Bowl Game Handicapping

One of the most important things to look at when doing your bowl game handicapping is conference strength. This boils down to something pretty basic: figuring out which conferences the teams are from, how well these teams played in that conference, and then how that conference did outside of league play. If you can follow this simple strategy then you are ahead of the curve, but lets get down to some more advanced methods we use to figure out just how good a particular division really is. Of course there are other things to consider in college bowl handicapping like motivation, experience, coaching, common opponents, matchups, coaching changes, injuries, and public perception, but first thing is first. Take a look at the conference strength before making your college bowl predictions.

You can’t rely on the so-called experts on ESPN or any other nationally syndicated radio or television program. A lot of times they are catering to the audience, not factoring in their own regional or emotional bias (think alums) or intentionally disagreeing with each other to generate ratings. We here at Locksmith Sports like to use statistical programs that break down who beat who and by how many points, but there are also intangibles to throw into that mix since a team might have been looking past a non-conference opponent if the league title was on the line the following week. So take a look at the stats which boil down strength of schedule and all that, but then go into the numbers a little bit more with your own analytical mind before you make your decision on what leagues are weak and which ones are strong. You obviously should know that if a team is 6-5 in SEC play, but they are playing a 10-1 WAC team, the SEC team is most likely the superior talent.

What other college bowl betting tips can we give you right off hand? Here you go:

• Play against public teams – we do this in every sport, but the post-season is when it really matters. Teams that we look for here are Notre Dame and Alabama for sure, but any other team that the public has been hot on all year can fit the bill.
• Check the location – if a team is playing on their home turf, you can bet that there will be a lot more of their fan base in attendance than their opponent. However, if it’s just a home state team playing against an out-of-stater, don’t expect the team to cover just because of that.
• Play underdogs before Christmas, Favorites After – this is a long held trend that has made a lot of money for those following it with college bowl betting.

Instead of handicapping the games on your own, purchase the college bowl picks on our site and find out just how easy it is to beat the college football odds on a regular basis.  Nobody acheives a higher win rate with their football picks than Jimmy Boyd and his team of handicappers.

If you liked this article, you may also be interested in:

• NBA Playoff Odds: Dallas Mavericks vs. Denver Nuggets Game 2
• NBA Playoff Odds: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Orlando Magic Game 4
• Cincinnati South Florida Big East Game of the Week for October 15, 2009

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