If you are someone that always tends to keep your eye on the odds for NBA championship winners, then you probably make basketball predictions often. Basketball can be a great sport to make predictions on, especially if you come up with a plan and then stick to it.
You can’t just make basketball predictions randomly, and there have to be some specific things that you consider. Your strategy can always change from time to time, but you have to identify certain areas to focus on when making these predictions.
Here are a few things to consider when you are making basketball predictions.
Always Know the Location
Basketball is a sport where homecourt advantage can have a huge impact on the outcome of a game, and it’s something that you have to know. That’s not always going to be the case, but home teams typically get a slight edge when playing at home.
If you are trying to predict a college basketball game, then you might notice that some games are played on a neutral floor. It only takes a quick second to check on the location, and it can have a huge impact.
Check out Recent Matchups
Regardless of the game that you are trying to make predictions on, you are going to want to check out recent matchups between the two teams. This can actually tell you a lot about a certain matchup, and it might be important information that can help you make the right prediction.
There are just certain teams that match up better with others, and that’s the information that you need to find out when doing your research. You can’t solely make your predictions based on what has happened in the past, but it’s definitely a great place to start.
Beware of Load Management
If you are going to be making basketball predictions on NBA games, then you have to worry about the phrase “load management.” This is a relatively new term, and it’s come from the practice of teams resting star players at random times.
The real problem with the practice of load management is that it can be hard to predict when teams are going to employ this strategy. You are going to want to wait until you see the inactive list before making that final prediction on a game.
Know the Trends
Not only do you have to know how recent matchups between teams have gone, but you also need to know how each team has been trending. This information can be pretty easy to find, but it’s up to you to decipher what it all means.
Trends can tell you how a team has been playing of late, and they can also allow you to predict how a game is going to be played out. Those trends can always change at some point, but it’s a good place to start if you are trying to handicap what is going to be taking place.
Fade the Public
Another important thing to remember when making basketball predictions is that the general public is wrong more often than not. Even when a game seems like a sure thing, you should always worry when everyone is making the same prediction.
You don’t always want to fade the public, but it should definitely be in the back of your mind anytime that you go to make a prediction. If your own research leads you to the same place as others, then that is when it’s fine to follow what others are going with.
Be Ready to React
You are going to have to check out the odds when making basketball predictions, and those odds are a great place to start. You will also notice that the odds are going to change from time to time, and you have to be willing to react when that happens.
There is a specific reason that those odds are changing, and it’s your job to figure out why that is taking place. Don’t be afraid to change up your predictions when odds change, and new information becomes available.