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Prior planning prevents poor performance, as the old saying goes, and it’s good advice in every facet of life. But as we’ve seen in every facet of life, people don’t always follow good advice.
March Madness generally refers to the NCAA Tournament, but there’s still plenty of insanity that goes on the entire month, beginning with the conference championships, and that is as good a time as any to at least take personal stock in a plan of attack.
Just how much preparation needs to be done depends on the types of wagering one intends to undertake. Still, whether it’s just filling out a bracket or two for the office pool or betting a healthy chunk of your bankroll, it never hurts to make – and follow – a plan.
Let’s Start at the Beginning
Of course, the best time to have begun preparations for March Madness betting was last November when the season started, but let me guess, you were too busy to worry about college basketball then while you tried to coax your pathetic fantasy football team into the playoffs.
You may have told yourself, “I’ve got plenty of time to pick up on the hardwood action, and the real games don’t even begin until March.” Well, it is now March, and sportsbooks are more than ready to take your money, Mr. Procrastination.
There’s simply too many games to go back and cram for the dance, but it is possible to go back and check out how some of the early tournaments went and how some teams performed in events such as the Maui Invitational, Battle 4 Atlantis and Myrtle Beach Invitational, just to name a few.
The bracketed tournaments with at least eight teams are the best since the teams usually play three games over a span of 3-4 days, not only giving bettors ideas on the physical conditioning of the players, but the mental conditioning and game-planning abilities of the coaches.
Study How Teams Perform in Final Few Weeks
For those bettors who didn’t pull a procrastination act and have been following along all season, watching how teams get to the finish line of the regular season is on your minds right now, not only for how seeds shake out for league tourneys but where a team is mentally and physically.
A tough loss – especially in a nasty rivalry – can send a team spiraling into a serious malaise of discontent and lethargy, and it’s tough to get that edge back quickly when the conference tournaments or March Madness begin.
Conversely, the team that wins those tough games, or closes on a 3-game win streak to move up one spot and earn a 1st-round bye in a conference tournament, can strut into the arenas walking three feet off the court with their renewed vigor.
It’s also worth noting how a team is performing as far as the NCAAB odds in the closing few weeks of a regular season schedule. Does a surge in ‘overs’ signal defensive problems? Did a string of ATS losses coincide with an injury to a key player?
Go back and look at the starters a coach put on the floor in November, and how that group compares to the staters in February and March. The change in player rotations and how a freshman may have grown into his role are key indicators for a team’s March success.
Conference Tournaments a Must
Going into the 2023 Big East Tournament, UConn was on a roll. Dan Hurley and the Huskies had survived a tough patch in December and January, and found their groove with eight wins in the last nine regular season games.
That roll hit a minor speedbump in the league tourney with a loss to Marquette in the semifinals, one short stretch in the second half costing the Huskies in that game. But even with the close loss, UConn was on a mission.
Following the conference tournaments is imperative to make the winning picks for those bettors who intend to seriously play the big dance.
It’s impossible to watch all of the action, and for those bettors who have been closely following the Power 6 conferences that get the vast majority of television coverage, catching up on the mid-majors is the way to go. In case anyone forgot, San Diego State and Florida Atlantic made up half of the 2023 Final Four.
Discipline & a Reputable Book
It should go without saying, or perhaps it should have been the first thing said, but maintaining a disciplined approach to wagering is essential to making winning picks… and having bankroll left for when those picks are upended.
And no matter how disciplined a bettor is, or how much research and preparation has been put into March Madness, if they are not playing with a reputable sportsbook, it’s all for naught. Let that be where you begin your research before wagering dollar one.
