College basketball is fun, but betting on college basketball is even better. However, you need to be good at analyzing games to win on a consistent basis. Its easy to simply pick a sideflip a coin. Its much more difficult, thanks to the abundant amount of information out there, to accurately forecast the game.

The Internet has been a blessing and a curse. Its been a blessing, because we now have access to all sorts of data that helps us handicap games better. Anyone remember the old days when your information source was the lousy box score in the local paper? However, its been a curse, because there is so much information out there that it drowns most sports handicappers.

Its really important to know what stats and other pieces of information matter. Being able to pinpoint information and accurately forecast a college basketball game consistently is a process that you can fine-tune over time. The number of colleges in the United States is another factor that can hurt a college sports bettor. Sure, its great, because of all the opportunity. Its also bad, because you must be very focuses to win consistently.

On the college level, one key element to factor into your decision for making a selection is motivation. Sure, every team is motivated to win. However, some teams have other motivating factors. These players are playing for pride, reputation and perhaps a future paycheck in the NBA. Heres a quick checklist of motivational items to look out for.

I. Does the team have a deep rivalry, not just in basketball, but on campus as well? An example would be USC vs. UCLA.

II. Has one of the two teams been dramatically upset or disgraced by the other team recently? If so, are many of the same players still on the teams? An example would be two teams that played last season and one of the teams crushed the other teamespecially on the home turf.

III. Is one of the teams fighting for a possible NCAA tournament bid?

IV. Has the program/school suffered a recent embarrassment or traumatic event? For example, a player being arrested, killed or a program being suspended by the NCAA can all be negative motivation factors.

There are four motivational items you need to be on the lookout for when selecting a college basketball team. All too often, sports bettors make their wagers based on surface appearance of teams. Motivationnegative or positivecomes and goes. It can drive teams up and down.