Early Line Ncaa Basketball

Team Spread Money Line Total Points Team Points; Monday, Mar 08, 2021 - NCAA Basketball Game 06:30 PM: 783: Wisc Milwaukee 02:00 PM.

Basketball
  • History
  • Play of the game
    • Rules
  • Winners of select basketball championships
Please select which sections you would like to print:
  1. Early NCAA Basketball Lines. Simple, getting a head start is always a good strategy, and with the NCAAB betting software platform at AcePerHead.com, that allows you to start taking future bets on the sport way ahead of the season start, you are guaranteed to have the upper hand on your competition.
  2. Searching for the best college basketball odds is key if you want to turn a profit wagering on NCAA ball. This page has you covered with all the NCAA basketball odds you’re looking for – from this week’s games to futures odds for March Madness, the NCAAB National Championship, and more.
  3. Live college basketball scores and postgame recaps. CBSSports.com's college basketball scoreboard features in-game commentary and player stats.
  4. The Opening Line on the College Basketball Las Vegas Odds is a must-stop resources for the 2021 NCAA Tournament, which begins on Thursday March 18. Prior to the 'First Four' action in the tournament, 'Selection Sunday' takes place four days earlier and after the field of 68 is announced, the oddsmakers start populating betting odds on the.
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

Join Britannica's Publishing Partner Program and our community of experts to gain a global audience for your work!
Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
Robert G. LoganSee All Contributors
Sportswriter, Chicago Tribune. Author of The Bulls and Chicago: A Stormy Affair.

Basketball, game played between two teams of five players each on a rectangular court, usually indoors. Each team tries to score by tossing the ball through the opponent’s goal, an elevated horizontal hoop and net called a basket.

What is basketball?

Basketball is a game played between two teams of five players each on a rectangular court, usually indoors. Each team tries to score by tossing the ball through the opponent’s goal, an elevated horizontal hoop and net called a basket.

When was basketball invented?

Basketball was invented by James Naismith on or about December 1, 1891, at the International Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) Training School, Springfield, Massachusetts, where Naismith was an instructor in physical education. Basketball is the only major sport strictly of U.S. origin (although Naismith was born in Canada).

How does basketball exercise your body?

Opening Line College Basketball

Basketball is a dynamic sport that builds stamina from the short sprints required of running up and down the length of the court. Movements distinct to basketball, such as jumping to take a shot or to grab a rebound, require frequent muscle contractions, which can build muscular endurance. Additional weight training is recommended for basketball players in order to improve their performance on the court.

Where is basketball popular outside of the United States?

The success of international basketball was greatly advanced by the inclusion of men’s basketball in the Olympic Games beginning in 1936. Basketball has caught on particularly well in Italy, and Spain has several basketball leagues. The other major centre of European basketball is eastern Europe, particularly in the Balkans.

What was the influence of television on basketball?

Basketball grew steadily but slowly in popularity and importance in the United States and internationally in the first three decades after World War II (1939–45) as a result of television exposure. However, with the advent of cable television, the game’s popularity exploded at all levels, especially during the 1980s.

The only major sport strictly of U.S. origin, basketball was invented by James Naismith (1861–1939) on or about December 1, 1891, at the International Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) Training School (now Springfield College), Springfield, Massachusetts, where Naismith was an instructor in physical education.

For that first game of basketball in 1891, Naismith used as goals two half-bushel peach baskets, which gave the sport its name. The students were enthusiastic. After much running and shooting, William R. Chase made a midcourt shot—the only score in that historic contest. Word spread about the newly invented game, and numerous associations wrote Naismith for a copy of the rules, which were published in the January 15, 1892, issue of the Triangle, the YMCA Training School’s campus paper.

While basketball is competitively a winter sport, it is played on a 12-month basis—on summer playgrounds, in municipal, industrial, and church halls, in school yards and family driveways, and in summer camps—often on an informal basis between two or more contestants. Many grammar schools, youth groups, municipal recreation centres, churches, and other organizations conduct basketball programs for youngsters of less than high school age. Jay Archer, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, introduced “biddy” basketball in 1950 for boys and girls under 12 years of age, the court and equipment being adjusted for size.

Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Subscribe Now

History

The early years

In the early years the number of players on a team varied according to the number in the class and the size of the playing area. In 1894 teams began to play with five on a side when the playing area was less than 1,800 square feet (167.2 square metres); the number rose to seven when the gymnasium measured from 1,800 to 3,600 square feet (334.5 square metres) and up to nine when the playing area exceeded that. In 1895 the number was occasionally set at five by mutual consent; the rules stipulated five players two years later, and this number has remained ever since.

Since Naismith and five of his original players were Canadians, it is not surprising that Canada was the first country outside the United States to play the game. Basketball was introduced in France in 1893, in England in 1894, in Australia, China, and India soon thereafter, and in Japan in 1900.

While basketball helped swell the membership of YMCAs because of the availability of their gyms, within five years the game was outlawed by various associations because gyms that had been occupied by classes of 50 or 60 members were now monopolized by only 10 to 18 players. The banishment of the game induced many members to terminate their YMCA membership and to hire halls to play the game, thus paving the way to the professionalization of the sport.

Originally, players wore one of three styles of uniforms: knee-length football trousers; jersey tights, as commonly worn by wrestlers; or short padded pants, forerunners of today’s uniforms, plus knee guards. The courts often were of irregular shape with occasional obstructions such as pillars, stairways, or offices that interfered with play. In 1903 it was ruled that all boundary lines must be straight. In 1893 the Narragansett Machinery Co. of Providence, Rhode Island, marketed a hoop of iron with a hammock style of basket. Originally a ladder, then a pole, and finally a chain fastened to the bottom of the net was used to retrieve a ball after a goal had been scored. Nets open at the bottom were adopted in 1912–13. In 1895–96 the points for making a basket (goal, or field goal) were reduced from three to two, and the points for making a free throw (shot uncontested from a line in front of the basket after a foul had been committed) were reduced from three to one.

Baskets were frequently attached to balconies, making it easy for spectators behind a basket to lean over the railings and deflect the ball to favour one side and hinder the other; in 1895 teams were urged to provide a 4-by-6-foot (1.2-by-1.8-metre) screen for the purpose of eliminating interference. Soon after, wooden backboards proved more suitable. Glass backboards were legalized by the professionals in 1908–09 and by colleges in 1909–10. In 1920–21 the backboards were moved 2 feet (0.6 metre), and in 1939–40 4 feet, in from the end lines to reduce frequent stepping out-of-bounds. Fan-shaped backboards were made legal in 1940–41.

A soccer ball (football) was used for the first two years. In 1894 the first basketball was marketed. It was laced, measured close to 32 inches (81 cm), or about 4 inches (10 cm) larger than the soccer ball, in circumference, and weighed less than 20 ounces (567 grams). By 1948–49, when the laceless molded ball was made official, the size had been set at 30 inches (76 cm).

The first college to play the game was either Geneva College (Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania) or the University of Iowa. C.O. Bemis heard about the new sport at Springfield and tried it out with his students at Geneva in 1892. At Iowa, H.F. Kallenberg, who had attended Springfield in 1890, wrote Naismith for a copy of the rules and also presented the game to his students. At Springfield, Kallenberg met Amos Alonzo Stagg, who became athletic director at the new University of Chicago in 1892. The first college basketball game with five on a side was played between the University of Chicago and the University of Iowa in Iowa City on January 18, 1896. The University of Chicago won, 15–12, with neither team using a substitute. Kallenberg refereed that game—a common practice in that era—and some of the spectators took exception to some of his decisions.

The colleges formed their own rules committee in 1905, and by 1913 there were at least five sets of rules: collegiate, YMCA–Amateur Athletic Union, those used by state militia groups, and two varieties of professional rules. Teams often agreed to play under a different set for each half of a game. To establish some measure of uniformity, the colleges, Amateur Athletic Union, and YMCA formed the Joint Rules Committee in 1915. This group was renamed the National Basketball Committee (NBC) of the United States and Canada in 1936 and until 1979 served as the game’s sole amateur rule-making body. In that year, however, the colleges broke away to form their own rules committee, and during the same year the National Federation of State High School Associations likewise assumed the task of establishing separate playing rules for the high schools. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Rules Committee for men is a 12-member board representing all three NCAA divisions. It has six members from Division I schools and three each from Divisions II and III. It has jurisdiction over colleges, junior colleges, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and Armed Forces basketball. There is a similar body for women’s play.

Growth of the game

Basketball grew steadily but slowly in popularity and importance in the United States and internationally in the first three decades after World War II. Interest in the game deepened as a result of television exposure, but with the advent of cable television, especially during the 1980s, the game’s popularity exploded at all levels. Given a timely mix of spectacular players—such as Earvin (“Magic”) Johnson, Julius Erving (“Dr. J”), Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan—and the greatly increased exposure, basketball moved quickly to the forefront of the American sporting scene, alongside such traditional leaders as baseball and football. Four areas of the game developed during this period: U.S. high school and college basketball, professional basketball, women’s basketball, and international basketball.

Quick Facts
key people
related topics

Don’t Miss a Beat

We are a few months away from the new season of NCAA Basketball, the regular season will start on November 10th and training will begin at the end of September. So why are we even talking about this now?

Early NCAA Basketball Lines

Simple, getting a head start is always a good strategy, and with the NCAAB betting software platform at AcePerHead.com, that allows you to start taking future bets on the sport way ahead of the season start, you are guaranteed to have the upper hand on your competition.

Every year, men’s college basketball becomes increasingly popular with bettors, the unpredictability of the sport seems to awaken the trill seeker in them, and with so many games to choose from every week, they can’t seem to get enough.

Like with anything else in life, when we see something we like we go after it, by posting early future lines for NCAA basketball, it is more likely that your players will get in on the action and not wait until some other site posts them.

For obvious reasons, early future lines must be capped to relatively small bets, that is another great feature of the NCAAB betting software from www.AcePerHead.com, you can set limits on every line of every sport. The flexible interface will allow you to increase the maximum wager once the event is closer and the lines are not as volatile.

A lot of pay per head shops are afraid to post early lines, the sport is known for having serious spikes in its lines, however, as long as you manage your risk, and act smart, you should be ok with posting your futures ahead of everyone else. And with the help of the expert line managers at Ace Per Head, you can have full confidence that you are being backed by the best.

It is no secret that AcePerHead.com is known for having some of the sharpest lines in the business, however, this does not prevent them from being able to successfully manage public lines for those agents that require them. And in truth, both sharp and public packages can benefit from the right amount of crossover between the lines. It helps to create interest and boost profits.

When it comes to college basketball, every season seems to be unique, you never know which team out of the 300 participating schools will shine brightest. There are clear favorites, but, every year some of them have unbelievable disappointing seasons, while, some of the biggest underdogs achieve the impossible; that is the allure of this sport.

Knowing how to recognize real trends, and how to capitalize on them is what www.AcePerHead.com does best, keeping the lines as tight as possible to avoid creating gaps where agents could lose a considerable amount of money and generating interest in games that would otherwise go unnoticed is just part of the winning strategy.

It has been said that every agent has different requirements, and while we don’t dispute this premise, we can guarantee that every agent needs to manage their risk and make a profit at the end of the year, so why not work with the guys who consistently and successfully do just that.

Betting on NCAA Basketball is practically the same as betting on NBA, you get point spreads and moneylines and you are allowed to place a variety of different types of wagers.

College basketball gambling gives you so many different games to bet on, there’s certainly no shortage of action. Playing at home vs. playing as a visitor, road trips, injuries, motivation, rivalry, it all plays a role in a teams’ performance.

A couple of tips while betting on NCAAB:

Remember this is the one sport where one single key player can make all the difference in the world; this goes for basketball in general; any new addition or an injured player can completely change the dynamics of a team. Also, if you want to bet on NCAA basketball, start when the season starts, you can start slow and small if you want, but come November start following all the early season tournaments, stay informed; there’s 68 teams competing, perhaps out of these you only like 5, still, that’s a lot of games, you have to stay in the loop in order to play wise; by the time March Madness comes along, you’ll be feeling confident enough to choose your winning bracket.

Line

AceSportsbook.com offers you competitive live lines and odds on NCAA Basketball, oddsmakers are sure to keep you busy with betting offering starting from early tournaments to March Madness, brackets, props and futures.

Early Lines Ncaa Basketball

  • The lines displayed on this page are updated periodically.
  • Since we offer multiple betting lines for the same game, please make sure you read the title of the selected line to ensure you have selected the correct odds.
Ncaa

To view another sport, just click here »

By clicking here, you’ll find the latest basketball picks, news, and previews!

Check Ace Sportsbook‘s basketball gambling rules guide right here.

Early Betting Lines College Basketball

##TEAMTIMEPS/TOTALTOTAL$LINE
COLLEGE BASKETBALLTHURSDAY, MARCH 11TH
663
664
BALL STATE
TOLEDO
2021-03-11T11:00:00 8-115
-8-105
155-110
155-110

671
672
MICHIGAN STATE
MARYLAND
2021-03-11T11:30:00 1-110
-1-110
129-110
129-110

709
710
OKLAHOMA STATE
WEST VIRGINIA
2021-03-11T11:30:00 2.5-110
-2.5-110
151.5-110
151.5-110

687
688
TEMPLE
SOUTH FLORIDA
2021-03-11T12:00:00 -1.5-115
1.5-105
132-110
132-110

701
702
MISSISSIPPI STATE
KENTUCKY
2021-03-11T12:00:00 3.5-110
-3.5-110
131.5-110
131.5-110

679
680
SYRACUSE
VIRGINIA
2021-03-11T12:00:00 5.5-110
-5.5-110
131.5-110
131.5-110

693
694
GEORGETOWN
VILLANOVA
2021-03-11T12:00:00 7.5-110
-7.5-110
139-110
139-110

717
718
NO. COLORADO
SOUTHERN UTAH
2021-03-11T13:00:00 7.5-110
-7.5-110
142-110
142-110

665
666
OHIO
KENT STATE
2021-03-11T13:30:00 -1.5-110
1.5-110
149.5-110
149.5-110

725
726
LONG BEACH STATE
CAL SANTA BARBARA
2021-03-11T14:00:00 13.5-110
-13.5-110
141-105
141-115

673
674
MINNESOTA
OHIO STATE
2021-03-11T14:00:00 10.5-105
-10.5-115
145-110
145-110

681
682
MIAMI FLORIDA
GEORGIA TECH
2021-03-11T14:30:00 9.5-110
-9.5-110
138.5-110
138.5-110

703
704
VANDERBILT
FLORIDA
2021-03-11T14:30:00 7.5-110
-7.5-110
145-110
145-110

733
734
ARIZONA STATE
OREGON
2021-03-11T14:30:00 9-110
-9-110
147.5-110
147.5-110

711
712
KANSAS STATE
BAYLOR
2021-03-11T14:30:00 20-110
-20-110
137.5-110
137.5-110

689
690
TULANE
TULSA
2021-03-11T15:00:00 3.5-110
-3.5-110
126.5-110
126.5-110

695
696
SETON HALL
ST. JOHNS
2021-03-11T15:00:00 -1.5-110
1.5-110
151-110
151-110

307301
307302
ALCORN STATE
TEXAS SOUTHERN
2021-03-11T15:00:00 9-110
-9-110
145-110
145-110

741
742
WYOMING
SAN DIEGO STATE
2021-03-11T15:00:00 15-110
-15-110
143-110
143-110

667
668
MIAMI OHIO
BUFFALO
2021-03-11T16:00:00 8-110
-8-110
151-110
151-110

719
720
MONTANA STATE
IDAHO STATE
2021-03-11T16:00:00 -2.5-110
2.5-110
130-110
130-110

727
728
CS BAKERSFIELD
UC DAVIS
2021-03-11T17:00:00 -3.5-110
3.5-110
132-110
132-110

749
750
RIDER
ST. PETER'S
2021-03-11T17:00:00 5.5-110
-5.5-110
130.5-110
130.5-110

735
736
OREGON STATE
UCLA
2021-03-11T17:30:00 5-110
-5-110
133.5-110
133.5-110

743
744
NEVADA
BOISE STATE
2021-03-11T17:30:00 3.5-110
-3.5-110
146.5-110
146.5-110

307305
307306
MORGAN STATE
FLORIDA A&M
2021-03-11T18:00:00 -3.5-110
3.5-110
139.5-110
139.5-110

697
698
BUTLER
CREIGHTON
2021-03-11T18:00:00 10-110
-10-110
135.5-110
135.5-110

669
670
BOWLING GREEN
AKRON
2021-03-11T18:30:00 1-110
-1-110
153-110
153-110

675
676
INDIANA
RUTGERS
2021-03-11T18:30:00 3.5-110
-3.5-110
130.5-110
130.5-110

683
684
DUKE
FLORIDA STATE
2021-03-11T18:30:00 4-110
-4-110
152.5-110
152.5-110

753
754
TEXAS SAN ANTONIO
WESTERN KENTUCKY
2021-03-11T18:30:00 7-110
-7-110
148-110
148-110

713
714
OKLAHOMA
KANSAS
2021-03-11T18:30:00 3-115
-3-105
137-110
137-110

691
692
EAST CAROLINA
CENTRAL FLORIDA
2021-03-11T19:00:00 5-110
-5-110
134-110
134-110

705
706
GEORGIA
MISSOURI
2021-03-11T19:00:00 6-110
-6-110
153.5-110
153.5-110

721
722
NORTHERN ARIZONA
EASTERN WASHINGTON
2021-03-11T19:00:00 15-110
-15-110
150-110
150-110

755
756
RICE
UAB
2021-03-11T19:00:00 8.5-110
-8.5-110
141-110
141-110

751
752
NIAGARA
MARIST
2021-03-11T19:30:00 -1-110
1-110
124.5-110
124.5-110

761
762
SEATTLE U
CALIFORNIA BAPTIST
2021-03-11T19:30:00 -1-110
1-110
151.5-110
151.5-110

729
730
CAL POLY SLO
CAL IRVINE
2021-03-11T20:00:00 15-110
-15-110
128-110
128-110

307307
307308
NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL
NORFOLK STATE
2021-03-11T20:30:00 5.5-110
-5.5-110
133-110
133-110

737
738
UTAH
USC
2021-03-11T20:30:00 7-110
-7-110
140-110
140-110

745
746
UNLV
UTAH STATE
2021-03-11T21:00:00 9-110
-9-110
136.5-110
136.5-110

685
686
NORTH CAROLINA
VIRGINIA TECH
2021-03-11T21:00:00 -4-110
4-110
141-110
141-110

699
700
DEPAUL
CONNECTICUT
2021-03-11T21:00:00 12.5-110
-12.5-110
133.5-110
133.5-110

677
678
PENN STATE
WISCONSIN
2021-03-11T21:00:00 5-110
-5-110
134-110
134-110

707
708
SOUTH CAROLINA
MISSISSIPPI
2021-03-11T21:30:00 7-105
-7-115
140.5-110
140.5-110

715
716
TEXAS TECH
TEXAS
2021-03-11T21:30:00 -1.5-110
1.5-110
134.5-110
134.5-110

307303
307304
SOUTHERN
GRAMBLING
2021-03-11T21:30:00 -2-110
2-110
138-110
138-110

757
758
FLORIDA ATLANTIC
LOUISIANA TECH
2021-03-11T21:30:00 7.5-110
-7.5-110
137-110
137-110

723
724
MONTANA
WEBER STATE
2021-03-11T22:00:00 6-110
-6-110
142-110
142-110

759
760
NORTH TEXAS
OLD DOMINION
2021-03-11T22:00:00 -4.5-110
4.5-110
127-115
127-105

731
732
HAWAII
CAL RIVERSIDE
2021-03-11T23:00:00 5-110
-5-110
135-110
135-110

763
764
UT RIO GRANDE VALLEY
NEW MEXICO STATE
2021-03-11T23:00:00 11.5-110
-11.5-110
131.5-110
131.5-110

747
748
FRESNO STATE
COLORADO STATE
2021-03-11T23:30:00 8.5-110
-8.5-110
137-110
137-110

739
740
CALIFORNIA
COLORADO
2021-03-11T23:30:00 14-115
-14-105
133.5-110
133.5-110

COLLEGE BASKETBALLTHURSDAY, MARCH 11TH
89185
89186
BALL STATE TEAM TOTAL
BALL STATE TEAM TOTAL
2021-03-11T11:00:00
73.5-115
73.5-115

COLLEGE BASKETBALLTHURSDAY, MARCH 11TH
89187
89188
TOLEDO TEAM TOTAL
TOLEDO TEAM TOTAL
2021-03-11T11:00:00
81.5-115
81.5-115

89235
89236
OKLAHOMA STATE TEAM TOTAL
OKLAHOMA STATE TEAM TOTAL
2021-03-11T11:30:00
74.5-115
74.5-115

89315
89316
SYRACUSE - TEAM TOTAL
SYRACUSE - TEAM TOTAL
2021-03-11T12:00:00
63-115
63-115

89307
89308
MINNESOTA - TEAM TOTAL
MINNESOTA - TEAM TOTAL
2021-03-11T14:00:00
67-110
67-110

89347
89348
BAYLOR - TEAM TOTAL
BAYLOR - TEAM TOTAL
2021-03-11T14:30:00
78.5-115
78.5-115

89195
89196
BUFFALO TEAM TOTAL
BUFFALO TEAM TOTAL
2021-03-11T16:00:00
79.5-115
79.5-115

89409
89410
CONNECTICUT TEAM TOTAL
CONNECTICUT TEAM TOTAL
2021-03-11T21:00:00
73-110
73-110