The NCAA men’s basketball tournament is upon us, and with it, the annual March Madness betting frenzy. Even diehard sports fans are probably aware of what happens each year during the NCAA tournament. Teams that were expected to do well in the tournament go on a wild ride of upsets that seem to shake the very foundation of sports betting. This year’s tournament is no different. There are numerous teams that nobody gave very good odds on who would win the whole thing. As fans are scrambling to place bets on the big games, those who know more about betting than they let on probably have a good laugh at the bewildered faces of the bettors.
What happens in the NCAA tournament doesn’t always happen naturally. Professional gamblers and sports informers study odds and stats to find a team or individual that they think has a good chance of winning. These people look at a variety of factors to make their picks, but the overriding theme is that they like the underdogs. After all, if you’re paying attention and reading the right blogs, you’ll know that the underdog triumphs more often than not. In the NCAA basketball tournament, there are multiple underdogs that you can bet on. The trick is knowing which one you should bet on.
Who Will Win the Ky Game This Year?
This year’s NCAA tournament pits the University of Kentucky against the University of Virginia. The winner of this year’s edition of the Kentucky-Virginia game will advance to the Final Four, where they will compete against the University of Louisville for the right to represent the Eastern Conference in the NCAA tournament.
Both of these teams are among the favorites to win the whole tournament. With so much hype, it should come as no great surprise that there is lots of money to be made betting on these games. The problem is, no one is exactly sure who to bet on. There aren’t any clear favorites in the race for the National Championship. For betting enthusiasts, this is the ultimate rush. You want to feel like you’re getting an inside track on the outcome of the tournament before the bettors in front of you figure it out. This is the beauty of oddsmaking. When you’re good at it, you can give the edge to the team that you think has the best shot at winning. In this situation, you’ll want to stack your chips in favor of the underdog. Fortunately, there are ways for you to find out who will win the Kentucky-Virginia game before the season starts.
The Difference In The Odds
Before the start of the tournament, we’re going to outline some of the key differences in the odds between the University of Kentucky and the University of Virginia. This will help you understand why some people might want to bet on one team and not the other. Let’s start with the basics.
The University of Virginia is a public university located in the city of Virginia. It was founded in 1871 and became a state university in 1944. The school’s athletic teams are nicknamed the “Hoosiers.”
The University of Kentucky is a public university located in the city of Kentucky. It was founded in 1896 and became a state university in 1943. The school’s athletic teams are nicknamed the “Wildcats.”
As you can see, the University of Virginia is a much newer program than the University of Kentucky. The team is also much smaller. These factors alone could make the University of Kentucky a slight favorite in this game.
Next, let’s take a look at some of the statistics that will help you determine the outcome of this year’s Kentucky-Virginia game.
Team Stats
When you’re deciding which team to back, you’re going to want to look at several statistics. One of the most important numbers to consider is the teams’ combined record. This number will help you determine how well the two teams have played against each other so far this season. In fact, you might want to consider backing the University of Kentucky because they have a better record against the spread this year than the University of Virginia.
Another important statistic to consider is the number of 3-pointers made by the team. The more 3-pointers that a team makes, the more opportunities they have to score. The more opportunities the team has to score, the more likely they are to win. For this very reason, you might want to avoid backing the University of Virginia because they make a lot of 3-pointers.
Individual Stats
As the game gets closer and the excitement intensifies, you’ll want to look at a player’s personal stats. These numbers can give you an idea of how well that player is performing this year and also how well he’s performed in previous years. One of the most important stats to consider is the player’s points per game average. This number will help you determine how effective that player is in scoring the basketball. You’ll also want to consider a player’s shooting % and his free throw %. A player who can shoot the ball well and has a high free throw % is great for a team because it means they can get their points and rebounds easily. This makes them more effective in creating turnovers and scoring quickly on the offensive end.
Another important stat to consider is a player’s PER (personal effective ratio). This is a stat given to you by basketball-reference.com that calculates a player’s effectiveness based on how many points per game he scores, how many rebounds he gets, and how many assists he dishes out. It’s a great way to look at a player’s overall performance because it takes all of his primary stats and compiles them into one number. An overall rating of 15.0 or greater means the player is at least 50% more effective than the average NBA player. Kevin Durant has the highest regular season PER in the NBA this year, at 28.6.
For this reason, you might want to look at the PERs of the two players and compare them. This way, you’ll know how much more effective the University of Kentucky is compared to the University of Virginia.
Matchup History
The last thing you want to do is bet on a team that you think is going to lose simply because they played a better game than your pick. To avoid this, you might want to look at a team’s history against the spread in the NCAA tournament. This number is generally a good indicator of how well a team will do in future tournament games. The more games the team wins, the more success they will have in the next tournament. For this reason, you might want to avoid backing the University of Virginia this year because they only have one win in the NCAA tournament so far. On the other hand, the University of Kentucky has multiple tournament victories. This is why they are the clear favorites in this year’s Kentucky-Virginia game.
Over/Under Stats
It’s always a good idea to check the over/under stats when you’re deciding which team to back. This number simply refers to the amount of points that you think the game will end up being scored by. For example, if the total is set at 100, then you’d want to bet on the under because you think the game will end up being more boring than expected. This is especially effective when using this method because the line changes often, which means the odds will always be in your favor.
Matchup Analysis
The chances of an upset are always good when you’re picking the underdog in the NCAA tournament. However, there isn’t much in the way of upset possibilities this year. The reason is that the favorites are all so balanced. As a result, you’re not going to find many underdogs that have a realistic chance of winning.
In this situation, it’s best to try and find the one or two most important games that can determine the outcome of the entire tournament. For example, Wisconsin fans probably wanted to see Notre Dame upset the Badgers in the first round. However, the Irish haven’t played any meaningful games this year, and the same can be said about the Badgers. Similarly, North Carolina fans probably want to see Duke upset North Carolina in the first round. However, the same can be said about the Tar Heels this year. Finding these key games can be a challenge, but it’s very worthwhile because it means you’ll be able to earn lots of money from a game that you thought would be closer to an even matchup. Just remember, in these situations, if you’re looking for a long shot, then take the favorite. The bigger the favorite, the bigger the long shot.