You’ve probably got one on your cellphone right now. It’s the tiny digital creature that lives in your Instagram feed, eagerly awaiting the next photo opportunity. It’s followed you around for ages, hoping for another chance to be the center of attention. Maybe you’ve even found yourself wondering what it is that people are so obsessed with on social media.
It’s the NCAA Tournament.
Get out of town quickly if you want to keep your money. The 2019 NCAA Tournament runs through April 7th and there are a lot of places eager to take your money. The field of 68 is split into four sections of 32 teams. The top 16 qualify for the tournament and there are a variety of betting opportunities available. You can bet on the winner, the total number of points scored, or simply take a shot on who will score the most points in each game.
Why Bet On The NCAA Tournament?
The National Association of Collegiate Diabetics hosts the tournament each year and it’s grown into one of the biggest annual celebrations of the college basketball season. Between March Madness and the Stanley Cup playoffs, you’ll have your pick of betting opportunities. The NCAA Tournament is a good choice because there is generally less competition and less uncertainty as to who will make it to the end. In general, the betting public is most interested in sports that have lesser known brackets. People want to make sure they get everything right and there are fewer mistakes in these types of tournaments. If you want to get some cash back at the end, you can do so with less chance of losing your money. It’s the smart choice in terms of pure odds.
Which Team Do You Bet On In The NCAA Tournament ?
To start things off on the right foot, you’re going to want to avoid taking North Carolina Tar Heels at all costs. The UNC basketball team is one of the most successful in the country and they’ve got a good chance of winning it all this year. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for their opponents. The favorites in each game are listed first, with the teams they’ll be playing against after that. If you’re looking for an upset, take Virginia Cavaliers or Gonzaga Bulldogs, otherwise, look for the favorites in each game.
What Is The Point Spread In NCAA Tournament Games?
You’ll find point spreads listed for each game and they’re generally the amount by which the favorite will prevail. For example, the New Mexico State Aggies are 9.5-points underdogs against the Virginia Cavaliers. This means that the Cavaliers are favored to win by 9.5 points. If you’re playing on the internet, you can often get odds of around 0.5 or 1.0 points depending on the number of teams involved. For more information on point spreads, check out this article from our partners at BestBettingAdvice.com .
What Is The Total Point Score In NCAA Tournament Games?
While point spreads measure the excitement of a game, total points measure the overall winner. Each team gets a certain number of points based on how they performed in the season (with some exceptions, such as Notre Dame, which got rid of their scoring system this year and is simply playing to keep their NCAA Tournament eligibility). For example, the Texas A&M Aggies are rated the No. 4 team in the country, winning games by up to 17 points. Their closest rival, the LSU Tigers are rated No. 6 and they’ve got a fairly safe margin of victory with a typical game by 7 points. The higher the overall rank, the greater the competition and the larger the potential payout if you’re lucky enough to pick the winner. In terms of pure odds, take the higher ranked side. The Tournament score is also a good choice because it generally tracks less games, cutting down on the potential for upsets. You’ll notice that many bookmakers offer lines on both the total point and point spread for the NCAA Tournament.
Who Will Score The Most Points In Each Game?
Each game of the tournament is worth two points. This means that a team will score 0.5 points for each of their wins and their losses will score 1 point each. After the first 16 games, the top sixteen teams will be paired off and the winners will advance to the Sweet 16. The points in the first round are paid out as soon as the games are over. In the 2018 NCAA Tournament, for example, the first round matchups were generally close, with just seven of the forty eight games decided by more than ten points. The higher the seed, the better the chance of winning and the greater the payout. In terms of pure odds, take the highest seed. In the event of a knockout, the team with the most points at the end of the game wins. Here’s a list of the top four point scoring games from the 2018 tournament:
- Virginia Cavaliers vs. New Mexico State Aggies: Virginia won 76-73 in a close match that came down to the wire. New Mexico State had a 14-point lead in the second half and it looked like they would claim their first NCAA victory. Then Virginia took over. They scored 18 straight points in the final minute of regulation time and blew the game wide open in the first half of overtime. Virginia went on to win the whole tournament. What a performance!
- Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. Duke Blue Devils: The Bulldogs upset the No. 1-seeded Blue Devils 71-70 in double overtime. That’s right, the Bulldogs pulled off the upset of the decade. Before the season started, no one gave Gonzaga a chance in the NCAA Tournament. Then, Duke stumbled off to a poor start and the rest is history. The Bulldogs advanced to the Sweet 16 and finished the tournament ranked No. 4. What an incredible run!
- Villanova Wildcats vs. Michigan Wolverines: This was perhaps the closest game of the entire tournament. Villanova actually led by 1.5 points with less than a minute remaining in regulation. Then, Michigan’s Jordan Poole hit a dagger three pointer, sending the game into overtime. In the end, it was a matter of inches as to who would hit the three-pointer first. With Michigan’s defense playing heroics, Poole caught the last bit of air, securing the win for the Wildcats.
- LSU Tigers vs. Michigan Wolverines: The LSU Tigers pulled off another upset, knocking off the No. 1-seeded Wolverines 71-68. It was another close game in the 2017 NCAA Tournament, with the winner being decided by one point. The Tigers took advantage of a weak Wolverine defense and got out to a 17-point first-half lead. Then, the Wolverines pulled it back to a 68-67 lead with less than a minute remaining. But then LSU’s Jacque Reid drained two free throws, securing the upset for the Tigers.
As you can see, upsets are more prevalent in the NCAA Tournament than in most other sports. The public is always looking for a chance at the underdog story and with less competition and fewer mistakes in the NCAA Tournament, it’s an ideal place for them to find it. More often than not, the higher ranked team wins and the greater the odds of making a lot of money. If you’re a sports bettor looking to make some picks, the NCAA Tournament is generally a good place to start.