|
| |
10 Deadly Mistakes Families Make When Preparing For College
10 Deadly Mistakes Families Make When Preparing For College ------------------------------------------- Next to buying a house, planning for college expenses can be one of the biggest financial projects that parents and their children undertake. Four ...
College Student Credit Cards - How to Choose the Best One
There are so many credit cards being offered to college students these days that it may be difficult to choose the right college student credit card. It is important to choose carefully to make sure that you have the best deal and rates available. The ...
The Benefits Of Taking A College Course Online
There are many reasons why you might want to consider taking a college course online. By far the greatest advantage of taking a college course online is convenience. You can take a college course online from anywhere that has an internet connection. These ...
|
|
|
|
| |
We are in phase two right now, conference play. Conference play is unique in that schools are not traveling as much. A year ago, North Carolina opened the season at Santa Clara, meaning a team from the southeast was traveling all the way across the country. After which the Tar Heels took on teams from the Big 10, Mountain West, the SEC and the Pac 10. That is a lot of travel time as well as facing teams they had never seen before. This makes matchups often difficult and upsets more likely (North Carolina lost 77-66 at Santa Clara as a 13-point favorite).
Conference play means playing teams in your region, which cuts down significantly on travel time. It also means players are facing other players they've seen last year, probably several times, and playing in facilities they have seen before. Home/road play is certainly a key element for handicappers to pay attention to, but with shorter distances and familiar places to go to, it can be less a factor with certain teams because they've been to the opposition's gym before.
Take a look at Buffalo. Buffalo just came off an
impressive win over Eastern Michigan, followed by a close 84-82 loss in overtime at a very good Northern Illinois squad. Buffalo got the cover in both games. The Bulls were experienced and not caught off guard by these teams, because Buffalo had beaten both a year ago. In fact, last season Buffalo beat Northern Illinois twice, 86-80 at home and again in the MAC tournament, 73-66. That's three games against each other in less than a year. Familiarity may breed contempt in some social circles, but it helps in preparation in college basketball.
As conference play continues this month, it's important to look back at how these teams did in recent years, especially with teams loaded with seniors. Buffalo is an uptempo team so perhaps they can have an edge over a team that lacks depth and plays a slower style. Fortunately, there is a point of reference to go to: The last few meetings! But don't stop there: Check the boxscores of those games. Did Buffalo play a close first half against a team lacking depth, then blow them out in the second half? If so, that could mean a potential wager on the second half.
Another example could be a team with a significant rebounding advantage in the frontcourt taking on a team with a small frontcourt. Again, go back and look at recent games. Did they own the glass the last meeting? How about the last three meetings? Conference play offers many opportunities to do this, especially with teams facing each other two and even three times a year ago.
About the author:
Bryan Leonard is a documented member of the Professional Handicappers League. Read all of his articles at www.procappers .com/Bryan_Leonard.htm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
