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Pro
basketball gets going in a few weeks and the college games aren't
far behind.
I know. Your
mind is still focused on baseball or football. But, eventually,
like those to whom hoops action is the only game in town, you may
soon be searching for histories, odds, tips, and record keepers.
Then, too if you are intrigued with making your debut into basketball
wagering or have just begun to move to more advanced material, here
are some books worth reading BEFORE betting:
COLLEGE
BASKETBALL HANDICAPPING: (A Professional Approach) by Trace
Fields (116 pages, 8x11 plastic spiralbound, $32). This 1999 book
is in five major sections. Interestingly, Fields launches into a
look at how the Computer Group operated and moved the line, sometimes
betting 60 games on a weekend, searching for an edge, a chance to
"middle." In Chapter Two Fields explains how to bet early season
games (usually comprised of non-conference matchups), how to evaluate
experienced versus inexperienced teams, how to weigh tournament
travel situations and looking at conference class differentials.
In Chapter Three, Fields covers a multitude of tips on handicapping
conference play, which include quick starts, overconfidence, looking
ahead to big games, and letdown after big games.
He then moves
on to post-season handicapping where he offers important examples
of games where fatigue might be a factor or a "hot" team should
be considered along with current form. Handicapping the "Big Dance"
(the final 64 in the NCAA) is an art in itself, and the author shows
you how to look at teams based on power ratings; offense; defense;
difficulty of schedule.
Chapter Five
titled Handicapping for a Living discusses bankroll, getting rid
of bad habits (like "bailout games"), shopping for the best lines
and betting expectations.
THE ODDS
(One Season, Three Gamblers and the Death of Their Las Vegas)
by Chad Millman (260 pages, hardbound, $26). This book, published
in 2001, is the true adventure of how three very imaginative and
often successful bettors did during the 1999-2000 NCAA basketball
season; what their thought processes were, how they searched for
every good number, every slight edge available to win. They ponder
parlays, betting syndicates, how the wise guys operate, why it's
so tough to get a big bet down, and how and why the numbers change-ever
so elusively. It's about opening lines, early lines, bad beats,
money management, the sports books' edge, the impact of offshore
betting operations, fighting through tough losses and what goes
on in the mind of a professional sports bettor every day.
STATS
PRO BASKETBALL HANDBOOK (2001-02 Edition) (410 pages, paperbound,
$19.95. This is an excellent overall reference guide-letting you
see what each pro player has done lifetime or season by season in
most important offensive categories-probably a good guide for fantasy
league players at the very least. After this auspicious beginning,
the book moves into more interesting areas by team where it covers
things such as how a team did with no rest up to three or more days
rest, how a team did last year by the month or before or after the
All Star Game. This book has no spreads or totals, but it does give
you the scores of every game played last season, who the top scorers,
rebounders and top assist men were. For those who just enjoy seeing
who's getting close to what career records,
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