Understanding College Hoops' Home Court Edge
One of the most enjoyable times of the year for sports bettors is college basketball, from early and mid-season tourneys featuring non-conference battles, to conference tilts in the New Year leading up to the madness that is March. College hoops is unique in that it offers bettors hundreds of games each week, which means hundreds of opportunities to find edges to move that bankroll high into the black.
You need to pay attention to which team is playing at home in just about every sport, but never is this more important than in college basketball. There are many reasons why this is important. One reason is that, unlike football, organized pro and college basketball is a game played indoors. This creates an environment that can get awfully noisy in a hurry, and this helps the home team. The Minnesota Twins are one of the few baseball teams that play in a dome, and do you know what their World Series record at home is? 8-0. The Metrodome gets noisy in big games for the Twins and the Vikings, and the loud crowd can lift up the home team and cause confusion for the visitor.
The same thing happens in basketball. Think about it: If your team needs a defensive stop in the final minute of a game, and fifteen-thousand fans are screaming, "DEE-FENSE," wouldn't that help you reach back for every possible ounce of adrenalin to play the best defense you.5?re capable of playing? It helps teams play harder when it comes to man-to-man defense, crashing the boards, or giving that extra effort.
Pride is another reason. Psychologically, athletes are more inclined to put-out-the-extra-effort in front of the hometown fans, the alumni, the students whom they sit next to in class, rather than on the road. It's human nature. You don't want to hear the kids in geology class asking about last night's home loss. Or worse, you don't want the home fans, who've paid thirty-bucks or whatever to watch you play, to go home angry with a loss or a half-hearted effort. You see this happen all the time in overtime basketball games. The home team has a big advantage when it comes to reaching back for that extra-effort after playing for 40 minutes. The cheering home crowd can help give tired athletes the extra push of adrenalin so necessary for OT.
Another factor is the configuration of the stadium. That is, some arenas for pro and college basketball have seats that are close to the court. For many years, the Boston Celtics enjoyed an enormous home court advantage and it wasn't just because they had talented teams. The original Boston Garden, torn down in 1995, had a unique seating capacity where the upper and lower levels were raised out toward the court, so that many of the seats were practically on top of the parquet floor. Many opposing players would come in and comment not just on the crowd noise, but the fact that the fans seemed to be so close to the action. In 1985-86, the Celtics had a very strong road record at 32-17 SU, 27-22 ATS, but at home they were 31-18 ATS and an astonishing 50-1 straight up! Counting the playoffs, the Celtics were 60-1 SU at home. The next season, Boston had a losing road record, but was 49-2 straight up at home.
This close proximity to the court is present today in some college basketball arenas. Michigan State has a seating area known as the "Izzone," after Spartan coach Tom Izzo. It's a special section close to the court for students who are, shall we say, Michigan State hoop fanatics. Look at Michigan State's numbers the last two seasons: 12-2 SU, 6-6 ATS at home, 3-7 SU/ATS on the road; 18-1 SU, 10-6 ATS at home, 1-8 SU, 3-6 ATS on the road. Gonzaga's home court, known as "The Kennel", is similar. Last season, Gonzaga was 11-2 straight up at home, 7-4-1 ATS, but 6-5 SU, 5-5 ATS away. A few years ago the Bulldogs outscored opponents by six points per game on the road, but by 24 points per game at home. Now that.5?s a home court difference!
Even mystique can play a role, but usually against the visiting team, rather than for the home team. For example, teams coming in to play Duke, North Carolina or UCLA will see the raucous home crowd, retired numbers and championship banners strewn about. Again, psychologically this cannot inspire confidence in a visiting team and can even make 18 to 19-year old college athletes think, "I've watched this team on TV for many years, now I have to play here?" Indiana.5?s home court is another one. The Hoosiers were 16-0 SU, 7-6 ATS in Assembly Hall last season, but on the road Indiana was 3-8 SU.
You might think that Duke would be over-priced, considering their reputation as a powerhouse team. However, the Blue Devils are 24-19-1 ATS at home the previous three years. Alabama has had a recent reputation of being a terrific team at home, but a completely different one on the road. Last season the Tide was 15-2 at home, 2-9 away.
Part of it is the crowd and the tradition and part of it is players simply being comfortable in the home gymnasium where they.5?ve shot thousands of free throws during practice. A few years ago the Tide was 18-1 straight up home record (8-5 ATS). Yet, Alabama was a completely different team on the road, going 2-8 SU (2-8 ATS). This is why it's important to delve deep into statistics, for overall Alabama was 10-13 ATS that season. That doesn't tell you a great deal, but 8-5 ATS at home compared to 2-8 ATS on the road tells you (and your wagering money) a lot!
So if you see a short price on a good team on the road, look into it carefully before jumping on it. Because the home court often means a great deal in basketball, and a great deal to your wagering winning percentage.
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