Some Half Time Plays (Examples)

The other night I made two successful half-time wagers, and I would like to share my rationale with all of you, to maybe help you all out with your Sports Investing. This isn't any hardcore advice, nothing that will blow your mind, just a few examples of successful half-time wagers that occurred last night.

San Antonio jumped out to a 24 point lead to close out the first half, and the line for the second half was -2.5 for Toronto, meaning Toronto just has to make that 24-point lead a 21-point lead. I’m banking on the fact that Toronto is a youthful and proud team. Now, the Spurs weren't going to exactly let them get back into the game, but so far Bosh had been completely shut down. I looked for him to get some game and maybe pull it out toward the end of the fourth when letting up is simply inevitable--sometimes. But if there is a time in a blowout, that's when.

So what happened? Bosh didn't exactly wow anybody, but the Raptors went shot for shot in the third and then closed the gap by 8 points in the fourth, win for me. Now...

Boston was in Houston, and Tracy McGrady was out of the game with the flu. No McGrady, no Yao, this means trouble trouble—one of the lowest scoring first halves I can remember, Houston was up 35-29 at halftime. Part of me wanted to take the under, which was at 92, but it reeked of a trap bet, as I thought the teams would discover how to play against one another in the second half. What did like, however, was the fact that Boston had Pierce and a bunch of young guys who were all thinking, hey, this is our chance, let’s do this. It’s +1 Boston, so as long as the game ended with Houston up by 6, I would be all right. I banked on Pierce leading his team and the Rockets falling apart at the end without their big star...

And what happened? Houston goes up by three more points at the end of the third, but then it all goes down the crapper as the Celtics battle back in the fourth for a 5-point win. Oh, and the under would have paid as well...but I figured that first half was so low, who knew what would happen in the second.

The Lesson is easy to see. Analyzing team character, as well as what is happening, can lead you to making a relatively easy decision. Halftime plays are huge, you can either hedge a losing bet or even, like last night, make a couple smart independent wagers. The only problem is that you have to make a quick decision. Usually I don't make a full bet at halftime, and wager about half of my usual wager, but that's just me. Even though I look at it as a bonus, halftime wagers are really great plays for all sports investors to really make your investment grow.

Research of team play is huge, but a lot of it is just knowing your basketball, trusting your gut, being aware of the numbers, and using common sense. All right everyone, CollegeBoy telling all of you to Stay Sharp and Play Smart...