are scored, participants get more points as they get closer to the final. There will always be some early round upsets, but those teams typically get knocked out of the tournament. It’s rare for teams seeded No. 8 and below to make the Elite Eight where the points are worth more.  

Keep in mind that since 2000 there have been 19 NCAA tournaments. Fifteen of those were won by a No. 1 seed. It’s rare to have a seed below No. 6 reach the Final Four. Since 1985, that has happened just 14 times.

Bet Against the Public

March Madness brings out sports bettors in droves and they tend to feed on betting on favorites. When the public is on a favorite, oftentimes you want to be the guy on the underdog. With the rise of sports betting in the US, more casual bettors are entering the market. These bettors love favorites, higher-ranked teams, big-name schools, and teams with stars.

While the betting public is busy focusing on those types of teams, do your homework and find the best underdogs to embrace. The work will pay off.

Find Inflated Lines

With this influx of casual bettors, there will be some instances where you can find inflated lines. Take a team like Michigan State favored to win by 2.5 at some point in the tournament. The public loves the Spartans and head coach Tom Izzo who has had great success in the tourney. The market responds as the public backs Sparty. The line rises to MSU -5.5.

This inflated line now offers value on the underdog. Instead of laying -5.5, you can now get in on a strong underdog at +5.5. Essentially, you’re getting three points off the opening line. Do your homework and find the best inflated lines.

Bet the Moneyline in Tight Games

There will undoubtedly be plenty of tournament games with short favorites. These will be teams like that same Michigan State team. Say they come in at -1, -2, or even -2.5. With the line anywhere between -1 and even -3, there is an expectation that the game is going to be a close one. 

Too many times, a two-point favorite wins by a single point which ends up as a loss when betting the spread. Instead, pay a little more and take the favorite to win outright on the moneyline.

Bet at Safe and Secure Sportsbooks

Gone are the days of calling a local shady bookie when you can simple log-on to a trusted sportsbook on your smart phone. You can deposit money and be up and running in 15 minutes or less. But, just like there are shady local bookies, there are shady online bookies looking for their next mark. It just takes a tiny bit of due diligence to figure out if a sportsbook is secure and safe. We have taken the guesswork out of it by publishing our top rated sportsbooks list. Enjoy