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NCAA basketball betting at Proline isn’t ideal, but it can occasionally have one major advantage: better lines.
While college basketball lines can fluctuate drastically (by one or two points, sometimes even more) during the day in Las Vegas and at online sportsbooks, they seem to remain the same at Proline. That can open up some value.
On one November evening in 2013 NCAA basketball betting action, for example, two of the seven games on Proline’s Ontario card had point spreads that had a difference or two points or more from online sportsbooks. Yale was +8.5 at Proline but had been bet down to +6 offshore, while Arizona was -1.5 at Proline and -3.5 offshore.
With so many college basketball games decided within one or two points of the point spread, disparities like this can make Proline a better way to go on occasion.
Of course, the problems with betting NCAA basketball — or any other sport — with Proline remain. You have to parlay at least two outcomes together (most often three), and the payout on your parlays isn’t even close to what it should be.
Also, Proline offers a very limited menu when it comes to NCAA basketball and football. On one random night in the 2013 season, there were 18 games tonight on the college basketball card, all of which could be bet on with an online sportsbook. Proline, however, offered up just seven games — ignoring a game that features a top-25 team.
In addition, Proline (in Ontario, at least) doesn’t offer the chance to bet totals (over/unders), half-time lines or live betting in college hoops.
We obviously recommend doing your NCAA basketball betting with online sportsbooks.
But it doesn’t hurt to keep an eye on the Proline odds as well, and try to take advantage of the few times when the odds might actually be in your favour.