College Basketball Handicapping Articles

2014 SEC Predictions and College Basketball Betting Odds
by Robert Ferringo - 11/11/2014

The hype surrounding Kentucky heading into last season was comical. They were posted as the clear-cut favorite to cut down the nets in Arlington, and some idiots in the bobblehead media were having preseason discussions about whether or not Kentucky could go undefeated. It was asinine. And I was one of the only college basketball analysts in the country tabbing them as a sucker bet to win a national title.

College Basketball Handicapping: NCAA Preseason Rankings vs. National Title Odds
by George Monroy - 11/6/2014

The college basketball season is set to begin on Nov. 14 with the Top 7 teams in the preseason rankings all hosting tune-up games to open the year. This season should be a year of parity as there are no real powerhouses that stand out. There may be 10 to 12 excellent teams, with a couple probably following into the “elite” category, but even Kentucky, with its annual greatest-freshmen-class-ever hype is probably not as good as the media and sportsbooks will make them out to be.

2014 Pac-12 Predictions and College Basketball Betting Odds
by Robert Ferringo - 11/4/2014

For the past several years I have been screaming to anyone who’ll listen that the Pac-12 has been woefully underrated on the national college hoops scene. It wasn’t a particularly novel plea; the East Coast Bias is a very real media phenomenon, and it only makes sense that it would extend to something like college basketball. But I felt like that bias was having a tangible effect on the league as schools were either snubbed by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee or were grossly underseeded when the brackets were announced.

2014 Big Ten Predictions and College Basketball Betting Odds
by Robert Ferringo - 10/29/2014

The Big Ten can add as many teams as it likes – it’s not getting any better as a basketball conference. Maryland and Rutgers will be making their maiden voyages in the Big Ten this year, boosting the league’s total membership to 14 teams. However, both are expected to be bottom-tier finishers in the conference and will bring about the same amount of cache to the Big Ten as they have in football. (Which is to say: none.)

2014 ACC Predictions and College Basketball Betting Odds
by Robert Ferringo - 10/29/2014

Despite its cumbersome construction, the ACC is becoming to college basketball what the SEC is to college football: the clear-cut No. 1 league in the land. The Tobacco Road Trio has joined forces with the upper crust of the old Big East to form another hoops mega-conference. And the battle for the league title will once again feature a who’s who of the sports elite players and coaches.

2014 Big 12 Predictions and College Basketball Betting Odds
by Robert Ferringo - 10/29/2014

Spoiler alert: Kansas is going to win the Big 12 again this year. I’m not exactly going out on a limb with that college basketball prediction. The Jayhawks have won an astounding 10 straight Big 12 Championships and have dominated one of the premier college hoops conferences in the country. They are the definition of a powerhouse program, and it should be another banner year in Lawrence.

2014 Big East Predictions and College Basketball Betting Odds
by Robert Ferringo - 10/29/2014

The Real Big East, the conference that redefined and dominated college basketball for most of the past two decades, is dead. What remains is a 10-team Catholic League. It is a who’s who of teams that haven’t been relevant in the NCAA Tournament the last 25 years.

College Basketball National Championship Betting Odds: Best Bets
by Robert Ferringo - 10/20/2014

The Connecticut Huskies, a team that started the season outside the Top 15 with no national buzz, cut down the nets at AT&T Stadium in Arlington last April as the 2013-14 National Champions. They seemingly came out of nowhere, and at the start of last season absolutely no one saw UConn as a realistic title threat.

NCAA Basketball National Championship Futures Odds: Sucker Bets
by Robert Ferringo - 10/20/2014

There are two ways to peg the most overrated teams in college basketball at the beginning of the season. The first is the preseason Top 25, which is usually based more on rewarding flagship programs and glad-handing big-name coaches than it is an attempt to actually project the best 25 teams in the country.

2015 College Basketball National Championship Contenders with Futures Odds and Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 4/9/2014

The nets were just cut down to end the 2014 Final Four two days ago, so it is ridiculously early to be looking ahead to 2015. Players haven’t completely made their draft decisions yet, and we haven’t seen next year’s freshmen in action, so we are making a whole lot of guesses at this time when we look forward. Sportsbook.ag has posted futures odds, though, so it’s at least worth a look. Here is some of the interesting value — and bad ideas — that stand out for 2015 college basketball National Championship contenders:

NCAA Basketball Betting and Handicapping: Scouting the Week Ahead
by Alan Matthews - 3/11/2014

It's Championship Week, or whatever clever little moniker ESPN is using these days for conference tournament action. All the legitimate National Championship contenders are simply playing for seeding. It would appear that three of the top four seeds in the Big Dance are occupied by Florida, Wichita State and Arizona. The Shockers, shockingly, could be the No. 1 overall seed should the Gators lose early in the SEC Tournament. WSU is already through the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament with its unbeaten record intact.

2014 SEC Tournament Picks and College Basketball Predictions
by Robert Ferringo - 3/10/2014

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: when it comes to college basketball the SEC is one hell of a football conference. Conference realignment has forced many conferences to be leaner and denser with quality college hoops action. The Big 12, Big East and the newly-formed American Athletic Conference are each perfect examples of the trend in action. However, the SEC appears to be regressing and is as bloated and sloppy as it has ever been.

2014 Big 12 Tournament Picks and College Basketball Predictions
by Robert Ferringo - 3/10/2014

As many as eight of the 10 teams in the Big 12 Conference could find themselves in the NCAA Tournament next weekend. As such, this week’s Big 12 Tournament could be considered a preview of next week’s Big Dance rather than just a settling ground for a few regional scores.

2014 Pac-12 Tournament Picks and College Basketball Predictions
by Robert Ferringo - 3/10/2014

College basketball bettors in Las Vegas are going to have front row seats – literally – to one of the best conference tournaments in the country this week when the Pac-12 tournament gets underway. The Pac-12 Tournament begins Wednesday, March 12. It is being held in the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, and the champion will be crowned on Saturday.

Kansas Jayhawks Odds to Win 2014 NCAA Tournament with Picks and Predictions
by George Monroy - 3/10/2014

The Kansas Jayhawks struggled through parts of the regular season, but they finished the year with a 23-8 overall record and the No. 8 ranking in the AP Top 25. The Big 12 Champions are also receiving a lot of love from the oddsmakers as they continue to be the second favorite to win this year’s national title. Kansas may be the most talented team in the nation and could have the top two picks in this summer’s NBA Draft, which also explains why the squad never fell too far from the top of national title futures odds this season.

Florida Gators Odds to Win 2014 NCAA Tournament with Picks and Predictions
by George Monroy - 3/10/2014

The Florida Gators are set to head into the NCAA Tournament as the overall No. 1 seed and have not dropped a game since their one-point loss to Connecticut way back in early December. Florida still has the pressing business of actually winning the SEC tournament before Billy Donovan and his squad embark on the road to another National Championship. However, if the Gators happen to actually lose a game before then, the team will probably still remain a No. 1 seed even if it falls behind undefeated Wichita State and two-loss Arizona in the overall rankings.

College Basketball Handicapping: Betting Conference Tournaments Tips and Advice
by Trevor Whenham - 3/10/2014

We are in a time of transition in college basketball. The regular season has ended, and teams are looking to secure their postseason fates through their conference tournaments. These tournaments can present some great betting opportunities, but they also offer some unique betting challenges. Here are six factors to consider when looking to handicap conference tournaments:

College Basketball Handicapping: My Worst Players in the Nation List
by Robert Ferringo - 3/7/2014

This week I filled out my ballot for selecting college basketball All-Americans as well as offered my vote for National Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year and Coach of the Year. It’s difficult every year, but I feel pretty confident with my selections.

2014 Missouri Valley Tournament Basketball Picks with Odds and MVC Predictions Doc's Sports
by Robert Ferringo - 3/4/2014

It’s time to dance. The Missouri Valley Conference Tournament begins this Thursday and marks the beginning of one of the most frenetic and enjoyable times on the sports calendar. Arch Madness will take place from March 6 to March 9 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, with the winner earning the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

NCAA Basketball Handicapping: Louisville Flying Under the Radar
by Trevor Whenham - 3/4/2014

It would be tough for a defending National Champion to be more under the radar than Louisville has been this year — especially a well-regarded program sitting in the Top 10 nationally. It’s not that they have been forgotten, but despite their experience they aren’t being talked about as a top-level tournament contender. Sportsbook.ag has them installed as just the 10th choice to win it all at +2000. So, should they be somewhat overlooked? Or are they unfairly being overlooked? It’s a question without an easy answer.