College basketball betting holds a special place in the hearts of US sports fans, especially come the end of the season and March Madness.
NCAA basketball has a prominent place at the best sports betting sites and ranks as one of the top sports for betting.
Below, we’ll cover how to bet on NCAA basketball and run down how to open a sports betting account at the best college basketball betting sites.
Top sportsbooks for NCAA college basketball betting
Below, we outline four of our favorite betting apps for betting on NCAA basketball.
BetMGM Sportsbook
With competitive lines for every NCAAB bet type, BetMGM proves why it is one of the top sports betting apps in the country. It offers popular welcome bonuses to new customers and has a nice selection of prop bets.
While the app isn’t as intuitive as others, it’s easy to use once you get the hang of it.
NCAAB bettors can participate in the $10 million March Madness bracket contest, and basketball fans can enjoy live-streaming NBA games with the sportsbook.
Key features include:
- “Edit my bet” and “easy parlay” options
- A deep selection of sports to bet on
- A March Madness contest where bettors can win big prizes
- App store rating: 4.8 (iOS), 4.6 (Android)
Caesars Sportsbook
With one of the most recognizable names in the entire gambling industry, Caesars runs a very popular sports betting app.
Caesars Sportsbook offers many NCAA basketball betting markets, and notably, its point spreads are often a half-point more favorable than the competition’s.
They offer promos for college basketball bets, including a large selection of March Madness odds boosts.
Caesars doesn’t hesitate to offer a full spectrum of NCAAB betting, including various futures markets. They offer one of the best welcome offers available to new NCAA basketball bettors and have more daily odds boosts than most of their competitors.
Key features include:
- Has high betting limits, which is perfect for high-rollers
- Easy-to-use app makes finding college basketball bets easy
- Offers great odds boosts and promotions to existing customers
- App store rating: 4.6 (iOS), 4.4 (Android)
FanDuel Sportsbook
FanDuel is one of the top sportsbooks in just about every state where it is licensed, and for good reason. It offers one of the best betting apps on the market.
You’ll find competitive odds for most Division I men’s NCAA basketball games, as well as a good selection of futures and prop betting for most sports.
You’ll also discover some of the best customer service in the industry when using the app and online sportsbook.
There is a free-to-play March Madness bracket pool, as well as paid bracket challenges. In the past, FanDuel has switched up its promos to make March Madness betting more attractive, such as offering $200 in bonus bets if you make a $20 bet.
Key features include:
- An easy-to-use “same game parlay” feature
- Profit boost promos for existing customers for various sports
- Live streaming and in-game betting options
- App store rating: 4.8 (iOS), 4.7 (Android)
DraftKings Sportsbook
DraftKings began as a daily fantasy sports provider before becoming one of the top sportsbooks in the country. The betting app and online sportsbook provide a very user-friendly format, as well as solid new customer welcome bonuses combined with a constant selection of promotions for existing customers to enjoy.
You’ll find all the bet types for college basketball games, including free and paid March Madness contests. DraftKings Sportsbook releases its lines quickly and offers highly competitive college basketball odds. The sportsbook also publishes stats for bettors to use in their research.
Key features for college basketball betting include:
- Deep prop betting menu
- An outstanding live betting experience
- Betting pools where bettors can compete against each other
- App store rating: 4.8 (iOS), 4.7 (Android)
How to bet on college basketball games online
Creating an account at a sportsbook is free, quick, and easy. If you want to get in on the betting action, follow these steps.
- Pick a sportsbook: Every sportsbook offers its own features, promotions, and experience. Shop around to find the ones that work best for you. If you’re unsure of which one is the right fit, read our reviews to learn each operator’s pros and cons (and its all-important welcome offer). Once you pick an online sportsbook, simply follow the link from our website to the corresponding homepage.
- Register: On the homepage, you’ll find a button to either “sign up” or “register.” Once you click it, you’ll be taken to a form that asks for your name, phone number, address, and last four digits of your Social Security number. Once you finish with that, you’ll be asked to accept the terms and conditions provided by the sportsbook.
- Claim your bonus: At this point in the process, you’ll be able to claim your welcome bonus. If you need a sports betting promo code, you’ll find it right here on our site. In that case, input the code and apply it to your account to qualify for the welcome promotion. In some cases, a code isn’t needed, and you’ll just be able to accept the bonus. Read through the bonus requirements so you’re aware of any playthrough or restrictions.
- Fund your bankroll: Now that you’ve created an account, you can add funds by depositing money. Online sportsbooks offer a variety of ways for you to deposit and withdraw money.
- Start betting: To add a bet to your slip, simply click on it. You can then adjust your wager amount and finalize your bet.
It’s important to register only with legal sportsbooks. Offshore books might look like they are legitimate, but they have no oversight or regulation, which means if something goes wrong or an illegal activity takes place, you have very little recourse to protect yourself.
How to read college basketball betting lines
Here’s an example of a set of college basketball game lines:
| Spread | Moneyline | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State | -7.5 (-110) | -245 | 145.5 (-110) |
| Michigan | +7.5 (-110) | +235 | 145.5 (-110) |
The first number to the right of the school names is the point spread, followed by the odds in the parentheses.
The next numbers, -245 and +235, are the moneyline odds. The final group are the totals and the odds for each.
Point spread NCAA basketball bets
In this example, the Michigan State Spartans are favored to win the game by 7.5 points, which means they have to be victorious by 8 points or more for bets on them to win.
The Michigan Wolverines, on the other hand, are the underdogs in this game by 7.5 points. They need to lose by 7 or fewer points or win the game outright.
Both sides of the bet carry -110 odds, which means you’ll win $100 for every $110 you wager if your bet wins.
Moneyline college basketball bets
Moneyline bets are straightforward wagers where you pick the team you believe is going to win the game. The odds shown above indicate that Michigan State is the favorite at -245 odds. Michigan, which has positive odds at +235, is the underdog.
Negative numbers show you how much you need to wager to win $100. Positive numbers show you how much you stand to win for every $100 you bet.
For example, if you were to bet $100 on Michigan and the Wolverines pulled off the upset, you’d win $235 on those +235 odds (plus your stake back).
Totals NCAA basketball bets
Totals bets are also known as over/unders and don’t require you to choose which team you believe is going to win the bet. Instead, your focus is entirely on the final combined score of the two teams playing.
In our example, the over/under is set at 145.5 points, and both sides carry -110 odds. You have to decide if you believe the two teams have the ability to score over that predicted total, or if you think the defenses will hold them under that predicted total.
Live betting on NCAA basketball games
The newest addition to the sports betting experience, live betting means you can bet on games currently underway. The odds constantly shift as the action unfolds, which requires you to keep tabs on the game with a college basketball betting app.
These bets are almost all prop and over/under style bets. You will be able to wager on a variety of different options, and those often change throughout the game.
Not all sportsbooks offer the same live betting experience. If you’re interested in this aspect of online sportsbooks, we recommend you shop around to find the live betting app you like best.
Can I bet on NCAA basketball futures or props?
Prop bets are specific “side wagers” that typically focus on events that will happen during a game. Futures bets focus on longer-term outcomes, like which team will win the NCAA tournament or its conference.
Futures bets launch well before the start of the college basketball season. In fact, some are available immediately following the end of the previous NCAA tournament.
The odds are pretty wild at that point because there isn’t nearly enough data to make accurate predictions. But the longer you wait, the tighter the odds get. You have to decide at what point you have enough info versus the risk/reward.
Prop bets center on stats, scoring, which team leads at certain times, and more. There are both player and team props at most sportsbooks, though several states have banned prop bets on college players, so make sure to know the laws in your state.
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Sportsbook rules for college basketball
Each sportsbook has house rules for settling bets. You can find these in the terms and conditions when you’re signing up for an account. The terms should also be posted on the sportsbook’s website.
Below are some sportsbook rules governing college basketball betting:
- The game must start on the scheduled day (local stadium time) for bets to have action.
- College basketball games must go 35 minutes for action. Any game called before 35 minutes is complete will be graded ‘No Action’ and wagers will be returned.
- All bets include overtime unless otherwise stated.
- If a venue changes and the home team remains designated as the home team, bets will stand.
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