From a handicapping perspective, there are two types of teams in College Basketball; teams that win and teams that cover. Whether you are the casual gambler or a complete degenerate, covering the spread will always be much more important than winning the game when your personal finances are on the line. So, in the spirit of winning money, I’ve decided to highlight a couple of teams that have performed exceptionally well against the spread this season.
South Dakota: 13-8 (15-3 ATS)
If you are looking for a lesser known team to turn your luck around, look no further than the University of South Dakota Coyotes. You should do yourself a favor and hop on this money train as the Coyotes are on a 6-0 streak against the spread, managing to cover as both underdogs (9-3 ATS) and favorites (6-0 ATS). While your book may not have a line for every South Dakota matchup, look to find value when the Coyotes are listed. Small schools like South Dakota typically receive less betting action, thus the lines should usually provide accurate odds and good value. The only problem with the Coyotes is actually finding their games on TV. Look to find the boys on ESPN 3 whenever you can, otherwise good luck refreshing gamecast every 5 minutes to make sure they are covering the spread. Even if you can’t catch the games on tv, just take my advice, place the bet and assume your are going to make some money off this absolute padlock of a squad.
Gonzaga: 17-0 (13-3 ATS)
With great scoring ability and a notably mild schedule, Gonzaga has turned out to be a money making machine this season. They are currently 17-0 and are riding a 10 game win streak against the spread. This streak is mainly due to the weak competition Gonzaga has faced in the WCC. The Bulldogs have been considered favorites in every matchup this season and have had no problem covering a variety of spreads, including nine, double-digit point spreads. They might run into trouble later this season as their competition picks up, but as of now look to find plenty of value in their inner-conference matchups. A good example of this is their last game against conference rival Saint Mary’s. The Bulldogs won easily with a victory of 79-56, however at tip-off Gonzaga was only a 5 point favorite. Overvalued conference opponents are definitely something to keep an eye out for when betting on Gonzaga.
Butler: 15-3 (12-6 ATS)
Butler has been one of my personal favorites this year as they love blowing out weaker teams and always show up to play. Look to find plenty of value when they are on their home court as they hold a 7-3 record against the spread when playing at home. Butler is also more than capable of beating top teams as they’ve shown in victories against Xavier, Indiana and Villanova. Finally, look to take advantage of their matchups against lower ranked Big East teams like Marquette and Providence.
————————————————————————————————————————
Those are the squads I’ve been riding so far this season, follow me on Twitter @LiamSmith0 and let me know what teams have been making you money this season!