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Football is King, but Basketball Can Be your Ace in the Hole
When I first started in this business, it was clear that football season was the “bread and butter” of the sports betting industry. Everybody bet football. There was office pools, school pools, parlay cards, and serious players. Back in the day, everyone “knew somebody” who get a bet down. If you got 100 sports bettors in a room, 20 would bet bases, 50 would bet hoops, and all 100 would bet football. Between the growing popularity of Las Vegas, televised sporting events, and the eruption of off-shore betting facilities, betting sports is much more common. Not just for the serious bettor, but the school kid, senior citizen, and the average husband and wife. Because of the popularity of off-shore gaming facilities and on-line betting sites, betting is at your fingertips.
There is a big difference to the sportsbooks between football and basketball. For starters, you can walk into any Vegas book and bet almost anything you want on a football Game. But walk into the same book and try to do the same on a basketball Game. It won’t happen. The books limit the amount you can bet on hoops. Ask yourself,” Why?”
Football has 119 NCAA board teams and 32 NFL teams that you can wager on. There aren’t any surprises. By that, I mean that in NCAAF everybody from the betting public, to the oddsmakers know everything about every team from USC to UNLV, and from the Patriot’s to the Lion’s. Between the internet and ESPN, every injury, or weather condition is known days before the Game is played. In hoops, there are so many college board teams that the oddsmakers actually have a hard time making an accurate line. Especially with some of the smaller, lesser known NCAA teams. Also, in basketball, the Game are played daily so an injury or suspension might not have positive status.
Most of your football Games are played over the weekend on Saturday and Sunday.. If you aren’t crazy about a Game, odds are you will play it anyway because it will be another week before you get action. Not to mention that if you lose an early Game, you will most likely double or “chase” your money just to get it back. In basketball, Games are 7 days a week. So if you don’t like something today, you probably will tomorrow.
The lines come out officially Sunday night for the following week of football. If there is an “off” line, the oddsmakers have a week to adjust it. They also have the benefit of knowing daily injury reports that will reflect in the number and know about any possible suspensions. In basketball, the lines come out officially each morning. this gives the oddsmakers less time to adjust a bad line or less time to react to a possible injury or suspension.
Streaks run very hot in basketball. Good teams win more while bad teams lose more. In football a very good team may win but not cover. A poor team may lose but cover the number. Don’t get me wrong, this can happen in hoops also, but not with the ups and downs as in football.
Basketball has an enormous amount of value in betting the smaller college schools.. The oddsmakers are familiar with the top 25 schools players. Their new recruits are already known from high school and from ESPN, not to mention Sports Illustrated. But many of the smaller schools have very talented unknown recruits. Especially the talent pool that play in the California circles.
Time is on basketball’s side. What I mean is that the baskets season lasts for over 9 months. Take into consideration that for about 38 weeks at 7 days a week there is action on hoops. Compared to the 20 weeks of football action, that has limited betting days for football. Put it this way…If you have a good football season and make money 50% of the time, break even 25% of the time, and lose money 25 % of the time, you have to figure about a 20% profit. In hoops, with the same premise, you will make alot more cash and have alot more action.
A smart player can make more money in 1 month of basketball then in an entire season of football. Don’t discriminate against what shape the ball is that you make your money on. This is supposed to be fun for you. But don’t you have more fun when you are making money. Thank you.
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