Hi Gary Greene fans and followers,
Well last night was my Xmas Eve or I guess you could say my Xmas Day as it was the Opening Night for the 2022-23 CBB Season, and as many of you already know from following me for over 30 years, CBB is my all time favorite Sport to bet. Of course Football season will always be bigger in many fans minds and although I’ve done extremely well in CFB and the NFL over the past three plus decades, nothing can ever compare in my mind to the gigantic edge I have over the Bookmakers in the sport of CBB. In Football my picks (bets) can be ones where my pick dominates the game yet still loses (fumbles, INT’s or Special Teams blunders that turn into points for opposing team) whereas in CBB majority of games I pick/bet where my side dominates, I win at a very high rate. The only way really to dominate and lose in CBB is usually due to missed Free Throws that end up changing the point spread outcome. Football is always going to be way more volatile.
I spent many parts of my summer off prepping for this 2022-23 CBB season to be ready to rock right out the gates. Usually I love bigger cards with more games to choose from. This year though I hated it. They basically had 85% of the teams opening last night and then give me a little handful of games tonight to choose from. Ouch! I will admit that luckily for me I wasn’t hurt by the 4 games I passed due to not wanting to go 11 games on the very first night of the season. I took a long time to make the final cut down to just 7 games. I truly felt my worst outcome of these 7 would be (4-3) which I could easily live with. Week one and two are “feel out/learn teams” weeks anyway. But I rode the Big Dogs where I liked the lines the most. The four I felt Oddsmakers did well on the lines I passed (those 4 went just 2-2). In the end my 7 picks that made final cut went an outstanding (6-1). Of course one thing in betting that will always be true and the difference between a good season and a great season is “how do I fare (or any bettor) in the very close games? This is games decided by 3 points or less. Games where you had the Dog getting points and they lose in OT in a game you had won in regulation time. Although I grade myself not on wins and losses of my picks/bets but on “did I have the RIGHT side”? I always also do keep a “LUCKY WIN/UNLUCKY LOSS” record too and my hope is always if I can simply “Break Even” on the Lucky/Unlucky chart I should then have a really profitable season.
Opening night I had only one close game. Every one of my 6 wins was an easy winner except one. Of course it was my fav team, UCLA, who ended up winning but only by 1 point of the (-25) point spread. Truth being told this pick was a wrong side – Lucky Winner. My biggest lead ever was 27 points, with 2 mins remaining. Jax cut lead to 22 points with only .32 seconds left. But a UCLA basket at 0:17 and then a steal with only 4 seconds left and a dunk by UCLA at the buzzer and in a NY second a loss turned into a WIN. Good Omen to start the season? I hope so. It’s always nice to start a season on winning note and getting the clients into the Plus column. I have a gigantic Football Following and this season has been fantastic so far. But the slate started (0-0) last night for CBB Season (or weekly/monthly) clients and that nice FB record and Units plus profits means zero. It’s a whole new ballgame and so anytime you can pick up (+4.9) Units on day 1 you have to be super excited. Only powerhouse North Carolina lost and really they never had a good chance (or any) to cover as their biggest lead of game ever was only 17 points. They shot (2-10) from 3-land and got outrebounded. I feel ok with that loss as it was a bad pick and really just a bad opener for the Tar Heels. Plenty of time ahead for them to repay me back for a really not sharp performance.
For those new here, or just on board this season, it was a fun start, but it’s a long, long season ahead, and one where some nights that Lucky/Unlucky chart rears it’s ugly head against me (all of us). But I feel back to my element again as I just love CBB season. I won’t sleep much the next 8 weeks while FB season is still in full play but hopefully as it’s always been the past 33 seasons in the end the gigantic profits won make it all worth it. Plus we can sleep all we want when were dead, right?
Have a great rest of week and enjoy the rest of FB season and this new CBB Season as well. I hope all your wagers are “WINNING” ones. And please remember use money management and remember there are no “LOCKS” or sure bets that can’t lose. 97% of Handicappers HYPE the games/picks they sell as to make a fast sale. It’s because they know they can’t win. I don’t need to make fast money. I let you decide at seasons end each year if I was good or bad. I will have losing nights along this long ride. I will have way more winning nights though. Enjoy the ride and don’t go spending the profits as soon as you get them. Put them aside and when you get up 20 units then go grab a little handful.
God Bless and go Duke and UCLA.
GARY GREENE