It’s one thing to throw a few bucks into your office pool during the NCAA tournament. It’s another to take your hard-earned cash to Las Vegas.
Throughout the first weekend of March Madness, RedEye will track the wagering success of three Chicago residents and Vegas veterans while they’re in Sin City. They shared some of their strategies heading into the tournament.
What’s your primary betting strategy?
Nate Beal, 35, Lakeview: My primary strategy over the years starts with picking up the special section of the USA Today on Monday after the brackets are announced and going through the capsules on each team. It’s an excellent overview of each team, their last 10 games, players and more. I’ll then move on to a plethora of websites like vegasinsider.com, which shows the odds daily at a bunch of casinos and how the money is shifting. Basically, by the time I’m on the plane, I want to have my bracket ready to go and be satisfied with it to make certain types of picks when I get to the window. I’ll look for hot teams, teams that are bad on the road, young teams, teams with a lot of seniors, etc. I also look for fun parlays to make, such as the possibility of the Wisco Double with both Wisconsin and Wisconsin-Green Bay getting in, or the Iowa Triple (Iowa, Iowa State, Northern Iowa), which is all contingent on if they win and play the same day.
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Scott Boruff, 33, Lakeview: I try to look for the hottest teams over the last 10 games and those teams that have something unique that other teams have to match up against (full-court press, strong three-point shooting, zone defense, etc.). Good teams from tough conferences such as the Big 12 and Big Ten are also typically good bets in the first two rounds.
Which teams do you love to bet on?
Beal: I’m a die-hard Michigan State fan, so I always bet on coach Tom Izzo; how can you not? I like Virginia a lot this year as well. They are a well-coached team with smart players and look like a Final Four team to me. I also like betting upsets. I always will pick one or two 12- or 13-seeds. For example, Northern Iowa has beaten North Carolina and Iowa State this year and is 12-1 in their last 13 games. That’s a scary lower seed.
Bibbo: Xavier and Michigan State.
Boruff: I’m a Hoosiers fan and love betting Indiana and the over. Villanova, Virginia, Virginia and the under, VCU and West Virginia are all pretty consistent plays.
Which teams do you hate to bet on, even if it might help your bottom line?
Beal: North Carolina. I’m not a fan of Roy Williams for myriad reasons, yet he wins. Carolina is a roller-coaster team this year; they’re either crashing out early or in the Final Four. Same with teams like Kansas (though more of a lock to go deep this year), Duke, Kentucky, Villanova. This year is wide open.
Bibbo: Duke (even though they have struggled besides last year’s run to the title).
Boruff: I hate betting on and having to root for Kentucky, Purdue and Iowa.
What’s your definition of success for the weekend?
Beal: I suppose most people’s definition of success would be to win more than 80 percent of their bets. But for me it’s more about getting together with a bunch of friends from all over the country who don’t see each other much and having a great weekend with a lot of excellent basketball. I wouldn’t mind knocking down a four-team parlay or two either, just for fun.
Bibbo: Enjoying the games and atmosphere with your friends makes the trip more than enjoyable. I consider breaking even successful from a gambling perspective.
Boruff: Winning enough to pay for my trip.
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