March Madness bet odds give you a lot of choices including the ability to make a first half bet. This is a great way to get involved when you are wagering against March Madness lines. March Madness bet numbers for the first half are basically just half of the overall number. Usually first half March Madness lines are figured by the oddsmakers by dividing the full betting line in half. For example, you might have a team favored by 6 points with a total of 144. Usually you can divide that number in half for the side but you might need to make a little adjustment on the total when you look at the March Madness bet odds. The second half tends to have more scoring. In this example a first half line might have the favored team laying three points with a total of 71. Usually the side is divided evenly which is why the favorite is laying three points for the first half.
The question becomes why you would make a first half March Madness bet. The answers actually are many. The first advantage to making a first half bet in March Madness lines is that you don’t have to worry about blowing a big lead late in the game. Let’s say you liked Duke against Bucknell and the line for the game had Duke laying 20 points. The first half line might only be -10. It is a lot easier to cover ten points than it is to cover twenty points even though it is only the first half.
Another option with the first half is to double up if you lose. Let’s say you bet Duke at -10 and they didn’t cover the first half March Madness bet. You could double up and take Duke at the half and have a lower number than you would have had for the full game. You now have two chances to win with Duke instead of one. Yes, you would lose more on Duke with a March Madness bet if they fail to cover the first half and the halftime line but you liked them in the first place and now you have an additional chance to win vs. the March Madness lines.
When you look to make a March Madness bet on the first half remember to handicap the game just as you normally would and then consider doubling up at the half if you lose.