One of the best things about the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament is that everyone - or at least everyone that's considered among the top 65 college hoop teams - gets a fresh start in March.
That's true for bettors, as well, who are presented with an opportunity to match wits and cash with bleary-eyed oddsmakers and bookmakers when they're most vulnerable. With the Selection Committee forced to wait until late Sunday afternoon before announcing the Tournament's pairings and brackets, price makers only have about three hours to dispense 32 pointspreads and an equal number of totals to a wagering public that is eager to pounce on those numbers.
While time, or an absence of it, can be a bettor's ally, that advantage is magnified if the player also considers a variety of factors that differentiate the college basketball tournament from the regular season:
Strange Bedfellows: Oddsmakers have a difficult time matching teams that not only have never played each other but have few or no common opponents. For example, when Oklahoma, the top seed in the Midwest last year, played South Carolina State in the first round, the Sooners were favored by 25 points. Was that the right number or should the spread have been 30, or maybe only 20? Oklahoma won, 71-54, but did not cover.
On the other hand, another 25-point favorite, Arizona, the top team in the West Regional, covered against its opponent, Vermont, 80-51, in an opening round game.
The point is, when it comes to matching traditional powerhouses against second or third tier programs, many of which haven't been on the board all year, there's not only ample margin for error, but great opportunity for the player who recognizes those mistakes. The advantage for the gambler is that while books are obligated to post odds on every game, bettors can play only those where they believe they have an edge.
Out of Site: Theoretically, all NCAA Tournament games are played at neutral sites. But would the Orangemen have even made it to the Final Four if last year's East Regional were not played at the Pepsi Center in Albany, a snowball's throw from Syracuse? Check those brackets! While not technically playing at home, some teams will enjoy regional advantages that could spell the difference in a tight game, as it did for Syracuse in a 79-78 victory over Auburn in Albany last March.
Pray to Guard: Because pressure, both physical and psychological, plays such a large role in the Tournament, it's difficult to win without composure and experience at pointguard. Before wagering, check to see which teams have it and which teams don't.
Tempo: "Pace makes race," goes the saying on the racetrack but it's even truer at the Big Dance where a gap in talent makes those style differences more important. Some teams like to run; others prefer a deliberate style of play. Some teams shoot a lot of treys while others feed the post, attack the rim and pick up points on the foul line. The team that wins the battle of tempo also is likely to win the game. Determining which team will dictate the pace can help a bettor decide which team to bet.
Hedging: Lucky is the bettor who still has a few prime contenders among his future book ducats. Holding tickets on a couple of teams provides the player with the versatility to hedge his future book bets either by wagering against his teams on the money line or playing other teams to win various regions.
Here's a look at the changing fortunes of the future book. For current odds, please visit
The Greek Sportsbook web site.
ODDS TO WIN THE 2004 NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
