Making NCAA picks is always an enjoyable experience because of the sheer number of college athletic programs out there. There’s a talent gap that can create some exciting games.
Here at Ballislife, we know making these NCAA predictions can be challenging, especially when betting odds, point spreads, and other fun ways of betting can involve some large numbers. Here, we’ll look at everything you need to know when making NCAA picks throughout the season.
The NCAA (the National Collegiate Athletic Association) is a nonprofit organization that oversees college athletics and is considered the “college sports league.” It is responsible for a large number of sports, the most popular of which to wager on are basketball and football.
Basketball sees plenty of betting action each year with March Madness, while football has 40+ bowl games to offer in addition to the College Football Playoff.
Let’s dive into the best ways to make NCAA picks and NCAA predictions.
A brief guide to NCAA betting - See if college betting is legal in your state
Depending on your state, college betting may be completely legal, prohibited, or permitted with some restrictions. Some of these restrictions could include a ban on wagering on teams located in the state. You may also find that you can’t make certain kinds of wagers such as prop bets.
We have an entire page dedicated to which states offer legal college sports betting, so check out those resources. Here are a few bet types you may come across when making your NCAA picks:
Moneyline betting: Wager on which team you think will win the game outright.
Point spread: The point spread is a number assigned to a game that illustrates the gap in power between two teams with the goal of making them “even.” This applies to basketball and baseball.
Totals: Wager on the number of points scored in a game.
Props: Props manifest themselves in three ways—game, team, and single-player. If you’ve heard of wagering on a player’s total points or touchdowns, this is considered a player prop.
Why trust our betting tips?
Ballislife is a site that provides you with up-to-date, well-thought-out, and fully researched analysis. Our team has a passion and love for sports, including ones that come under the NCAA umbrella. We know that we won’t get all of our NCAA predictions and NCAA upset predictions correct, but we believe that we do our absolute best to provide you guidance on your betting journey.
Our key to success: The tools we use to analyze the daily betting market
There are several ways that our experts analyze the daily betting markets. It would be worth your while to employ some of these habits.
1. Utilizing bonuses/promotions
Whether, for welcome bonuses or existing player promotions, there are always promotions to be had, especially if you’re in a state with multiple online sportsbooks. These will help you make the most of your NCAA picks and NCAA predictions since you’ll be able to take advantage of great deals.
2. View recent history
When the NCAA season begins, regardless of the sport, teams change throughout the season, whether it’s due to injuries, coaching staff switch-ups, or simply a drop in play. It’s essential to pay attention to what the team is doing now. This helps you make NCAA sleeper picks and, if you follow NCAA basketball, NCAA bracket picks.
3. Analyze key statistics
Since so many sports fall under the NCAA umbrella, it’s impossible to list all the statistics. Still, some basic ones include the following for basketball and football:
Basketball: Team PPG, Opponent PPG, defensive-based statistic, and offensive rebounds.
Football: Defensive-based statistics, quarterback performance, rushing statistics per game.
There are, of course, a lot more than that, but those are some basic statistics to get you started before you make your own NCAA expert picks.
4. Head-to-head statistics
Suppose you’re wagering on an NCAA sport where teams play each other multiple times. In that case, it’s worth looking into how they played against one another earlier in the year. If you can spot any differences between teams from then and now, it can help you make the most educated NCAA picks today. This methodology can also play a role in your NCAA tournament predictions.
First deposit only | 21+ & located in VA | Promo code as seen| A qualifying bet is $20 or more | Min odds of +120 or more | Free Bet Tokens credited after bet is settled and expire after 7 days | Free Bet stakes not included in winnings | Please Gamble Responsibly - Gambling Problem? VA: CALL 1-888-532-3500 | Full T&C apply
Bet $1 and Get $365 in Bonus Bets at bet365. Deposit required. Bonus Bets winnings are added to Bonus Bets balance. Bonus Bet wager excluded from returns. T&Cs, time limits and exclusions apply. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler 21+
Things you should think about before placing an NCAA bet
Betting is a thinking pastime. You need to know how to read the stats and have a back-up plan if things go awry. Here are some of the things to keep at the front of your mind before placing your NCAA bet.
Getting the best odds: If you’re in a state with multiple sportsbooks, browse to see if you’re able to get that 0.5 points more on your NCAA picks against the spread or slightly better betting odds for any NCAA picks today.
Visit the promotions page: If you’ve found a site you like playing at, monitor the promotions page to see if there’s anything new posted that you can use to enhance the payout on your NCAA predictions. Some sportsbooks also offer odds boosts that are available for NCAA betting.
Monitor betting odds: When looking at the point spread or total betting odds, if you see something that’s away from the standard -110, this means that it could eventually change, especially if it reaches -115 or -105.
Strategy for when a bet goes poorly: When a bet goes poorly, what will you do? You can take the loss, sure, but you can also monitor the cash-out amount (at available sportsbooks) or utilize live betting to hedge your wagers.
Our top 5 tips for finding your favorite sportsbook for NCAA
In addition to our NCAA betting picks, we’ll provide you with a suggested sportsbook. However, everyone has their own preferences. If you’re interested in looking elsewhere, that’s fine, but keep the following five tips in mind when doing so.
Welcome bonus
Check out the welcome bonus to see if it’s something you can actually take advantage of. For example, suppose it’s a deposit bonus with massive wagering requirements. In that case, that won’t benefit you unless you plan on playing there for some time. If you’re looking for a one-off betting experience, consider a sportsbook that has a welcome bonus of a no-sweat bet.
Check out the promotions page
Again, always check promotions. Does the site have a great welcome bonus and an NCAA-relevant promotion? Double-dip for more cash.
Download the app and try it out
Nothing is worse than a clunky mobile app. Thankfully, we have plenty of sportsbook reviews that you can check out, but try it out for yourself to ensure it works well—this can be the difference between placing a bet and missing out before the game starts.
Betting markets
Not all online sportsbooks are the same—some have a wide variety of market options, and others don’t. Check to see what’s available to be wagered on ahead of time.
Payment options
Well, if you can’t deposit money because the sportsbook doesn’t accept your preferred method of deposit, that’s certainly not good. On top of that, check the available withdrawal methods to ensure you can collect those NCAA picks winnings.
Useful NCAA betting tip vocabulary
Like in any sub-culture, learning the jargon is important if you want to thrive in the environment. When it comes to betting on the NCAA, there is specific terminology that you should familiarize yourself with. Explore the list below:
Parlays: A parlay is wagering on multiple contests on one betslip instead of separately. For a parlay to settle as a win, all contests must win. If even one leg loses, you lose overall.
Same game parlay: The same as a traditional parlay, focusing only on a single game.
Legs: This is the term used to describe the number of contests on a parlay betslip.
Futures: Wager on the results of an event happening in the future, such as the College Football National Champion or NCAA Tournament winner.
Push: This is the term used to describe a tie in betting. You'll push if you bet on something with a -2 point spread and that team wins by two. This means you’ll get your original wager back but no other funds.
Juice: The juice is the number of points added to betting odds that go beyond -100. So, if something is -120, the -20 is the “juice”—it’s somewhat like a commission for taking the bet.
Hook: If you ever see a 0.5 point added onto the spread or total, that’s what is defined as the hook.
Hedge: This means protecting yourself against a loss by getting involved in other betting scenarios to mitigate the initial bet.
Underdog: This is the team that’s not favored to win. It’s marked with a “+” on the betting odds or point spread.
ATS: This is an abbreviation for “against the spread.” It’s also a statistic that appears in record form, indicating a team's performance. So, a team could be 1-10 on the season but 7-3 ATS.
Backdoor cover: A backdoor cover is when you manage to cover the spread in the waning seconds of the game, but it has no bearing on the outcome, such as a layup down by four or a field goal when down by 10.
Teaser: A teaser appears in multiple forms depending on the sport, but the concept is to exchange point spread points in a parlay wager to make a bet, theoretically, easier. For example, if you have two basketball teams with spreads of -2.5 and -5, you could do a four-point teaser, and the new point spreads become +1.5 and -1, respectively. This does impact betting odds.
First deposit only | 21+ & located in VA | Promo code as seen| A qualifying bet is $20 or more | Min odds of +120 or more | Free Bet Tokens credited after bet is settled and expire after 7 days | Free Bet stakes not included in winnings | Please Gamble Responsibly - Gambling Problem? VA: CALL 1-888-532-3500 | Full T&C apply
Bet $1 and Get $365 in Bonus Bets at bet365. Deposit required. Bonus Bets winnings are added to Bonus Bets balance. Bonus Bet wager excluded from returns. T&Cs, time limits and exclusions apply. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler 21+
Conclusion - all you need to know to make the best NCAA picks
NCAA betting is some of the most exciting sports wagering in the country. It’s a league showcasing tomorrow's stars that we’ll see in our favorite professional sports.
After leaving this guide, we hope you learned some key terminology, what to do before placing a bet, and how to find your next favorite NCAA betting site.
We update this page regularly, so make sure to bookmark and check in as we update everything about making the best NCAA picks.
First deposit only | 21+ & located in VA | Promo code as seen| A qualifying bet is $20 or more | Min odds of +120 or more | Free Bet Tokens credited after bet is settled and expire after 7 days | Free Bet stakes not included in winnings | Please Gamble Responsibly - Gambling Problem? VA: CALL 1-888-532-3500 | Full T&C apply
Bet $1 and Get $365 in Bonus Bets at bet365. Deposit required. Bonus Bets winnings are added to Bonus Bets balance. Bonus Bet wager excluded from returns. T&Cs, time limits and exclusions apply. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler 21+
Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.
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