NCAA vs NBA: Key Differences Between College and Pro Basketball
Basketball is basketball, right? Well, not quite.
Different levels of basketball have distinct rules and, consequently, different play styles. Looking at the NBA vs NCAA basketball, there are many differences, which leads to games that look different when they are quite similar.
We’re going to look at the differences between NCAAB rules and NBA rules and the effects they have on each level’s style of game. It also affects how you should bet on the games at each level, so understanding the differences can help you as a bettor.
What is the Difference Between the NCAA and the NBA?
There are many differences between the two levels of play. The length of a season’s schedule at each level is a major factor for your betting.
In the NBA, each of the 30 teams plays 82 regular-season games. This stretches from October to April before the playoffs generally run until early to mid-June.
That many games can take a toll on players, especially those who have been in the league a while, so you’re not always going to know which players will be playing in each game. Examples are the Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard and the 76ers’ Joel Embiid, who are known to try to manage the number of games played to try to avoid nagging injuries.
Checking a star player’s availability for a game is just as important as checking the NBA lines for a game because both will have a major impact on how you want to wager on the contest.
College basketball usually has about 28 to 30 regular-season games, with a majority being against the teams in a conference. Then, there is a conference tournament, and if a squad is good enough to make it, it is the NCAA Tournament. The time between games is greater, and the travel is less for college basketball players because they also have to attend classes as student-athletes.
The NCAA season begins in November and goes until the NCAA Tournament ends in the first week or so of April, so the length of the entire season is much less than the NBA.
Due to the number of games, injuries are much more prevalent in the NBA, so that has to be considered when betting on the league.
Rule Differences Can Cause Different Outcomes For Bettors
It used to be that NCAA basketball didn’t have a shot clock, while the NBA did. That led to much higher scores at the NBA level.
College basketball does have a shot clock now, though it is a 30-second clock, compared to the NBA’s 24-second shot clock that has existed for decades. NCAA basketball is also shorter, with two 20-minute halves compared to the NBA’s four 12-minute quarters.
So, a longer shot clock and eight minutes less of game time means the NCAA vs NBA scores will differ quite a bit. NBA games routinely finish with both teams scoring at least 100 points, while a high-scoring game at the NCAA level can be in the 70s or 80s for each team.
When you look at the total and decide whether to bet over or under, you must realize which level you’re betting on.
Fouls are also a different animal at each level, with NBA players getting six personal fouls before they foul out, while NCAA players only get five. Many college basketball coaches will sit even a star player if they get two fouls in the first half, while NBA coaches can stay with a star even if he picks up two quick personal fouls.
Team fouls are slightly different, with NBA players going to the free-throw line after the opponent’s fifth foul of a quarter. In NCAA basketball, a team gets 1-and-1 free throws after an opponent’s seventh foul of the half, which automatically goes up to two free throws after the 10th foul of the half.
Again, this can lead to more points being scored in NBA games, as more free-throw attempts give more chances for points to be scored without time going off the clock.
Is College Basketball More Popular Than The NBA?
Many people believe that the college game wins if you compare NBA and NCAA basketball in popularity. NCAA Basketball March Madness is a national phenomenon, with even the most casual basketball fans getting drawn into the NCAA Tournament.
The length of the NBA season can wear some fans down. Unless you’re a die-hard fan of a team, watching 82 regular-season games plus a long postseason with multiple-game series between teams before one is eliminated is just too much.
The immediacy of the NCAA Tournament’s one-and-done nature leads to more upsets, and with more teams spread across the country (352 Division I teams at last count), there is a greater chance of a local team following.
Every one of those teams has a chance to make the NCAAs and go on a Cinderella run. There is no shortage of upsets in the NCAA Tournament, which captivates fans nationwide.
Conversely, the NBA can often feel like the 30 teams play for months only to have the same teams competing at the end. In the late 2010s, the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers played each other in four straight NBA Finals. If you’re not a fan of one of those teams or the players on those teams, the draw can be a little less when you see the same franchises squaring off for the title every year.
You can argue all day about the better level of play between the NCAA vs NBA. Both provide lots of entertainment and plenty of betting opportunities. But if you wager on one or the other, you must be mindful of each rule’s differences to help inform your bets.
