College Basketball Handicapping Articles

College Basketball Handicapping: Betting Conference Games
by T.O. Whenham - 12/31/2009

The turn of the calendar to a new year means the dawn of conference play in most of the major conferences in college basketball. For bettors, that means that our mindsets need to turn the page as well. Conference basketball is very different than non-conference play, and the successful bettors are the ones who can recognize and adapt to the changes.

NCAA Hoops Betting: Under the Radar
by Christopher G. Shepard - 12/30/2009

Now that the holidays are about over it’s time for college basketball to turn its attention to conference play. The best team against the spread in non-conference play has been Texas, who marched out to a 12-0 SU record and 8-1 ATS, earning Longhorns’ backers +690 return on their investment.

College Basketball Handicapping: Leveraging Coaching Tendencies
by Christopher G. Shepard - 12/23/2009

In college basketball players come and go, but the one thing that remains constant for successful programs are the head coaches. For the gambler it can feel like once you get to know a team’s grit (and their cheerleaders) the players are gone soon enough and the cheerleaders have packed on 20 pounds, but it is the head coaches who give each team their personality.

College Basketball Handicapping: Key Players Joining Teams
by Robert Ferringo - 12/22/2009

USC lost to the No. 1 team in the country, Kansas, by 19 points on the road back on Dec. 3. Then transfer Mike Gerrity became eligible on Dec. 18 and started for the Trojans the next day against No. 6 Tennessee at home. And wouldn’t you know, the Trojans hammered the Vols by 22 with Gerrity notching 12 points, 10 assists and five rebounds.

Most Disappointing College Basketball Teams
by T.O. Whenham - 12/22/2009

Most conferences haven't started league play yet in college basketball, and those that have are only at the beginning. That means that almost all teams in the country are still theoretically in contention for a NCAA Tournament bid. Despite that, there are a lot of teams that are all but eliminated, and several that are a lot further away from a potential tournament spot than they were supposed to be at this point.

College Basketball Handicapping: Top 10 Transfers
by Robert Ferringo - 12/21/2009

To this point in the season there has not been a single addition in college basketball that has had a more dramatic impact on his team than Wesley Johnson. By now you should know that the 6-9 swing forward transferred in from Iowa State and, after sitting out the mandatory year, has burst into the Big East and transformed Syracuse from a team with major question marks brought on by defection to a team that is now one of the favorites for a slot in Indianapolis.

Saturday College Basketball Preview: North Carolina-Texas Preview
by Robert Ferringo - 12/18/2009

North Carolina has been struggling to live up to the respect that they have earned as the defending national champions. This weekend Texas is looking to earn a little respect for itself, at UNC’s expense, as they try to make a run at a National Championship

College Basketball Handicapping: 10 Impact Freshmen
by Robert Ferringo - 12/18/2009

In my humble opinion, freshmen are always the most overrated aspect of college basketball. It’s easy for fans, media bobbleheads, and bettors to get sucked into the Hype of this guy or that guy or whoever is supposed to become the next basketball Jesus. Hype is the enemy of solid sports handicapping.

College Basketball Handicapping: Teams That Should Excel in Conference
by T.O. Whenham - 12/18/2009

We are about to enter a transition period in college basketball. The conference season is about to start, and teams are down to their final few non-conference games. Handicapping the conference season isn't as easy as taking the non-conference record and extrapolating it.

College Basketball Handicapping: Big West is ATS Cash Cow
by Robert Ferringo - 12/9/2009

So what would you say if I told you that the Big West is better than the Pac-10 this year? “Of course that is rubbish,” you would say. “Teams like Pacific and Riverside would be buried in the Pac-10 even in a down year. Any one of the teams from the Pac-10 would carve a path of destruction and desecration through the Big West, blasting opponents left and right for the better part of the winter.

College Basketball Handicapping: Syracuse-Florida Preview
by Robert Ferringo - 12/9/2009

I like to say that sports handicapping is mathematics, not magic. But one formula that even I haven’t fully been able to grasp and predict is addition by subtraction. And this year the Syracuse Orange and Florida Gators are perfect examples of how this equation can mean big bucks for their backers.

2009-2010 College Basketball Futures Odds and Predictions
by Robert Ferringo - 12/8/2009

Kansas and Texas started the season as the consensus favorites to cut down the nets in Indianapolis this April. And to this point neither has done much to make the general public think to the contrary. However, while I agree that those two schools are the clear No. 1 and No. 2 contenders I would also say that neither is even close to the shoo-in Final Four favorite that North Carolina was heading into last season.

College Basketball Handicapping: Best Unknown Players
by Robert Ferringo - 12/8/2009

Below, in alphabetical order, are my Top 11 best "unknown" players in college basketball. Now, to serious fans none of the names on this list will come as a surprise. But for a lot of casual fans and square bettors the players below may be some names that either you didn't realize or hadn't heard of.

Best College Basketball Teams Against the Spread
by T.O. Whenham - 12/8/2009

It's early in the college basketball season, but already some teams are establishing themselves as good friends to bettors. In some cases teams are only big against the spread successes until the public starts to catch on, but more often in college basketball it seems like teams that start out strong continue to reward their faithful backers. Here's a look at the five biggest ATS successes so far this season:

College Basketball Handicapping: Most Overrated Teams
by Robert Ferringo - 12/2/2009

The Hype Machine completely overheated and exploded in the offseason regarding John Calipari and the 2009-10 Kentucky Wildcats. And just about everyone in the country bought The Resurrection hook, line and sinker. They were instantly crowned as a preseason favorite to win the national title and they opened the season No. 5 in the ESPN/USA Today Poll and No. 4 in the Associated Press Poll.

College Basketball Handicapping: WCC No Longer One-Horse Race
by T.O. Whenham - 12/2/2009

I like and respect Gonzaga and all that they have accomplished in their long run of prominence. There is one problem, though - they have made the West Coast Conference, which used to be a pretty thrilling conference, incredibly boring. The Bulldogs have won nine of the last 11 WCC tournaments, and 11 of the last 12 regular season titles, including the last nine in a row.

College Basketball Handicapping: Butler Overrated
by Robert Ferringo - 12/1/2009

So far this season the Bulldogs are just 1-5 against the spread, a great indicator of a team getting too much love. And it isn’t just that they aren’t covering spreads, it’s been their overall performance. Other than a blowout win over a wounded Northwestern squad this team has been pretty bad.

College Basketball Handicapping: Big Ten Once Again Overrated
by Robert Ferringo - 11/30/2009

I was almost sucked into all of the hype surrounding the Big Ten as a college basketball conference. Anyone who knows me or has read much of my writing knows that I think that the Big Ten sucks at everything. (And by “everything” I mean hoops and football.) And I have had a jolly good time mocking and ridiculing their every flop and flounder over the past several years, while also collecting against the overrated schools that populate the league.

College Basketball Second Half Betting
by T.O. Whenham - 11/19/2009

Betting on the second half of college basketball games isn't a primary way of betting for many bettors, but smart bettors know that, in some circumstances, it can be a powerful tool in your toolbox as you try to make a profit.

College Basketball handicapping: Freshman Class May Be One For Ages
by T.O. Whenham - 11/18/2009

The NBA's one-and-done rule may have it's share of problems, but one thing about it is gloriously clear - it has allowed us to enjoy some spectacular freshman performances in college basketball over the last four years that we wouldn't have otherwise seen. Guys like Kevin Durant, Michael Beasley, Derrick Rose, Tyreke Evans, O.J. Mayo, and Greg Oden never would have set foot on a college court without the rule, and college basketball was, in my view, clearly better for their presence.