By Bryan Mulroney
Sep 17, 2003, 4:46pm
Down weeks in college football betting (or in any type of betting for that matter) can be ugly. We have all experienced the week where we have 4 or 5 "LOCK" games and the majority of them fail for some reason. And though its easy to explain away the blocked extra point, or the backdoor cover, or that stupid fumble, or whatever else cost you the game, the smart thing to do is to take a look at where you'e at. Take a look at your bankroll for the remainder of the season, and put n your due diligence to get it right next week. So with all that in mind here are some tips and tricks to make college football betting a little bit easier and to help you get over those unfortunate losing weekends.
1. Have a Strategy
First and foremost you should have a strategy when you approach each week of college football gaming. Ideally, you'll choose a wise money management strategy, budget yourself accordingly, analyze the teams and lines, and make wagers based on the analysis and funds available. If this is your situation, you're already half way to a successful season.
If you do not have a strategy in place, get one. You can find a number of simple money management strategies scattered throghout this site and elsewhere on the web. Find one that suits you, and use it. I won't go into all the nuances here, but a simple strategy is key to a good and winning season. Laying $20 each week on the highest moneyline, or betting against, "Overrated Big Ten Teams" is not a strategy and should not form the basis of your gambling style.
2. Think and Understand
If you'e making a regular habit of betting college football, you should well understand the spread, the vig, and all of the sundry other terms associated with the sport. You need to understanf that the line is not there to acurately reflect the disparity in the talent of two teams, but rather to relfect the linemakers opinion of the public perception of those two teams. The line is set to give the book or casino equal betting on both sides of the game and to insure they receive a profit. A good line for the book accurately reflects public opinion on team strength and splits the bets right down the middle.
So how does this benefit you? The public is often wrong. In many instances they public tends to overvalue high profile and offensive teams while undervaluing lesser known or defensive teams (Ohio State Miami last year ring a bell?). That said, by looking at the teams, understanding the lines, and knowing what it is you are actually gambling on, you can build a simple advantage that is often all one needs to be a winner over the long term.
3. Be Objective and Stick to the System
Too often I see friends bet against a team because they don't like them. They want the Sooners (or Gators, or Seminoles) to lose and so they place a wager against the team. This is folly. Betting should be done unemotionaly on the teams that the bettor has determined can make hime the most money. Its one thing to ocassionally bet a ten dollar friendly wager with a pal straight up while watching a gam, and another thing all together to bet that same ten dollars each week ATS against the team you hate.
4. Don't Bet Too Many Games or Chase Losses
Pick a handful of games each week that look good to you and bet only those. Learn what you need to know, due your research and place your wager. Do not chase the Big Ten morning loss with a quick bet on an afternoon game followed by another on a late starter from the WAC. Bet what you know and what youhave researched and start again next week. Betting huge numbers of games, and making hasty bets to cover earlier losses is not the way to achieve a winning season.
5. Don't Bet Against a Streak
Pure and simple, ride a streak. If KSU has coveed in their last three, and you like the bet, ride with the Cats rather than betting the streak will end. Betting against a streak can go on for weeks hoping that it will eventually be broken, with each bet a loss until the streak is snapped. But if you ride the Cat's streak you can only lose once before the streak is over and you're off the bandwagon.
6. Take Your Lumps and Move On
Don't fret over down weeks. We all have them And they make for great message board fodder. Simply analyze what went wrong, incorporate any lessons to be learned into your larger system, and get back on your horse for neyt week.
Sep 17, 2003, 4:46pm
Down weeks in college football betting (or in any type of betting for that matter) can be ugly. We have all experienced the week where we have 4 or 5 "LOCK" games and the majority of them fail for some reason. And though its easy to explain away the blocked extra point, or the backdoor cover, or that stupid fumble, or whatever else cost you the game, the smart thing to do is to take a look at where you'e at. Take a look at your bankroll for the remainder of the season, and put n your due diligence to get it right next week. So with all that in mind here are some tips and tricks to make college football betting a little bit easier and to help you get over those unfortunate losing weekends.
1. Have a Strategy
First and foremost you should have a strategy when you approach each week of college football gaming. Ideally, you'll choose a wise money management strategy, budget yourself accordingly, analyze the teams and lines, and make wagers based on the analysis and funds available. If this is your situation, you're already half way to a successful season.
If you do not have a strategy in place, get one. You can find a number of simple money management strategies scattered throghout this site and elsewhere on the web. Find one that suits you, and use it. I won't go into all the nuances here, but a simple strategy is key to a good and winning season. Laying $20 each week on the highest moneyline, or betting against, "Overrated Big Ten Teams" is not a strategy and should not form the basis of your gambling style.
2. Think and Understand
If you'e making a regular habit of betting college football, you should well understand the spread, the vig, and all of the sundry other terms associated with the sport. You need to understanf that the line is not there to acurately reflect the disparity in the talent of two teams, but rather to relfect the linemakers opinion of the public perception of those two teams. The line is set to give the book or casino equal betting on both sides of the game and to insure they receive a profit. A good line for the book accurately reflects public opinion on team strength and splits the bets right down the middle.
So how does this benefit you? The public is often wrong. In many instances they public tends to overvalue high profile and offensive teams while undervaluing lesser known or defensive teams (Ohio State Miami last year ring a bell?). That said, by looking at the teams, understanding the lines, and knowing what it is you are actually gambling on, you can build a simple advantage that is often all one needs to be a winner over the long term.
3. Be Objective and Stick to the System
Too often I see friends bet against a team because they don't like them. They want the Sooners (or Gators, or Seminoles) to lose and so they place a wager against the team. This is folly. Betting should be done unemotionaly on the teams that the bettor has determined can make hime the most money. Its one thing to ocassionally bet a ten dollar friendly wager with a pal straight up while watching a gam, and another thing all together to bet that same ten dollars each week ATS against the team you hate.
4. Don't Bet Too Many Games or Chase Losses
Pick a handful of games each week that look good to you and bet only those. Learn what you need to know, due your research and place your wager. Do not chase the Big Ten morning loss with a quick bet on an afternoon game followed by another on a late starter from the WAC. Bet what you know and what youhave researched and start again next week. Betting huge numbers of games, and making hasty bets to cover earlier losses is not the way to achieve a winning season.
5. Don't Bet Against a Streak
Pure and simple, ride a streak. If KSU has coveed in their last three, and you like the bet, ride with the Cats rather than betting the streak will end. Betting against a streak can go on for weeks hoping that it will eventually be broken, with each bet a loss until the streak is snapped. But if you ride the Cat's streak you can only lose once before the streak is over and you're off the bandwagon.
6. Take Your Lumps and Move On
Don't fret over down weeks. We all have them And they make for great message board fodder. Simply analyze what went wrong, incorporate any lessons to be learned into your larger system, and get back on your horse for neyt week.
