College Basketball lines provide volumes of information about each and every NCAAB game. With so many games every week, it is critical to have a system that helps you manage all the betting lines and identify which games provide the best opportunity to win.
Moneylines and Spreads
The main lines, similar to the NBA, are Moneyline, Spread, and Over/Under (points). Each of these lines provide vital information about the game.
The spread not only reveals which team is favored, but it also reveals how many points oddsmakers calculate to be the average margin of victory. This spread is denoted as a “+” or “-.“ If the team is favored, it has a “-“ spread and if it is the underdog, it has a “+” spread.
For Example: Assume Duke (+7) v North Carolina (-7)
In this example, the spread is 7 points. Duke is the underdog because they are being provided 7 extra points by the oddsmakers. North Carolina, on the other hand, is the heavy favorite, as they have a spread of -7. This means that someone who pick North Carolina to win with the spread only has the correct pick if UNC win by 8 or more points. If they win by exactly 7 points, the oddsmakers would have been exactly correct and it is considered a push.
The Money line also involves picking teams but does not factor in margin of victory. Thus, the odds are usually much more skewed and offer minimal returns when picking a favorite, but they do provide much better returns when picking an underdog.
Over/Under Point Spreads
The final college basketball lines worth noting are Over/Under (points). These lines refer to the total points both teams will combine for. If the teams are high scoring offenses, the combined score will likely be higher, so the Over/Under will be higher. If the teams are defensive powerhouses, then the line will be lower. However, keep in mind that this is the sum of both teams’ total points and is not effected by who actually wins the game.
Below are the betting lines for the NBA. This includes Money Line (game winner), point spread and over/under (points).