College basketball plays host to one of the most popular postseason tournaments in sports: NCAA March Madness. Every year, millions of NCAA basketball fans fill out brackets and place bets with the hope that they can predict the season’s eventual champion.
Sure, a perfect bracket will certainly win a prize worth several thousand, or possibly even a million-plus dollars, but payouts can be earned much easier by using legal March Madness betting options to wager on college basketball odds.
DraftKings Sportsbook is going big with a can’t-miss March Madness sign-up promotion. New users who sign up with DraftKings Sportsbook can grab 64-1 odds on underdogs to win during select.
Betting odds for March Madness games won't appear until after Selection Sunday, but NCAAB championship futures are available nearly year-round, making it easy for casual bettors and seasoned vets to study, contemplate, and wager.
To compliment that information, we have created this guide to assist with March Madness betting odds. Here, we offer legal info, betting odds, historical data, and more to help ensure you have everything you need to be the most informed NCAAB bettors possible.
Yes, it is. Not only is online sports betting legal throughout most of the United States, but many states have legalized domestic sports betting within their jurisdictions. If you are in one of those states, all that is required to bet on the NCAA March Madness College Basketball Tournament is a visit to a local venue.
US bettors can wager on March Madness at international betting sites like the ones we feature in the table below, and there are no federal laws that forbid it. CT and WA have passed laws forbidding local online gambling, but many of our top-rated betting sites accept members from those two states.
That's why we recommend reading through all regional gaming laws, as well as the terms and conditions of offshore sportsbook membership, before placing any good March Madness bets.
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Each year, sportsbooks will roll out money line odds for which team will win the March Madness Tournament and become the men's basketball national champion. These March Madness money line odds indicate how much can be earned by betting on them, and what their odds of winning are.
Since there are so many teams included in the betting line, even the most favored team will be listed with positive odds, meaning that there'll be a payout higher than what bettors risk no matter which team they select.
The NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship betting odds featured below is on the boards all year, and typically gets posted at legal NCAAB sportsbooks right after the national champion is crowned for the previous season. The only downside is that bets can take months to payout.
🏀 Odds via Bovada:
The official title of the third round of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament is the Sweet 16 because that's exactly how many teams are remaining. Legal betting odds for the Sweet Sixteen feature money lines, point spreads, and totals for all 8 games. The right to venture on to the Elite Eight is on the line, and bettors have the right to earn large cash paydays on the proceedings.
At the point in the March Madness Tourney, teams are only two wins away from winning it all. NCAAB bettors can win it all, too, because legal online Elite Eight sportsbooks feature action on all four games involved in the Round of 8. Standard college basketball bets are available, as well as props and parlays. All that is required is a membership and money to bet with.
The semifinals of March Madness are otherwise known as the NCAA Final 4. The winners of each semifinal game advance to the National Championship for a chance to cut down the nets, but first, the Final Four odds must payout. Four college basketball teams enter the semis where it's win or go home. Whether it's a Cinderella squad or your alma mater, odds for all Final Four college basketball games can be found at the online sportsbooks we recommend.
There are two ways to bet on the college basketball national championship - betting lines, or NCAAB National Championship futures. The college basketball futures are listed in a collapsible menu above and list each of the top team's chances at winning it all this year in money line odds.
Lines for the National Championship Game for NCAA Basketball are released following the conclusion of the Final Four. Once that happens, betting lines will be produced featuring a point spread, money line odds for each team to win, and an over-under for the March Madness title game.
Bitcoin (BTC) and other forms of cryptocurrency are the preferred legal methods of banking at offshore betting sites.
Bitcoin sportsbook deposits can be made quickly and will allow patrons to bet on March Madness online within minutes. Bitcoin withdrawals are the only transaction method that can be completed within 24 hours of its request - an exclusive in the online betting industry. Crypto also features built-in encryption for the ultimate in secure transactions.
Other cryptocurrencies we've seen in play at online betting sites include Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple, Tether, and Cardano (ADA).
You never know where you might end up when watching college basketball's final 68-team tourney, but as long as you have an up-to-date smartphone or tablet with you, you can access the ultimate March Madness betting apps on the planet.
Don't worry about visiting the Google Play or App Stores, just click any of the sportsbook links in the table above using a mobile browser (Google, Safari, Opera, Chrome, Firefox), and your portable device brings all the options of Las Vegas and places them in your hand. Odds for NFL games, college football futures, and casino favorites like poker and blackjack, can be found there as well.
One of the many benefits of doing business with an online sports betting site is that they routinely offer sportsbook sign-up bonus offers and promotions that stack your bankroll with extra cash for wagering on March Madness. Sportbook bonuses differ depending on which betting site you visit, but they can reach as high as 4-figures.
Accepting a bonus is not required to become a member at a NCAAB betting site, so read through the attached conditions first.
Ok, we just told you how to bet from anywhere with an internet connection using your smartphone. Now we're going to let you in on the secret to betting on any tournament game at any time you want, even when the clock is ticking - live betting odds.
Bet at the time of your choosing, be it in the middle of halftime or with minutes remaining. The point spread, over/under, and money line odds adjust as the game progresses, and the only limiting factor is the final buzzer. Some online books feature a live betting or an in-game odds section, while others simply allow the pregame lines to go live.
As discussed previously, US bettors that want to know how to bet on March Madness can visit a domestic sportsbook or wager at one of the international college basketball betting sites we recommend in this guide. Futures bets can be made on the eventual champion, or March Madness betting lines allow for wagers to be made on individual games inside of the tournament.
Individual game bets allow for action to be placed on point spreads, money line winners, over/unders, prop bets, and even allows for live bets to be placed in-game. While not exactly betting, the most popular option for predicting March Madness results is completing brackets where each fan attempts to attain a perfect bracket. It's never happened, but if and when it does, the winner will earn a hefty payday.
Bankroll management is a priority when declaring your March Madness betting strategy because there are so many games that funds can get depleted quickly. Declare a budget for March Madness betting odds and ensure that it is sourced from disposable incoming - meaning assets remaining after all bills have been paid.
Set a betting limit of 3%-5% of your total bankroll for each game. This will allow at least 20 bets to be made, assuming all of them fail, which is not a likely outcome. It will keep bettors from making hasty wagers and will keep gamblers in the action much deeper into the tournament.
We also suggest belonging to more than one sportsbook because odds are different at each site. If the Duke Blu Devils are favored by 10 at one book and by 12 at another, selecting the line that favors them by 10 will provide an easier path to a win. Being mindful of these three bankroll management strategies will go a long way toward maximizing
The 2020-21 NCAA college basketball regular season runs from November 25 through March 7. After the end of the regular season, though, the real action begins in mid-March. The following dates are ones to remember when betting on the March Madness tournament.
Every year, 70 million March Madness brackets are completed and entered into contests. Even former President Barack Obama filled out a bracket on ESPN each year he was in office. The tournament bracket is a grid of every matchup in the single-elimination tournament.
“Bracketologists” must then predict as many correct winners as possible from the First Round all the way through the Championship game. This is no easy task. There has never been a verified perfect bracket, probably due to the 1 in 9.2 quintillion probability of it actually happening.
The Oregon Ducks were the first team to ever win the men’s college basketball championship in 1939. Since then, many teams have gone on to hoist the trophy and cut the nets, including 11 from UCLA, eight from Kentucky, six from North Carolina, and five each from Duke and Indiana.
The following list is the most recent winners from the beginning of the 21st century:
College basketball plays host to one of the most popular postseason tournaments in sports:...
College basketball plays host to one of the most popular postseason tournaments in sports:...
College basketball plays host to one of the most popular postseason tournaments in sports:...
March Madness betting will be bigger than ever in 2021.
With legal sports wagering expanding across the US, several more states offer online sports betting on the 68-team postseason tournament than did a year ago.
Currently, over a dozen states host regulated sports betting markets. And several states are on the cusp of introducing legal sportsbooks this year.
The NCAA Tournament creates several ways to bet on college basketball.
Some will fill out entire brackets for pools with their coworkers or friends. Others will choose to wager on games throughout the tournament by using a sportsbook.
March Madness begins with Selection Sunday on March 14. In a usual year, once the field of 68 is chosen the First Four play on Tuesday and Wednesday in Dayton, Ohio.
The official first round begins on Thursday, March 18, with 16 total games. Note that all 2021 NCAA Basketball Tournament games will be held in Indianapolis and surrounding areas, due to COVID restrictions.
See below for updated March Madness odds posted at legal US online sportsbooks. Prior to the tournament you can bet on March Madness futures, including odds for teams to make the Final Four or to win the National Championship.
Once the bracket is set you’ll find live odd (spreads, moneylines, totals) for each individual game. Use the drop-down menu on the right to change your legal betting state. Scroll right to see more sportsbooks.
Currently, the following states feature a legal sports betting industry where you can wager on the NCAA Tournament:
Online Sportsbooks & Apps | Retail Only | Upcoming States |
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Colorado Apps | Arkansas | Louisiana |
Illinois Apps | Delaware | North Carolina |
Indiana Apps | Mississippi | Maryland |
Iowa Apps | Montana | |
Michigan Apps | New Mexico | |
Nevada Apps | New York | |
New Hampshire Apps | ||
New Jersey Apps | ||
Pennsylvania Apps | ||
Rhode Island Apps | ||
Tennessee Apps | ||
Virginia Apps | ||
West Virginia Apps |
The majority of states with a sports betting industry have retail sportsbooks as well as online sports betting apps.
If you live in one of the states listed above, you can wager on March Madness right from your mobile device through an online sportsbook.
If you live in Oregon, you may be wondering why the state is not listed. Unfortunately, although Oregon hosts mobile sports betting, bettors in the state cannot wager on any collegiate sports, including college basketball.
Anyway, most of the states that feature online March Madness betting have several wagering platforms available. These online sportsbooks currently allow NCAA basketball bets:
Betting through an online sportsbook is like wagering at a land-based location. The most significant difference is the availability to place live bets.
While some retail sportsbooks might accept live in-game wagers, the odds update so fast that having a betting app is a necessity.
The only other difference is your physical location, of course. With online sportsbooks, you can bet wherever you’d like in the entire state. At a retail sportsbook, you must be present at the time of wagering.
Even with legal options around the US, a lot of bettors still bet through offshore sportsbooks. This is dangerous for several reasons.
Beyond their uncertain legality, offshore sites are not regulated or protected. If you’re having issues with the site or you haven’t received your winnings on time, there is no alternative route to settling your bets.
Betting on college basketball and March Madness is easy in the following states:
Each state offers several online sports betting options, including DraftKings and FanDuel sportsbooks.
Creating an account is a simple process that only takes a few minutes.
To start, you’ll need to provide some personal information that every sportsbook requires, which includes:
You will also need to create a username and password that you’ll need to input to access the online sportsbook. Most will ask you to set up security questions as well.
To finish signing up, you will need to confirm you’re at least of legal age and agree to the terms and conditions.
Once complete, you will be able to make a deposit and start betting on March Madness.
Colorado sports betting: Colorado became an online sports betting state in May 2020. BetRivers Sportsbook was the first to go online in the Centennial State. However, with 33 casinos in the state, more sportsbooks are joining the party all the time.
Illinois sports betting: Illinois joined the ranks of online sports betting states in June 2020. True to form in various other states, BetRivers Sportsbook was the first to open in the Prairie State. It’s a bit surprising that there are only about a half-dozen apps active in Illinois, but the five are all big-time brands, so there are plenty of great choices. The in-person registration requirement has been suspended for most of the life of the industry, and it is set to sunset in September 2021.
Indiana sports betting: Indiana launched online sports betting in October 2019. Both DraftKings and BetRivers went live on Oct. 3, followed by FanDuel on Oct. 26. While the Hoosier State only offers three sportsbooks at the moment, others are in line to launch.
Iowa sports betting: Iowa was one of the more unassuming states to become an online sportsbook haven in the first wave of launches. However, with the launch in April 2019, Iowa positioned itself as one of the new vanguard of sports betting destinations. The state’s outlook got a boost in January 2021 when it finally allowed remote registration to proceed.
Michigan sports betting: The launch of online sports betting was a momentous occasion in January 2021. Michigan’s launch was the largest simultaneous launch of apps in US history, with 10 apps going live on the very first day. Michigan also launched online casinos and poker the same day and is suddenly one of the top gambling destinations in the state.
Nevada sports betting: Nevada is the original sports betting location in the United States. Sports betting apps have been available in the state since 2013, several years before any other state. Although the Silver State now has competition, there are still plenty of great apps for you to place your bets. Be aware, however, that you have to visit the apps’ home casinos in order to register and move money into and out of your account.
New Hampshire sports betting: New Hampshire became an online sports betting state in part, at least, because Gov. Chris Sununu wanted to place a bet on the New England Patriots. The governor pushed for the Granite State to go live prior to the 2020 NFL Playoffs, and got his wish when DraftKings launched in December 2019. Due to an unusual arrangement, DraftKings enjoys a virtual monopoly over the state, but it is live and able to book action no matter where you sit in New Hampshire.
New Jersey sports betting: The New Jersey sports betting market was the first to go online, and it is the most extensive around. Currently, there are over 15 sports betting apps available in the state. These additional platforms include FanDuel, William Hill, SugarHouse, PointsBet and BetMGM.
Pennsylvania sports betting: Sports betting in PA went online in May 2019 with SugarHouse Sportsbook. Several more have launched, including DraftKings, FanDuel, Unibet, BetRivers and Fox Bet online sportsbooks.
Rhode Island sports betting: Rhode Island began online sports betting in September 2019 after the bill to allow it passed in April. Mobile sports betting is operated and regulated by the Rhode Island Lottery, which operates with support from William Hill. Although it’s not a big market and not a big state, anyone inside the Ocean State is welcome to bet on NCAA Tournament games, so long as they don’t occur inside state lines.
Tennessee sports betting: Tennessee was a surprising entrant into the online sports betting game in November 2020. The Volunteer State’s launch actually represented a historic first, due to the fact that it was the first state with online-only sports betting. There are no retail sportsbooks in the state, but the four online sportsbooks are more than happy to process your wagers on March Madness.
Virginia sports betting: Virginia became an online sportsbook state in January 2021 after a short legalization process in 2020. Like Tennessee, Old Dominion is operating as an online-only state for sports betting. However, unlike the Volunteer State, there are already plans in motion to bring retail sports betting to the state. For the time being, though, anyone inside the state lines can find options like FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and BetRivers for betting on college basketball games.
West Virginia sports betting: West Virginia has three apps to choose from including BetMGM, DraftKings and FanDuel. There are no major restrictions on betting in the Mountain State, so feel free to place all your NCAA Tournament wagers in the state.
Among the best sportsbooks to use for March Madness betting are DraftKings and FanDuel. Both sports wagering apps feature a large amount of alternate lines, props and futures.
They’re also two of the best when it comes to live wagering. The sportsbooks each provide an extensive amount of live odds with multiple alternates for point spreads and totals.
Some states in the US have legalized online sports betting, but have yet to put the law into action. Numerous states are working on rolling out some online sportsbooks in time for March Madness.
The biggest state with online sports betting in the works is New York. The Empire State already has retail sports betting, and both state lawmakers and Gov. Andrew Cuomo have expressed support for moving into the online space, albeit through different avenues. It will probably be a few months before they all come together, but there will be online March Madness wagering in New York sometime quite soon.
The other state likely to bring sports betting online is Maryland. Voters already passed a sweeping referendum in November 2020, and it is only on lawmakers and regulators to implement it, at this point. Given how NCAA basketball-crazy the state is, it would not be a shock to see a launch soon.
Futures are a popular bet for March Madness.
These wagers are typically available all season long, with the odds changing throughout based on the results of games.
Although a lot of bettors place futures wagers right before the tournament begins, they are available leading up to the season and right now, too.
The most common futures bet is picking the winner of the national championship. It is a popular wager because of the opportunity to receive favorable odds.
Of course, betting on one of these teams before the season, as opposed to betting a No. 1 seed at the start of the tournament, would generate a larger payout.
Other widespread futures include:
Again, both of these options will have encouraging odds for bettors.
Some sportsbooks have additional futures that allow you to bet on how far along the team will get. Most will have lines for making the Sweet 16, Elite Eight and Final Four.
Beyond futures or individual wagering, a lot of sportsbooks have bracket challenges too. These are pools where you’re able to submit a full bracket like you would with your friends.
DraftKings, FanDuel and other sportsbooks implemented some type of bracket contest last season.
Though there are challenges that cost money to enter, the majority of books include ones that are free to join.
Paid challenges, like DraftKings’ recent NJ-only pool, cost $20 and had a total prize of $100,000. While the free contests vary in cash prizes, they can range from DraftKings’ $64,000 pool to FanDuel’s $150,000 Bracket Madness.
Many sportsbooks, including SugarHouse, Caesars and PointsBet, also run various free bracket challenges.
After joining one of these contests, picking a bracket is easy.
You will choose a winner for every game in this single-elimination tournament until you’ve crowned your champion.
Since most pools don’t require picks for the First Four matchups, you’ll begin picking winners from the field of 64 in the first round.
The bracket is broken up by four regions, with teams being seeded one through 16.
Once you’re all done, the “madness” begins, and you officially have a rooting interest for every single game.
If, and usually when, your bracket becomes “busted,” you still can bet on individual games throughout the tournament. Every online sportsbook will provide betting odds for each game.
A lot of books will also update futures odds after every day or a round of action. If your bracket went down because your champion lost, you’re still able to put some money on another team you think will have the best chance.
Live betting has become one of the most standard ways to use any online sportsbook, and it isn’t any different when it comes to betting on March Madness.
As any college basketball fan can tell you, no lead is safe as long as there is still time on the clock.
Live in-game wagering allows you to place a bet at any time in the game with updated lines based on the current score and situation.
It is an excellent feature because it doesn’t restrict you to the pregame odds; you can wager at any point. It also lets you see how a game begins before deciding to commit any money.
Sometimes teams that get down a lot early will receive much better odds than when they entered the game. Bettors can take a chance of putting a few dollars down on an enhanced moneyline with the possibility that a comeback will provide a big payout.
Live betting will be available for every NCAA Tournament game.
Beyond the standard betting lines like point spreads, moneylines and game totals, most sportsbooks will offer a large selection of alternate lines as well as game and player props.
The most basic college basketball bets are moneylines, point spreads and over/unders.
These straightwagers are available for every regular-season game and every March Madness matchup too.
Betting the moneyline is merely choosing which team you think will win. The teams that are the favorite will have minus odds, meaning that you must wager more than the amount you’re going to win.
For instance, a 5-point favorite’s moneyline is probably going to be around -230. So, this means you’ll have to wager $230 to win $100.
The opposite applies to betting an underdog’s moneyline. A team receiving the same 5-point spread will have a moneyline around +180. Your $100 wager would win $180 with the underdog.
A point spread bet is similar, except that the game’s final score and the margin of victory come into play. If you bet on the favorite giving 5 points, they must win by at least 6 points for your wager to win.
While a 5-point victory would result in a push, any fewer points would be a win for the underdog getting the spread.
Game total bets, often referred to as the over/under, has nothing to do with which team wins the game. The over/under is strictly decided by how many combined points are scored in total.
College basketball totals will vary with every game, ranging from 120 to 160 points.
Bettors pick whether they think there will be more or fewer points scored than the given amount the sportsbook provides. If the total is set at 130 points and the final score consists of 125 points, then “under” bettors win and “over” backers lose.
Parity is increasing in March Madness.
Think Loyola University in the 2018 Final Four, so take advantage of that parity early in the tournament when the point spreads are bigger.
For first-round games, betting on the No. 12 versus No. 5 seed games is the way to go. More than a third of all teams seeded at No. 12 have won during the round of 64.
That makes 12 seeds, as well as 11 and 13 seeds, good bets against the spread during the round of 64 and the round of 32.
Later in the tournament, pay attention to the team’s conference strength as well as momentum. Have they been just squeaking by or winning big?
Teams playing well into the third round are likely to keep playing well, regardless of seeding.
In the Final Four, the higher-seeded team wins — and typically covers the spread — 75% of the time.
Teams with weak road or neutral records often do not fare well in the tournament.
Most of the money is bet on the spreads of the games.
There will be a small amount on moneylines and totals, but fans love to bet big money on their team to win the national title. But not many teams worse than a No. 3 seed has won the tournament.
Many analysts say 50 million Americans bet on March Madness picks each year. The news media often reports on the billions of dollars in loss of productivity due to time spent filling out NCAA Tournament brackets and watching the games.
Forbes magazine estimates that the number of people worldwide who will place at least one bet on the tournament could be more than 100 million.
Selection Sunday is on Sunday, March 14.
The 2021 First Four begins on Tuesday, March 16, and the first round starts on Thursday, March 18.
First Four: March 16-17
First and second rounds: March 18-21
Sweet 16 and Elite Eight: March 25-28
Final Four and the championship game: April 3 and 5
Every single March Madness game will air on either truTV, TBS, TNT or CBS.
Those looking to stream the game online have several options as well. If you receive these TV networks as part of your cable package, then you can log in and stream every game for free using March Madness Live.
Those without a cable subscription have other alternatives as well. They can stream games through services like fuboTV, Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV.
Yes, you can play college basketball DFS contests on sites like DraftKings and FanDuel.
Most sportsbooks have futures odds available now. Odds for the start of the tournament will become available after Selection Sunday on March 14.
The field of 68 teams is selected and announced on Sunday, March 14.
Four play-in games known as the First Four finalize the four-region bracket before the first round begins on Thursday, March 16.
The opening round consists of 32 games in two days. After 16 more games through that weekend, the Sweet 16 is set for the following week.
Four more days of games will determine the regional champions and the Final Four.
The 2021 Final Four and title game will take place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN.
The national championship will be decided on April 5.
Villanova was the lowest seed to ever win March Madness as a No. 8 seed in 1985. The seventh-seeded UConn Huskies are the second-lowest
March Madness is one of the most exciting and most gambled on sporting events in the US every year.
The NCAA Tournament was created in 1939 to determine college basketball’s annual national champion.
Like with anything else, the tournament has changed and expanded over the years. For the first 11 years of its existence, only eight teams qualified. By the 1980s, the field grew to 48 teams.
This number expanded to 64 teams and is the tournament we see today. The format stayed the same until a play-in game was reintroduced in 2001, adding the 65th squad.
Then in 2011, the field grew by three more teams and three more play-in games to have the current NCAA Tournament format that will occur this year.
Instead of only involving 16th-seeded teams, the four play-ins will have at least two games between Nos. 11, 12, 13 or 14 seeds. These opening games are now known as the First Four.
The field of 68 is determined on Selection Sunday, which takes place on March 14 this year.
An NCAA selection committee is in charge of rounding out the entire field and deciding which seed each team will have.
Thirty-two teams receive automatic bids into the tournament because they won their conference’s postseason. Regardless of record or anything that took place in the regular season, conference tournament champs get invited to the Big Dance.
The selection committee then decides the final 36 teams that receive an at-large bid. Every teams’ regular-season resume is put under scrutiny to determine the best and which deserve to play in March Madness.
The UCLABruins are the most successful team in the history of the tournament, winning the championship 11 times. Kentucky basketball isn’t far behind, with eight titles, followed by NorthCarolina with six.