BY HARRY BONDI
Everybody – even casual college hoop fans – loves March Madness.
But do you know who enjoys this time of year even more than the secretary who will win your office pool, even though she doesn’t know Duke from Duquesne?
Your bookie.
That’s right, nobody is looking forward more to the next couple weeks than the sportsbooks. Because this is the week when guys who haven’t watched any sports since the Super Bowl all of a sudden think they are Joe Lunardi. They think they are being cute by taking a 12 seed to beat a 5 seed and they bet aggressively. They get caught up in the action and by Saturday’s Second Round not only are their brackets busted, but their betting bankroll is long gone, as well.
So, take it from someone who has been betting sports professionally for over three decades. If you want to turn March Madness into Big Money, read my suggestions below. It’s why Basketball “Steam Team” members have won 67% of their March Madness picks over the last 11 years!
Call me today at 1.877.332.0077 and I will give you every basketball pick — both NBA and college — we release from today through the Final Four on April 5 for JUST $300!
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1. Pick Your Spots
The first two days of the NCAA Tournament are the most dangerous because the action is hot and heavy. It’s when 32 of the first 63 games will be played and it you’re not careful, you be blown out before you sit down for your Corned Beef and Cabbage St. Patrick’s Day dinner on Thursday evening.
Do yourself and your bankroll a favor and limit yourself to 3-5 bets per day. Use the “survive and advance” strategy that the actual teams are employing as they try to make it to the Final Four. As the tournament winds down to the Sweet 16, Elite 8 and Final Four, don’t feel like you have to bet every game.
2. Power programs prevail
As much as the mainstream media enjoys talking about upsets, the bottom line is that power conferences and top programs dominate. Did you know that the higher seeded team has won 71% of all NCAA Tournament games since 2002?
Yes, there are exceptions to this rule, but it’s rare. Eliminate UConn’s National Championship as a No. 8 seed in 2014, and only one team worse than a No. 6 seed has made it to the Championship Game in last 34 years. In 31 of the last 32 years, the eventual National Champion has been a No. 4 seed or better. Since the field expanded to 64 teams, 88 of the 144 Final Four teams (61%) have been a 1 or 2 seed.
3. Coaching matters
It’s a fact: Experienced head coaches go deep in the NCAA tournament. In the last 15 years, only three head coaches (Texas Tech’s Chris Beard in 2019, Butler’s Brad Stevens in 2012, UConn’s Kevin Ollie in 2014, and Loyola’s Porter Moser in 2018) have made it to the Final Four without having made at least four previous NCAA appearances as a head coach.
What’s more, 141 of the last 172 teams to make the Elite 8 had a head coach who has taken a team to the Big Dance at least four times. And 25 of the last 26 NCAA Champions had a head coach with Sweet 16 experience. The lesson? Look to play on veteran head coaches over those with less Big Dance experience.
4. Manage your bankroll
Just because it’s the Big Dance, don’t feel like you have to bet bigger than you typically do on a Week 13 of the NFL season. Pick a base bet number that you can afford and stick with it. If you are a member of Harry Bondi’s “Steam Team” a 3-star play is your regular bet. Double that unit at 5 stars and triple it for our 10 star highest rated games. Don’t bet more than 3 times your regular bet — ever.
Everybody wishes they would have bet more when they win, but when your selections go bad, you’ll be happy that you didn’t go overboard with your bet.
5. Have multiple outs and shop for the best line
If you only have one bookie, you are doing yourself a disservice as a sports bettor. It is to your advantage to have more than one out. I recommend at least three or four sources.
It is not unusual for tournament games to move 2 or 3 points over the course of the day. Typically, the line move will be toward the favorite. Teams like Duke, Kentucky, Gonzaga, and Kansas are so popular and heavily bet that the line will often move their way as well.
If you only have one outlet for your action you are playing into your bookie’s hands. Every bettor MUST have two or three outlets to get the best lines possible.
If you need an offshore sportsbook go to the Online Sportsbook Rankings section of our web site. Many of these offshore books are offering huge deposit bonuses for March Madness.
6. Allow a successful and respected handicapper to help you
Know the teams you are betting on AND against. Know the style of play both teams prefer. Are they an up-tempo team that is going to be looking to push the ball all game? Or are they a plodding team that will look to drain the shot clock? If you have contrasting styles of play and you believe that one team will be able to force their will on the other, it’s time to build that bankroll
Of course, the best way to insure that you win BIG MONEY during March Madness is to join forces with someone like Harry Bondi, a 34-year veteran of the sports handicapping business.
Call me at 1-877-332-0077 right now to find out how you can start winning in basketball TODAY a for just $300. This includes the Big Dance, CIT, CBI, NIT and any NBA selections we have through the NCAA Championship Game on April 4
7. Don’t bet with emotion
Do you have a favorite team? Are you an alum of one of the teams in the Big Dance? If so, bet those games small. Don’t fall in love with a team during the tournament. Don’t give too much value to the last game a team played. Remember, no team is as good or as bad as it looked in that game.
Do you really like or dislike a particular coach? Be careful when you bet on or against him. Did you spend the afternoon at your favorite sports bar throwing them back instead of going back to work and now you want to send it in on a night game you love? Be really careful. In fact, go to bed. You’ll save yourself a pile of cash.