Underdogs are all the rage for contrarians on Friday night's college basketball betting card, as usual, and lines are falling as a result. Should you join the party?
We'll examine The Action Network's market data to see whether there are any profitable contrarian opportunities, betting system matches and more below. First, a primer on what this piece is and isn't.
It is …
- A quick snapshot into the many betting tools The Action Network has to offer.
- A good place to start when navigating a large college basketball slate.
It is not …
- An endorsement to blindly bet any of these games.
All betting data comes from our public betting page (ticket count is free, but money percentages are available only to EDGE subscribers). Betting trends are available for free in The Action Network app, while more advanced betting systems are available to Sports Insights subscribers via Bet Labs.
Most Public Bets
As of 3:30 p.m. ET. Minimum 1,000 bets.
- Niagara -5.5 (79%) vs. Manhattan
- Georgia State -8.5 (72%) vs. South Alabama
- Quinnipiac -3 (71%) vs. Marist
- Davidson -10 (70%) vs. St. Joe's
- Yale -8 (67%) at Columbia
Despite the heavy public backing, Quinnipiac has fallen from -5 to -3 and Davison from -11.5 to -10.
Biggest Betting Ticket/Money Discrepancies
We track both betting tickets on a given game and the percentage of money that's been bet on each side. If there's a big discrepancy, there's likely some sharper, larger bets on the opposite side.
Here are the three biggest discrepancies for Friday as of 3:30 p.m. ET. This data will change as we get closer to tip offs. Minimum 1,000 bets.
Saint Peter's +8.5 at Iona
- 7 p.m. ET
- 41% of tickets, 70% of money
- 29% difference
- Line move: None
St. Joe's +10 at Davidson
- 7 p.m. ET
- 33% of tickets, 58% of money
- 25% difference
- Line move: St. Joe's +11.5 to +10
Cornell PK vs. Brown
- 8 p.m. ET
- 52% of tickets, 73% of money
- 11% difference
- Line move: None
EDGE subscribers can get the rest of the biggest ticket/money differences here.
Bet Labs Pro Trend
Over at Bet Labs, we've created historically profitable betting systems for every sport. There aren't any PRO systems that match tonight's games, but one user-generated system that's been successful over the past 15 years does.
Bad Team With Good Defense, Slow Pace
This system has had a lot of matches this week, and it's got two more for Friday, including Dartmouth +7.5 at Penn.
You bet on teams that have struggled against the spread, but have good defenses and play at a slow pace. That should lead to value on the underdog, which can keep it close because there are fewer possessions and points.
You can create your own betting systems, and get our PRO systems that match six other games, by signing up for a trial of Bet Labs here.
Sharp Money Indicators
Each day, we'll highlight one game from our sharp report page that has multiple indicators of sharp action.
Rider hasn't covered since Jan. 13, which spans nine games, but sharps are backing the Broncs to get it done on Friday. They've moved from -5.5 to -7.5.
EDGE subscribers can get full access to our sharp report page here.
