The vast majority of people looking at the college basketball betting board, or squares as we call them, will always gravitate towards the top 25 team lines. The big names in college basketball like Duke, UNC, Kentucky, etc. Games between ranked teams and teams in power conferences always draw the most action with bettors, but seasoned college basketball handicappers will often look for soft lines involving middle-tier major teams or teams that rarely play on TV. national. Listed below are the reasons why you should also start betting less on the main matchup and more on the mid majors. betting action

As we said before, most of the betting public doesn’t care about the intermediate top teams until March Madness. This is a mistake. When looking at the daily odds, take note of the amount of action being wagered on the two teams. Whenever the betting action is intense on a college basketball game, the most important thing you should be betting is your money. You’ll often find that with a top 25 game between two top shows, the line can move based on audience loyalties and smart money. Often the value will be bet off a line due to the books adjusting to the betting action. When you bet on the major teams, the lines move much slower because the sportsbooks aren’t as concerned about their exposure. This is your chance to find significant value, and it can be much more profitable than betting on name-brand equipment. This is where the real college basketball handicappers make their money.

Public knowledge and media coverage

The average college basketball fan knows a lot about Kentucky or Duke or UNC or a specific conference like the ACC. This is not a surprise considering that ESPN will broadcast games featuring teams from the ACC or Big East on a weekly basis. It’s no surprise that Dick Vitale has a love affair with Duke and UNC, just like most Americans. The public consumes large amounts of information about the major conferences and very little information about the average conferences. But did you know that Rhode Island starting PG EC Matthews, who led the team with 16.9 PPG in 2014-15 and was a key component in Rhode Island’s 16-10 ATS finish last season, will miss 2015 due to a knee injury? Public knowledge is general knowledge, so you’ll need to dig deep and have a thorough understanding of all college basketball teams. With over 300 teams, it’s hard to know everything about every team, so pick a major conference in between, like the WAC or the Colonial Athletic Conference, and familiarize yourself with the team and players. Follow them on social media and receive alerts and updates related to these teams. Your goal is to know more about the lesser known teams than the general public. This is where the real college basketball handicappers make their money.

Talent and Experience

Every year there is a new team that emerges into the national spotlight during the NCAA Tournament. George Mason in 2006, VCU in 2011, North Florida in 2013 and the list is long and wide of teams that gain national attention by defeating major conference teams during the tournament. Many times you will find that these teams have starters who are juniors and seniors and have played together for several years. While the power conference teams with the best recruits are just getting started, true freshmen and sophomores will have very little experience playing when the game is tight, win or go home. Many of the best programs have adopted a “one and go” recruiting mentality. When the NBA required players to attend 1 year of college before entering the draft, teams like Kentucky were recruiting magnets for top talent. It took Coach K and Duke several years to get into this mindset and it paid off last season when they won the National Championship. What happened when the season ended? Duke lost their top 3 freshmen drafted in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft. This kind of review doesn’t happen on intermediate major teams, which is very beneficial when it comes time to play against the big boys. There is more team cohesion and a team-first mentality that pays big dividends when betting. A good tip to remember is to research team rosters and player histories. Teams with starting point guards who have experience are great teams to back. Seasoned players with game-tested nerves are often a smart bet.

The above represents only a fraction of what experienced college basketball handicappers and bettors will research before placing a bet. You have to remember that most of the time, then no, the value is in the midway top shows and not the media favourites. Sharp punters focus on smooth lines and can be seen with lesser known teams. So the next time you’re researching college basketball, don’t forget what we discussed and look for value in the top basketball intermediate teams. I would love for you to join me and commit to making some money this season. Luck!