Managing Your Weekly College Basketball Bankroll

Making Smart Wagers is Half the Game in NCAA Basketball Bets

When you get in the game and start making bets on college basketball you’ll soon find out that along with making smart wagers, you also need to allocate your funds properly. Solid weekly money management will allow you to make the most out of your bankroll. Here’s the way that it works.

Dividing Your Bankroll into Units

The first thing you need to do prior to making any bets is to divide your bankroll into units. How much cash equals one unit is up to you. But take into consideration that you never want to risk more than 5% of your bank on any one bet.

That means in order to be able to wager numerous units on one game, you’ll need a bankroll of at least $600. With that roll, you can bet up to $30 per game. If a unit is $5.00, then $30 equals six units. If a unit is $10.00, the $30 represents three units.

A unit should be equal to at the very least the minimum bet your sportsbook will take. Many books offer either a $5.00 or $10.00 minimum. Let’s assume you’re going with a book that allows $5.00 wagers. That gives you more leeway with your units.

How Many Units to Wager

With a $600 bankroll, you’ll be able to bet from one to six units per game. Of the $600, you should risk no more than $100 on your first week. That gives you 20 units for the week.

Here’s the way that you should allocate your units:

  • 1 unit—lowest priority wager—good chance of winning but some doubt.
  • 2-3 units—most wagers will be in this range. Sound bet that should payoff.
  • 4-5 units—this is the bet of the week. Only use this amount once per week.
  • 6 units—this is the bet of the month. Use sparingly. Need we say more?

If you’ve found nine games on which to bet that week, you’ll most likely do the following:

  • 1 unit bets—Two bets.
  • 2 unit bets—Four bets.
  • 3 unit bets—Two bets.
  • 4 unit bets—One bet.

The total number of units wagered is 20 units. Note, if you win your two and three unit wagers and lose the other two, you’ll be up by eight units and making a profit.

Making Sound Decision

It is essential that you make smart bets and that those two and three unit wagers are the best ones that you can make. They will serve as your foundation. That does not mean that the five unit or one-unit wagers are throw away bets. In fact, the five-unit game needs to be just about as sure a thing as you can find. But your foundation wagers are your two and three unit games and they are, for the most part, must wins.

Use this basic weekly wagering strategy to prioritize your bets and make the most of your money. It’s important that you stay within the parameters of your money management plan. If you don’t, you may lose a lot of money very quickly.