Sports Handicapping College Basketball Conference Tournaments

The college basketball post-season conference tournaments can be one of the greatest sports handicapping challenges that are on the annual sports betting calendar. There are the factors of letdowns, redemption, second chances and just plain surprises that make these events the online sports betting craze that they are. For the serious sports betting player, however, the college basketball conference tournaments are, if not a nightmare, a virtual minefield to exercise great caution in when wagering at the online sports betting websites and casino sportsbooks.

Incentive is a major sports handicapping factor that must be considered when evaluating potential wagers on college basketball conference tournament games against the sports betting odds. A legitimate question for a sports betting player to ask is “what incentive does team x have in this tournament since they already won the regular season?” An excellent sports handicapping question, indeed. Often times, a conference champion will slip a notch in it’s conference tournament, particularly when up against hungry opponents who’s only hope of making the NCAA Tournament (AKA “The Big Dance”), is to win their conference tourney. Even if the regular season champ is up against a weak team in a conference tournament game, they will often be such a large favorite against the sports betting odds that they offer no value and may win and yet not cover the line set at online sports betting websites or sportsbooks.

Another sports handicapping factor that makes college basketball conference tournaments so difficult to figure is when good teams matchup for the third time in a season. Perhaps Team A barely beat out Team B for it’s regular season conference title and now they meet in the conference tournament championship game. Team B has all of the incentive and likely the points as well against the sports betting odds.

Motivation is not as much of a sports handicapping factor in the mid major to small conferences as it is replaced by a greater factor; FEAR! The regular season champions of these types of conferences are not always guaranteed a spot in the Big Dance and must prove themselves all over again in the conference tournament. Often times a lesser team or even a team with a losing record will put together a run to win the tournament and blindside the regular season champs, as well as sports betting players tapped out at online sports betting websites and sportsbooks.