Pair your earbuds. Press play. And crank that Jimmy Eat World jam from yesteryear, “In the Middle.”
Everything, everything will be just fine
Everything, everything will be alright, alright
This river chaser (That flush is bound to hit!) is no accomplished mathematician. Back in the day, basic algebraic formulas once frustrated this far younger and head-hair flush individual. But as a self-proclaimed grinder who is open-minded toward strategic implementations, experimentation in the sports betting arts has always been followed. Sometimes dabbles have worked brilliantly. Other times, a four-alarm fire torched the lab.
[ Betting strategy: Parlay rules to live by ]
There are numerous paths one can take via SGPs. One that hasn’t veered me off a cliff, especially in college basketball, is what I’ve dubbed “In the middle MADNESS.”
The grand design? Here's my plan of attack in four steps:
Step 1: Find a tight line
So you’re itching for action in college hoops tonight. You fire up your favorite sportsbook app, gaze at the lines and are promptly sucked in by the possibilities in Kansas-Texas Tech. The spread, interestingly, is Red Raiders -3.5 at home. You quickly comb over numbers at KenPom, uncover KU star guard Kevin McCullar is a game-time decision due to a nagging knee issue and are instantly overcome with on-the-fence feelings. Still, your appetite for Big 12 basketball is insatiable. You have to find a way to enhance the entertainment despite being completely undecided on the best approach.
Every advanced numbers site, whether KenPom, BartTorvik, EvanMiya, Haslametrics or Shot Quality, has the game right at the proposed number. Yeah, it’s seemingly sure to be a nail-biter.
Step 2: Play both sides
The epiphany. Play both Texas Tech AND Kansas at alternative thresholds. For example, at BetMGM, you can jack the spreads way up in the SGP software — Kansas to +13.5 and Texas Tech to +6.5. In other words, either team can win but NOT by a margin of seven or more points.
Given Kansas’ struggles away from Lawrence (No. 172 in eFG defense) and Tech’s stellar 12-1 mark straight up in Lubbock, middling makes all the sense in the world. Add in TTU’s No. 295 ranking in adjusted tempo over the past month per Torvik and — BAM!! — you’ve seemingly cracked the code. However, at significant minus odds, it’s not a wise investment. You need another SGP leg.
Step 3: Choose your total over or under
And that’s where investing in the alternative game total market comes in. You choose the highest number available (153.5) and pound the under. Tech’s recently displayed grind-it-out style and its mediocre No. 143 standing in eFG offense nationally (along with the raucous 15,000 strong backing them) suggest it’s a wise move. On the Rock Chalk side, McCullar's uncertainty only solidifies that belief.
As a result, the juice dips to a far more palatable and buyable +105. Attractive.
Step 4: Let it ride
Now you’re set. No matter who adds the key resume win, you pray the game is highly competitive (within seven points), but not a track meet (somewhere in the low 70s). And please, stay on the sidelines, overtime. After all, that’s where unders, even those in alt markets, go to die.
That’s how living the Middle Madness works. Of course, guarantees, locks and easy money don’t exist. It’s called gamblin' for a reason. Blowouts and, in this case, unexpected shootouts happen. Still, this is a creative strategy that’s occasionally cashed for yours truly. Build that bankroll.
Everything, everything will be just fine
Everything, everything will be alright, alright