Not all basketball betting is created equal. The differences between the NBA and NCAA are substantial. It’s the latter that we’ll be covering in-depth throughout this betting guide. By the end of this article, you’ll have the must-know information about NCAA basketball betting, including best sportsbooks, live scores, and tips.
Adding NCAA betting to your repertoire will be valuable. Betting chances are in every corner, none bigger than the annual NCAA March Madness event. The 68-team championship tournament is one of the biggest gambling moments of the entire year. This guide we’ll cover that, plus everything else you need to know about college basketball betting!
Best College Basketball Betting Sites
There are more than 350 schools that have a Division I basketball program. That means the college hoops season that runs between November and March is absolutely jam-packed with NCAA bet action on the best college basketball betting sites. Aside from the MLB, there’s no other sport in America that offers more betting action, on an almost daily basis, than NCAA basketball.
This predicament is every bettor’s dream. Well, sort of. You see, without a trusty online sportsbook — one packed with great features — the betting experience could quickly become a nightmare. Fear not, though, we’ve scoured the Internet to find the very best NCAA basketball betting sites. Here are our suggestions and rationale behind every pick:
Bovada — Unmatched NCAA Selection
Remember how we said there’s a D1 basketball game being played almost daily during the season? Welp, you’ll find college basketball bets for the vast majority, if not all, of those matchups on Bovada.
Bovada’s carved out quite the reputation for itself off of its betting selection, among other things. It carries a plethora of sports, leagues, and bet types (spreads, props, futures, in-play, etc.) That’s especially apparent with its NCAA bets selection. Furthermore, the quality of its prices is very respectable. By and large, it’s in-line with the same odds you’ll find from casinos in Las Vegas betting NCAA basketball.
BTC Bonus 75% up to $750! (Bonus Code: BTCSWB750)
BetOnline — Big Bonus To Build A Big Bankroll
First-time players to BetOnline can redeem their welcome bonus, which is one of the best in the whole marketplace. Here’s how it works: deposit money into your playing account and BetOnline will match 50 percent of it in free play. The award is capped at $1000, but that’s far from chump change.
Just amongst yourself, think about what you could possibly do with $1000 in free betting money. Use the funds to bankroll your NCAA basketball bets? Risk the entire amount on a single bet? While we strongly advise against the latter option, the point is, the possibilities are endless at BetOnline.
Sportsbetting.ag — Earn Rewards In The Long Run
As we’ve alluded to, the betting opportunities are seemingly endless when it comes to NCAA hoops. If you’re going to be gambling plenty and often, why not be rewarded for your loyalty?
Welp, that’s how Sportsbetting.ag ended up on our list. The bookmaker has a full-fledged rewards program, which they call “GameTimeRewards.” Every time you bet — whether on NCAA best bets or any other sport — you rack up points. Depending on the number of points you rake in, you’ll be tiered into different levels (Silver, Gold, Platinum) with its own unique perks.
The biggest incentive, despite what rewards level you’re at, is cashback. You can trade in rewards points for cold hard cash, with zero limits on the redemption amount. Other awards include entries into sweepstakes and merchandise.
Bonus also available in BTC
Now that you have college basketball betting sites to wager on, you also want to keep tabs on current basketball odds and scores. That information can be found in the handy table below. We update this in real-time so you’re constantly in the loop with the ever-changing world of NCAA hoops. Make sure to leverage this information before plopping money down on any of NCAA basketball best bets.
| Sportsbook | Welcome Bonus | NCAAB-Specific Promotions | Notable Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bovada | 50% match bonus up to $250 with a 5x rollover requirement | Regular odds boosts and special NCAAB promotions during the season | User-friendly interface; extensive live betting options; accepts Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies |
| BetOnline | 50% match bonus up to $1,000 with a 10x rollover requirement | Offers NCAAB-specific promotions, including reduced juice lines and bracket contests | Early release of betting lines; high betting limits; supports various cryptocurrencies |
| SportsBetting.ag | 50% match bonus up to $1,000 with a 10x rollover requirement | Provides NCAAB promotions such as parlay boosts and tournament challenges | Competitive odds; wide range of prop bets; multiple banking options, including cryptocurrencies |
NCAA Basketball Betting Tips
Of course, the main reason why we’re all here is to win bets and more importantly, win money. But here’s the thing about basketball or any other type of sports betting — you only get out what you put in. Keep that in mind as you read through our NCAA basketball betting tips:
Do Your Homework
Thought homework was only part of a school curriculum? Think again. If you want to achieve true, long-term success at NCAA basketball betting predictions, you’ll need to study up. A lot.
Just like you, oddsmakers are also here to win. And heck, considering they manage to keep websites up and running, they must be winning more than losing. Here’s the thing, though, those wins aren’t by chance. Rather, its a series of calculated choices. Those lines you’re picking between? Well, they’re typically formulated by advanced algorithms that are loaded with data.
If you, the bettor, is to outsmart these bookies and computer models, it’s probably not going to be from off-the-top-of-your-head decisions. No, you’ll need concrete evidence. Put it this way: if you can’t support your betting decisions with research and/or data, then you haven’t studied enough. Period.
Thankfully, college basketball is driven by analytics — most of which can easily be found online. A few places to start are KenPom ratings and advanced stats. Breaking down these metrics is an article in itself, but believe us, you’ll learn more about teams and players through this than anything else.
Specialize In A Conference
The number-one mistake we see amongst NCAA bettors is spreading themselves too thin. This manifests itself in players betting anything and everything related to NCAAB betting.
There’s just no possible way the everyday bettor can keep up with everything happening in the NCAA world. Too much teams, too much players, too little time to stay informed on it all.
Instead, your best bet is to specialize. So put your full focus on a particular basketball conference (SEC, Pac-12, Big 10, etc.) or perhaps a geographic region (California, the Pacific Northwest, etc.) and completely master it. The key is to develop specialized knowledge on a smaller group of teams.
Take our first betting tip as an example. You can’t possibly do research on 250-plus teams across 32 D1 conference — well, at least not good research. However, you most certainly can if you’re only studying up 12 teams in a single conference and following them throughout a season.
With this focused approach, you’ll begin to know certain teams and players better than any bookie or algorithm (or at the very least, as much as them). Perhaps you realize a team is prone to taking their foot off the gas pedal after building a large lead. This might lead you to bet its opponent via in-play, right before they erase the deficit. That’s just one small example, but possibilities such as these are endless with specialized knowledge. This should be the cornerstone of your college basketball betting system.
Let The Madness Ensure
Ah, yes, we couldn’t leave you hanging without some NCAA Tournament bets suggestions. Online sportsbooks typically roll out killers promotions around this time to capitalize on all the betting interest — so if there’s ever a time to join an online sportsbook, it’s in early March.
As for the event itself, while everyone wants to find the next “Cinderella” team, you’re better off finding the most-streaking-hot team. Many times, postseason play — whether in the NCAA or another sport — comes down to whoever is peaking at the right time.
Look at a sample size of the last 10 games or so. Did a team steamroll through its conference tourney? Is a team on an 8-game win streak? Basketball is a streaky game and momentum like that goes a long way come tourney time.
Momentum also matters more than pure talent. Pundits love to fall in love with teams with “one-and-done” NBA-bound talent. But there’s a long history of them coming up short come March Madness time. Between 2010 and 2019, only one number-one overall pick (Anthony Davis of Kentucky) came straight off an NCAA title.
And lastly, do expect some upsets, but don’t go broke betting on them. For every bracket-busting upset, there’s probably four favorites that win as they were supposed to. Outside of 12 versus five seed, which historically is the biggest trap game, upsets are the exception, not the norm. Now, if there’s an underdog team that happens to be scorching red-hot going into the tournament, well now that’s a prime candidate to do some damage…
Follow the Odds
In order to make the best NCAA basketball bets, you will need to follow the odds. These will change throughout the year and even as the tournament advances. The more closely you watch them, the more likely you will be to see and take advantage of dips in prices.
Plus, you should compare the odds across the top sportsbooks. Line shopping is key to making sure you get the best price available. Why pay more for the same bet? Check out the latest future odds for March Madness 2025:
| 2024/25 NCAAB Championship |  |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut Huskies | +1000 | +1000 | +1100 |
| Arizona Wildcats | +1200 | +1400 | +1200 |
| Duke Blue Devils | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Houston Cougars | +1600 | +1700 | +1600 |
| Kansas Jayhawks | +2100 | +2000 | +2000 |
| North Carolina Tar Heels | +2000 | +2000 | +2000 |
| Kentucky Wildcats | +2200 | +2200 | +2200 |
| Purdue Boilermakers | +2200 | +2300 | +2200 |
| Alabama Crimson Tide | +2500 | +2500 | +2500 |
| Auburn Tigers | +3000 | +3000 | +3000 |
| Baylor Bears | +3000 | +3000 | +3000 |
| Michigan State Spartans | +3000 | +3000 | +3000 |
| Florida Gators | +3000 | +3000 | +3000 |
| Marquette Golden Eagles | +4000 | +4000 | +4000 |
| St. John's Red Storm | +4000 | +4000 | +4000 |
Last updated on: November 19, 2024
Folks, that’s all we have. We hope you’ve found value out of this how to bet on college basketball guide. If you’re ready to get your hands dirty with the sport and start NCAA gambling, the below sportsbooks can help you get you started.
Signing up at any of them is free-of-cost and hassle-free. Upon registering, just fund your account (which will unlock you a hefty sign-up bonus) and you’re ready to gamble — just make sure to use our college basketball betting tips!
Historical Facts and Figures About the NCAAB Season
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First NCAA Tournament | Held in 1939, won by Oregon |
| Most Championships by a Team | UCLA, with 11 titles (1964-1975 dominance under Coach John Wooden) |
| Largest Winning Margin in a Game | Loyola-Chicago defeated Tennessee Tech by 69 points in 1963 |
| Most Points in a Tournament Game | Austin Carr (Notre Dame) scored 61 points vs. Ohio in 1970 |
| Most Wins by a Coach | Mike Krzyzewski (Duke), with 1,202 career wins |
| Most Recent Champion (2024) | UConn, securing their sixth national title |
Best NCAAB Betting Strategies
- Research Team Stats: Analyze team strengths, weaknesses, and performance trends, especially in conference play.
- Understand Matchups: Focus on individual matchups, such as offensive efficiency vs. defensive capabilities.
- Consider Home vs. Away Performance: Teams often perform better at home due to crowd support and familiarity.
- Live Betting Opportunities: Use live betting to capitalize on shifting momentum during games.
- Futures Market Timing: Bet on futures early in the season for better odds or after key injuries to rivals.
Betting on NCAAB Women
Women’s NCAA Basketball is growing in popularity, with powerhouse programs like South Carolina, LSU, and UConn making headlines. Betting markets for women’s games include moneylines, spreads, totals, and futures, such as betting on the Women’s NCAA Tournament Champion. Keep an eye on star players like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, as individual performances can heavily impact game outcomes.
Differences Between NCAAB Men and NCAAB Women
There are key distinctions between men’s and women’s NCAA basketball that impact betting strategies:
- Game Format: Women’s games are played in four 10-minute quarters, whereas men’s games consist of two 20-minute halves.
- Scoring Patterns: Women’s games often feature lower scores, making the under a popular bet.
- Player Depth: Women’s teams often have less depth, meaning key injuries can significantly shift odds.
- Physical Style: Women’s games tend to emphasize fundamentals, with fewer dunks and a focus on perimeter shooting and defense.
Understanding these nuances can help you make informed bets across both markets.
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