My sports betting news and picks recap for the week of March 15, 2021.
One year ago, the sports world was abuzz with the announcement that the Men’s NCAA Tournament would be cancelled. I remember where I was when I heard the news… and recall that being the moment that I knew the world would never be the same.
Between losses from ticket sales and its TV/marketing rights agreements, the NCAA estimates it lost somewhere between $600 and $800 million in revenue from the tournament’s cancellation. March Madness is the biggest money maker for the NCAA, which was determined to not allow that happen again this year.
The regular season was handled specifically with the goal of making it to March, no matter what. Hundreds of games were cancelled and some teams finish the year playing less than 15 games. We may have made it, but are stumbling to the finish line.
Just this week, Duke and defending National Champion Virginia, two college hoops powers, bowed out of their conference tournament due to a positive Covid test within the program.
Selection Sunday is upon us and the teams will all gather in the Indianapolis area to minimize transmission. All we can do is cross our fingers and hope for a safe and complete tournament.
As for betting…
Sports Betting News – March Madness is Here
The volume of during March Madness supersedes any other sports betting event. There will be plenty of opportunities for good positive expectancy wagers, so do not put all your eggs in one basket. I myself will place a dozen bets or more during this first round. Historically, I have done extremely well in the early round of the Dance. I particularly like placing first half wagers on underdogs, for a few reasons.
The first half is more of a pure number, because there are not garbage end of game fouls being committed like there are in the second half. I cannot tell you how many times I have lost bets that I was winning all game, due to fouls in the last 30 seconds by a team whose season is ending.
The marquee teams (Kansas, Duke, Gonzaga) are public favorites to bet, so there’s already is some value on the dogs they are facing.
Many of the smaller schools are so pumped just to be there that they come out of the locker room on fire. This is the game they will tell their grandkids about and that adrenaline may carry them through the first 10 plus minutes. Usually, in the second half you will see the talent/depth/strength of the stronger teams start to take over and wear down the lower seeds over the course of 40 minutes.
As we get into the Sweet Sixteen and the Elite Eight expect to be making fewer wagers. Lines get tougher as the tournament continues. So, I only wager on high percentage plays.
Just remember, bet with your head not over it, and do not get caught in all the hype and the craziness of March Madness.
There are now four channels showing all the games, day and night. Games start at 9:00 am Pacific and go until 9:00pm. As always, don’t bet a game just because it is in front of you on TV or next on the card. Your bankroll will be empty by the Sweet 16.
Sports Betting Picks Recap and Look-Ahead
This is a time of year to have fun and be grateful that Madness is back. However, if your primary goal is to make money, you have to be more measured and disciplined than ever.
Last week was another grind but we ended up ahead 2 units on the week. NCAAB went 7-5-1 (+2.9 units), Golf went 1-1 (-.6 units), NBA went 0-2-1 (-2.2 units), and the FCS Football went 3-2 (+1.9 units.)
The KrackWins Bracket Challenge is here.
It is free to enter with thousands of dollars in monthly subscriptions up for grabs. The top 20 winners get prizes. Go to https://bracket.krackwins.com now; and good luck!
