If you are a sports bettor looking for good deals on college basketball, then you should consider making halftime wagers. You can make halftime bets on point spreads and totals, and halftime odds offer ample opportunity to find value. When you make halftime wagers, you are betting on only the second-half. Here’s a look at how you should evaluate and wager the second half in NCAA basketball games.
Fast Odds
One of the advantages of halftime odds is the fact that they are created very quickly. Within minutes of the end of the first half, handicappers have created the spreads and totals. These quickly made odds are primarily based on what happened in the first half, which benefits the sports bettor.
First Half Play
Make sure that you know as much as possible about the first half. It’s not enough to know the score and shooting percentages. What was the first half like in terms of matchups, overall performance, and individual effort and results?
The underdog could be overplaying, or the favorite could have come out flat in the first half. Key players might be injured or in foul trouble, or a particular player may have gotten hot from the three-point line.
The other question to ask concerns a team’s ability to adjust and adapt. Can the team that lost the first half make adjustments and come out and win the second-half?
Soft Lines
Because lines are created so quickly, they can be soft when they are posted online. If you have a very good idea about how the initial half was played, and you see a line that you can exploit, then go for it. You’ll need to consider the potential of each team as they come into the second half.
As an example, if the spread is small for halftime but one team has the potential to dominate the second-half, then that may be a good bet to make. Another example would be a fairly large spread that the favorite cannot defend. Such lines can offer great wagering opportunities.
Shopper’s Paradise
Halftime lines can vary quite a bit from book to book. Find a free odds service online that you can visit and from which you can navigate to individual betting sites. Of course, prior to doing so, you’ll need to have accounts set up and money deposited at each site.
Know the Situation
It will benefit you greatly to know everything that you can about the first half of a specific game before making a halftime bet. If you decide to wager without such knowledge, you’ll be betting blindly. This is never a good thing to do no matter how good a line looks.
Making Your Choice
In a short amount of time, probably 10 minutes, you’ll have to make your halftime wager. That means that you must be prepared. Although halftime sports betting can be a fine way to hedge your bets or to find great value, it makes no sense to wager on a game when you are unsure.
Stay in Control
The main thing that every college basketball sports bettor needs to do is to stay in control of the situation. That means not being overwhelmed by the wealth of halftime betting opportunities, taking time to carefully and quickly assess odds, and making a few quality wagers. Don’t stress out your bankroll, don’t try to make up for all of your potential losses by wagering on the halftime lines, and don’t bet blindly. Make appropriate decisions when wagering during the half.