The NCAA College Basketball season continues as we start to get a grasp on which teams are contenders and which ones are pretenders. College basketball is an intriguing sports bet because when March comes around, it becomes a one-game, winner-take-all format.
We are still far away from the next March Madness tournament, but there is still plenty of action to bet on. You can now wager on NCAAB prop bets at both [Sportsbook not available for your region] and Sportsbook, where you can find prop bets for tonight’s games.
Our NCAAB prop betting guide explains all of the different types of Prop Bets available for the upcoming college basketball slate of games.
In addition to showing you how to bet on NCAAB prop bets at your preferred NCCAB betting sites, we’ll also explore how to bet on NCAAB player props and game props, and provide sports bettors with expert NCAAB prop betting tips and strategies. We’ll leave the moneylines and point spread bets behind for now. It’s NCAAB prop game time.
NCAAB Prop Bets
NCAA Prop Bet #1: Buffalo @ Western Kentucky (Dec. 8)
Our first bet of the day is for the game between the Buffalo Bulls and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. The Bulls are coming off a hard-fought loss against a solid St. Bonaventure team, while the Hilltoppers have won four straight games with their last coming against Eastern Kentucky.
Looking at both teams early on in the season, Buffalo has played against significantly tougher competition in comparison to Western Kentucky. According to KenPom, the Bulls rank 58th in all of college in strength of schedule rating. This accounts for the average adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency of teams they have played. Western Kentucky, on the other hand, ranks 314th in strength of schedule rating which is near the bottom in all of college basketball.
Despite Buffalo having a much more difficult schedule, they have been one of the better offensive teams in all of college basketball. According to KenPom, Buffalo ranks 36th in the country in adjusted offensive efficiency (points scored per 100 possessions).
This Buffalo offense is going to be too much for a weak Western Kentucky defense. I expect the Bulls to come out flying and be leading this game at the end of the first half.
Best Bet: Buffalo ML (-120) (First Half)
NCAA Prop Bet #2: Indiana @ #22 Wisconsin (Dec. 8)
Although only one of these Big Ten teams is ranked, we are going to see a matchup between two very solid teams. Wisconsin (7-1) is coming off a victory against Marquette on Saturday which gave them their fifth in a row, while Indiana (7-1) bounced back from their loss to Syracuse with a win over Nebraska.
Looking at the teams thus far, there is a massive discrepancy in the strength of their competition. Wisconsin has faced a bunch of quality opponents in Providence, Texas A&M, Houston, Saint Mary's, and Marquette. According to KenPom, the Badgers rank 56th in college basketball in strength of schedule rating. The Hoosiers have only tough game to this point has been Syracuse. The Hoosiers rank 273rd in strength of schedule rating.
These teams are very similar in the way they defend. Both of these teams are fantastic defensive teams. According to KenPom, Wisconsin ranks 15th in adjusted defensive efficiency (points allowed per 100 possessions), while the Hoosiers sit just one spot behind them in 16th.
Looking at recent trends, the UNDER has hit in six of Indiana's eight games this season. The UNDER has also hit in five of Indiana's last five games against a Big Ten opponent. I think the Hoosiers' only chance of staying in this one, is slowing the pace and playing great defensively.
Best Bet: UNDER 61 (-110) (First Half)
NCAA Prop Bet #3: #19 Michigan State @ Minnesota (Dec. 8)
This is a matchup between two very good defensive teams. Michigan State (7-2) is coming off their second win in a row where they beat a decent Toldeo team by double digits. Minnesota (7-0) has yet to lose this season coming off a win against Mississippi State. Taking nothing away from Minnesota, their competition hasn't been nearly as fierce as the Spartans so far this season.
According to KenPom, Michigan State ranks 11th in the nation in strength of schedule rating. They have faced teams like Kansas, Loyola Chicago, Connecticut, Baylor, and Louisville so far this season. On the other side, Minnesota hasn't really faced any good teams besides Mississippi State.
KenPom also has the Spartans ranked third in adjusted defensive efficiency, while the Golden Gophers are ranked 54th. There is no doubt these are two very good defensive teams.
The UNDER is 6-2-1 in Michigan State's nine games this season, and 1-0 when the Spartans have been on the road. For Minnesota, the UNDER is 4-3 this season and has stayed UNDER in all three of their home games so far. On top of both teams hitting a ton of under totals so far this season, the total has also gone UNDER in nine of their last 10 meetings.
I expect both of these teams to try to set the tone on the defensive side of the ball early on. Betting the UNDER may not be a very fun wager, but that’s where the money is.
Best Bet: UNDER 63 (-110) (First Half)
How To Bet On NCAAB Game Props And Team Props
NCAAB team props are based upon a particular team’s performance in the game and not the game’s result. The most common NCAAB team prop bets are based on a team’s points.
Besides points, prop bets can also include rebounds, assists, blocks, turnovers, and fouls per game, and metrics such as shooting percentage and three-point attempts per game. NCAAB team props can also consist of points in the paint or free-throw attempts. Similar to NFL props and MLB props, NCCAB props can vary from an individual matchup to a series or season. Common NCAAB team prop wagers include:
• Teams’ combined points to be odd or even
• Whether the game goes into overtime
• The team to reach 10 or 20 points first
• Team to have the highest-scoring quarter
• Margin of victory
• Team to score first
• Team to win the first half
• Team to win the second half