LAS VEGAS -- The madness continues.
While the vast majority of recreational college basketball bettors are waiting for Selection Sunday, sharp bettors already have been firing away, because they know some of the best wagering opportunities of the year happen during the conference basketball tournaments in the two weeks before the Big Dance. For one thing, with every league -- including the Ivy League -- having a conference tournament, there are far more games (300 in the two weeks) than during the actual NCAA tournament (67 games in three weekends). And it's harder for bookmakers to have sharp lines on every game, so there are some soft spots for bettors to exploit.
I like to try to find teams who are getting hot at the right time and making one last push for an NCAA bid. These can be "bubble teams" but also teams who are clearly also-rans.