Free CBB Picks

College basketball season is a whirlwind of non-stop games, sometimes from morning until late at night. That's sports betting nirvana for those who like action while they watch. It's even a bigger bettor's paradise for those who are less interested in watching and more focused on winning and turning a profit.  The oddsmakers are forced to put up an endless array of numbers, from sides and totals to props and moneylines. A lot of those numbers are going to be accurate...but not all. There are so many teams and so many games that there will be countless edges against the spread - if you know where to look and what to look for.  

Why Use Free CBB Picks

Betting odds are calculated by stats and a sense of what any adjustments should be to that number. Those adjusted factors are any injuries surrounding the game if a team has a lack of rest, or if the game is more important for one club. It's not just with sides that are adjusted but totals, too.  If two powerhouse defensive teams are facing each other, the stats may suggest a total of 121, but the oddsmakers may have to tweak down a little more if first place in the conference is at stake or both teams struggle from the free throw line.   That's why successful sports bettors have to put a lot of time and thought into gathering information, knowing the teams, studying the matchups, and analyzing the lines. Adding Free CBB Picks to your handicapping regime helps streamline all that work to identify the top daily plays.  

Betting Value in Free CBB Picks

If a high-scoring college basketball team is facing a slow-down squad that focuses more on defense, that's a challenge for the oddsmakers. A high-scoring team probably isn't going to hit its usual 78-points-per-game average, but how much lower? The great defensive team probably isn't going to allow its 55-points-per-game defensive average, but how much more? This is where the oddsmakers have to use judgment and intuition.  If that run-and-gun group is Top 10 in the country winning by an average of 15 points per game, they'll likely be the favorite. But should they be 15-point favorites in a game where not that many points will be expected? Is 10 of 8 a better number for the side? An experienced handicapper can find those sweet spots in the actual betting lines. You do that by assessing multiple factors while weighing which ones are the most important.  

Wunderdog Free CBB Picks

I get down deep into the statistical matchups and combine that with an understanding of situations to project what the final score (and the betting line) should be. In a recent Basketball Championship Classic finale, I picked Fresno State as a small favorite over the home team, Coastal Carolina.   Coastal Carolina had lost two straight as a home dog and in my analysis, I wrote, "Coastal Carolina has stayed in games with terrific rebounding, but that edge may not be there vs. a Fresno State team that has won the battle of the boards in eight of their last 10 against stiffer competition."   Fresno State was shooting over 50% of late and I concluded that Coastal Carolina was in trouble. Fresno State won and covered, leading 47-29 at the half on the way to an 85-74 victory shooting 52.2%. It was the correct assessment on several levels resulting in the best kind of win - a wire-to-wire spread cover.  

Free CBB Picks vs. Premium Picks

Free College Basketball Picks Pros: 

• The reasons why a game will cover
• No money lost from your bankroll to get valuable data
• Adds more layers to your sports betting insight

Free College Basketball Picks Cons: 

• Burying past results casts doubt on website credibility
• Betting too high a percentage on one game than your bankroll can handle
• Key information and betting lines often change during the day

Premium College Basketball Picks Pros:

• An established betting service collects info from reliable sources
• Numerous situations and angles line up on the best plays
• The best bettors identify value not just on sides, but props team totals, moneylines, and college basketball parlays

Premium College Basketball Picks Cons:

• No data or reasons behind the pick
• Not every game has wagering value, so be careful with too many picks released
• Too little attention is given to a proper money management investment strategy

How To Win With Free CBB Picks

Plowing and Patience! That is, you win by plowing through as much information as you can on gameday, then approach the betting lines (and the entire season) with patience. Shop for the best lines and if they're not available, pass. Don't force a play simply because you prefer action on a TV game. Learn how to cope with losing. It will happen, but the key is to remain patient and even-keeled.   Bettors who get frustrated after a tough loss can let the emotion shake their confidence and get the idea that they need to double up on the next game. This is wrong and will lead to decreased bankrolls. Stick with the basics and patiently be open to learning new wagering strategies. There are a lot of them - along with a lot of weak betting numbers over the course of a season to exploit.  

Free CBB Picks Betting Strategy

Matchups

On-the-court matchups are one of several handicapping basics. You assess the starting five personnel to see if it's even or if there are advantages one team might have over another. It could be that one team is strong at rebounding with two guys who are 6-8 and 6-10 matching up against a weak rebounding team with a center who is 6-7.   It could be an aggressive defensive team that plays a lot of zone or full-court press against a sloppy opponent that turns the basketball over a lot. Since the betting line is pieced together on overall team stats, a matchup advantage can stand out favoring one team significantly.   In one recent season, I had +4 underdog NC Wilmington at High Point. NC Wilmington had excellent guard play and overall team defense. They had a winning record against Big South Conference opponents and were facing a .500 High Point squad that had just lost to South Carolina State as a 7-point favorite. NC Wilmington was in it all the way and eventually won in overtime, 71-69.  

Defensive Battles UNDER the total

Since the average fan prefers high-scoring games and leans toward OVERs, astute bettors can find advantages by looking at UNDERs that are getting less action or no action. Strong team defense begins with coaching. It's the coach who teaches players in practice how to defend and then demands it during games. If a player is lax defensively in a game, that coach will probably call a timeout and insert someone who will give him a better defensive effort.   This all shows up in team stats, such as points allowed and 3-point field goal defense. It also works the other way, too, looking at offenses that struggle with shooting. When Missouri played at Arkansas, I had UNDER 150.5 as they were the two worst 3-point shooting teams in the SEC. In addition, Mizzou was averaging just 56 points per game on the road on a 28-16 run UNDER the total away from home. It cashed easily as Missouri scored just 43 points shooting 29.2% from the field and 2-of-16 (12.5%) from long range. 

Conference Rivalries

Early-season college basketball action featured non-conference tilts that are often challenging for handicappers with big-name schools matched up against smaller conferences. But conference play has teams that are far more evenly matched. This allows handicappers to reference head-to-head matchups from this season and even last year.  Patterns will emerge, such as two coaches that demand defense with the head-to-head battles often low-scoring games. Or, home court will be a difference-maker, with one team winning 69-55 on its home court and in the rematch losing 75-66 on the road. In one recent campaign, Northern Iowa and Loyola Chicago finished one-two in the Missouri Valley Conference.   Northern Iowa won at home but lost at Loyola Chicago, 85-58, its worst defeat of the season. And when the two met for the third time in the conference tournament, it was a defensive game, 66-43. That often happens during tourney time with two strong defensive teams that know each other so well worth a look UNDER the total.  

Free CBB Picks Subscription

Winning against the spread is not magic or luck. It's about being prepared by doing the homework beforehand while knowing what to look for on the court and with the lines. All my releases feature in-depth analyses aimed at finding the choice betting value on the card.   The oddsmaking pros don't give money away. You need to be a handicapping pro to beat them on a regular basis. One way to hone your wagering skills is to sign up for my Free CBB Picks on a subscription service. It can help increase your handicapping expertise - and your betting bankroll.