Many basketball bettors like placing bets on the spread.

While the default alternative for most bettors is to place standard point spread bets that cover the entire game, this wager comes in many other fascinating variations.

For instance, you can place spread bets in both the first and second halves of college basketball games.

Today, our main focus will be on NCAAB 2nd half ATS betting, which can be an exciting alternative if you follow college basketball really closely and know your stuff.

If this sounds intriguing to you, we’ve crafted an in-depth guide focusing on this betting alternative.

Plus, with our BestOdds standings, you can easily pick and choose the best teams for 2nd half NCAAB ATS betting.

Sounds exciting, right? Let’s dive into this!

NCAAB 2nd Half ATS Betting

If you’re familiar with point spreads, 2nd half ATS betting is exactly similar to that, just that the focus is strictly on points scored during the second half, not the overall final result.

For those unfamiliar with spread betting, we’ll give you a brief rundown. Instead of betting on the winner of the game, point spreads focus on a team’s expected margin of victory or defeat.

Sportsbooks even out the odds by giving the favorites a virtual handicap, meaning that they have to beat that handicap for the wager to be settled as a win.

Underdogs have an easier task on paper due to the fact that they are given a virtual advantage, which means that they simply need to avoid losing the game. Or if they lose, the margin shouldn’t be greater than the spread.

For example, if the spread is 5 points, the underdog can suffer a 4-point loss, and the wager will still be settled as a win.

It’s easy to differentiate between the underdogs and the favorites. The favorites have a (-) symbol before the spread, while the underdogs are the team with the (+) sign.

College basketball 2nd half ATS bets stick to this formula, but the key difference is that only points scored in the 2nd half will be considered when grading such wagers.

So even if a team went into halftime leading by 30 points, none of the points scored during the first half would have an effect on a 2nd half ATS wager.

If you enjoy NCAAB 2nd Half Spread Betting, you will definitely want to check out our 1st Half Spread Betting for NCAAB page.

How Does NCAAB 2nd Half ATS Betting Work?

As we’ve highlighted, 2nd half ATS betting only focuses on points scored during the 2nd half, not the game’s final score.

Here’s an example to illustrate this better. Let’s assume you’ve bet on Northwestern (-5.5) vs. Boise State (+5.5) by backing Northwestern to cover the second-half spread.

The score at halftime is 34-33 in favor of Northwestern, and the final score ends up being a 75-67 triumph for Northwestern.

To know whether your wager is a winner, you’ll have to solely consider the number of points scored during the 2nd half.

Taking away the first-half score, Northwestern won the 2nd half 41-34. Since they won this half by 7 points, that’s enough to cover the -5.5 spread.

As you can see, the number of points scored during the game’s first half didn’t affect our wager at all.

So if you were to place this type of wager, regardless of how many points the team you back is trailing by at halftime, the 2nd half is all that matters.

How Do NCAAB 2nd Half ATS Odds Work?

Just like a standard point spread, the odds for 2nd half ATS bets will usually be priced at -110 on both sides of the wager, or values somewhat similar to that.

Typically, this is what such wagers often look like:

Team	Game Spread	2nd Half Spread
Northwestern	(-9.5) -110	(-4.5) -110
Boise State	(+9.5) -110	(+4.5) -110

This is the default odds system that many American sportsbooks use.

Essentially, with negative odds, you’re shown how much you need to wager to win $100.

In this case, if you were to back Northwestern to cover the 2nd half spread, a $110 wager on them (-110) would potentially win you $100.

If you’ve noticed, both sides of the wager are equally priced at -110.

This is because point spreads aim to even things out, thus turning such bets into theoretical 50/50s, unlike moneyline wagers where the underdogs and the favorites have wildly varying odds.

Because sportsbooks charge a commission, the odds are -110 instead of +/-100. This extra commission is what is famously known as the juice/vig and is the main way that sportsbooks make money.

Depending on the sportsbook you’re using, you can increase or decrease the value of your 2nd half ATS wager by buying a hook (half a point) or going for alternate lines.

For example, if you think that Northwestern’s -4.5 (-110) spread is too restrictive, you can go for an alternate -3.5 line, which may be priced at -120.

So the tradeoff here is that you’re sacrificing the odds of your wager to get a better shot of winning.

The opposite also works; you can increase your odds by chasing a harder-to-hit line. For instance, backing Northwestern at -5.5 may be priced at +115.

You can also buy a hook and get an even line — e.g., -5 — where a push (refund) is possible.

Using The BestOdds.com NCAAB 2nd Half ATS Standings Table

If you’re looking to improve your handicapping abilities, you can use our BestOdds.com NCAAB 2nd half ATS table.

This table shows the teams with the best 2nd half ATS records and how often they tend to cover the spread.

Apart from a team’s overall ATS record, you can filter by other vital metrics, such as the ATS margin, which shows the average margin that a team was able to beat the spread by during the season.

To make it even easier for you, you can search for specific teams and conferences and also see a team’s ATS record over the last couple of games.

There’s even the option of filtering by home/away games, which is useful in showing you the teams that are successful at home vs. those that are more likely to cover the 2nd half spread while on the road.

NCAAB 2nd Half ATS Betting Strategies

If you’ve placed sports wagers for a while, you know how important it is to implement strategies.

With that in mind, we’re going to show you a few helpful tips and strategies that will make it easier for you to win more 2nd half ATS wagers:

• Prioritize A Team’s Overall 2nd Half Record: Needless to say, since you’re placing a 2nd half wager, the main focus should be on a team’s 2nd half record over everything else. With this in mind, you should look into how the team often performs in the 2nd half as opposed to the first half. Does the team perform better when they go into the 2nd half trailing? How likely are they to hold onto a lead? Such factors should form the basis of your research.
• Look At The General ATS Record Over A Team’s W/L Record: Another critical factor to consider is how often the team covers the spread. This is a more vital metric in this wagering category as opposed to the team’s overall W/L record.
• Always Hunt For Value: As we’ll discuss down below, you should always go for the best odds and lines, as this boosts your chances of winning while also ensuring that your wagers yield more significant profits.

Shop Around

Shopping around in betting simply means comparing the odds and lines offered by various sportsbooks and then going for the best one.

When you opt for more favorable lines, you’ll have a better chance of winning. On the other hand, chasing good odds means that you’ll stand to win more from the same bet, thus guaranteeing you value.

Let’s further explain what we mean using the following example:

Game	BetMGM	DraftKings	FanDuel
Kansas State vs. Michigan State	Kansas State +4.5 (-115)	Kansas State +4.5 (-115)	Kansas State +3.5 (-104)
	Michigan State -4.5 (-115)	Michigan State -4.5 (-115)	Michigan State -3.5 (-118)

If you wanted to back Michigan State to cover the spread, the best option would be to go with FanDuel.

While DraftKings and BetMGM have the line set at -4.5, FanDuel has it set at -3.5, which is easier for the team to clear.

Plus, the difference in the odds (-115 and -118) is so minuscule to justify a 1-point difference.

Trust us, a point difference may not seem like much, but those who’ve placed enough wagers know how crucial a solitary point can be in determining a bet.

Looking for more stats? Head to the NCAAB 2nd Half ATS Stats for betting.