March Madness Trends: 3 To Trust And 3 To Avoid
Most seed-versus-seed results must be taken with a grain of salt (and a shot of tequila followed by a lime wedge), but there's no denying the No. 12 versus No. 5 March Madness trend. Despite the randomness, this pairing continues to produce profits for those choosing the No. 12 seed - at least versus the spread.
Since 2012, No. 5 seeds are 27-21 SU versus No. 12 seeds and 20-27-1 ATS in those opening-round matches. Over the past five Big Dances (remembering we didn't have one in 2020), No. 5 seeds are 12-8 SU and 9-11 ATS, going 2-2 SU and 1-3 ATS in the 2024 competition Round of 64.
Don't just blindly bet on No. 12 seeds over No. 5's but treat this trend with respect - like dealing with a cobra.
Three patterns to fade
There's a surplus of shallow March Madness betting trends out there that you must never blindly route when positioning your bets or building your bracket. Here's the tip of the iceberg.
Conference patterns
Certain conferences will have stronger historical ATS records in the NCAA Tournament, however the teams, opponents, gamers and spreads all vary when developing out this bull crap. The overall strength of conferences sways every year, so don't go chasing the SEC groups or fading ACC schools based entirely on those conferences' counts versus the spread.
Seed vs. Seed trends
We've singled out the No. 5-versus-No. 12 pattern, which damaged a great deal of "smart" brackets with all four No. 5 seeds advancing in 2023. Bettors must tread lightly with that details and more so with other trends around seed-versus-seed. The level of parity in college basketball seems to be expanding by the season, so do not base a bet solely on the Selection Committee's seeding.
Point spread and Over/Under patterns
Brace yourself for some doozies when it comes to any historic NCAA Tournament patterns powered by spreads and overalls. You'll get tantalizing trends around the Round of 64 underdogs in between a certain point range and Over/Under pointers based on past overalls from particular seeding matchups.
As mentioned, some patterns can lead you down the best handicapping road but a lot of these take you and your bankroll to a dead end. Be doubtful of these trends and check out the past results that powered them. If you can, attempt to find a story behind them that could roll over into this year's March Madness field.
How sportsbooks deal with March Madness patterns
Perhaps the best way to assess how useful March Madness betting patterns are is to take a look at the folks setting the odds for March Madness.
If you ask an oddsmaker if they're factoring in the past versus the spread (ATS) success of No. 15 seeds into this year's No. 2. 15 match odds, they'll likely laugh in your face. Bookmakers mainly ignore historical trends, especially in college sports, as gamer and ability turnover differs considerably from year-to-year.
Oddsmakers base their numbers on current form and information from that season instead of historical hoo-ha pulling from random teams with random players led by random coaches from random conferences playing at random sites. You get the concept.
The decision on March Madness trends
Basketball wagerers must watch out for lots of March Madness patterns. While banking on them blindly is bonkers, there are lessons to be gained from evaluating them and selecting up on past patterns.
Veteran handicapper Marc Lawrence has an enormous sports betting database that pumps out several March Madness wagering trends every year. And while he doesn't get on board all those with his NCAA Tournament bets, he sees the value in what he calls "anticipating span".
"There is a reason that Winston Churchill said, 'Those who stop working to discover from history are doomed to duplicate it,'" Lawrence states. "By learning failures and successes from the past and applying abilities from today, we progress, well-rounded handicappers. Yes, groups change, but techniques and patterns are highly predictive ... By relying on previous patterns, we can better anticipate expectancy."
March Madness wagering websites
March Madness is an incredibly popular time of year for sports bettors and among the busiest for online sportsbooks. With every betting site offering March Madness chances, it is very important to understand which are safe and safe, provide a large range of banking options, and give you a lot of markets for each video game. Check out the very best March Madness betting sites in your region, examined by Covers' team of well-informed professionals.