Zeroing in on Conferences
You've probably heard the phrase "Jack of All Trades and Master of None." Unfortunately, that's an apt description for a number bettors who wager on college sports.
Simply stated, many bettors try to study each and every college football or basketball team and what they're left with is very little knowledge about each one. There are simply too many teams for the average handicapper to try and keep track of, especially since the vast majority of bettors also wager on professional sports.
What most bettors should do is to concentrate on two or three conferences, so they get to know the teams and their tendencies fairly well.
Choosing a conference nearby is usually a logical choice, as there should be a fair amount of news available about the teams and there are likely to be a number of televised games or games available on the radio.
Choosing a smaller conference is also something that many serious bettors will do, as there is greater chance for a bad line to be posted. A game between two small schools in the Midwest will draw far less attention than a game between two SEC teams. A general rule in sports betting is the bigger the game, the better the line will be.
Becoming knowledgeable about several conferences is especially helpful during the college basketball season, when it's possible for there to be more than 100 games played on a Saturday. Trying to handicap them all is usually a bit much for most bettors, who in their zeal to look over all the games, may miss several good wagering opportunities.
Edward Golden, from Right Angle Sports, which is one of the most respected college basketball sports services around, has made a nice living by focusing on college totals and the smaller NCAA conferences. He stays away from professional sports altogether, and his approach has served him well.
While this strategy is primarily for college sports, it will work with all sports. There are baseball bettors who concentrate on one league and others who will choose one football, basketball or hockey conference, as well.
Generally those bettors who live in the east will choose the Eastern Conference, while bettors living in the west, will choose the Western Conference. It makes sense that bettors in the east would not want to stay awake for the completion of games that don't begin until 10:30 p.m. in their time zone, while games played on the east coast begin at 4:30 p.m. for bettors out west.
It may seem like you're passing up a number of betting opportunities, which you are, but what you're really trying to do is narrow down the field, and zero in on the better opportunities, which will serve your bankroll the best in the long run.
