Skip to main content

How to Bet on NCAAB - The Complete Guide for 2024

Unlock the ultimate guide to NCAAB betting in March 2024. Discover how it works, the best sportsbooks, various bet types, and more with FanNation.

Unlock the ultimate guide to NCAAB betting in March 2024. Discover how it works, the best sportsbooks, various bet types, and more with FanNation.

It's officially March, which means sports bettors everywhere are looking for where to bet on NCAAB. In this article, we will be showcasing some of the best college basketball betting sites, as well as giving you some expert strategies on how to bet on NCAAB online.

We’re often asked, “Can I bet on NCAAB games online legally?” by our readers, and the answer is yes! However, NCAAB betting isn’t legal everywhere, so you’ll want to make sure that you are eligible. Currently, there are many states in which NCAAB betting is legal, represented in the list below.

These states include Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maines, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

🏀 How to Bet on NCAAB

Once you’ve signed up for a sportsbook, engaging in NCAAB betting becomes a straightforward endeavor. To show you the ropes, we have created a comprehensive step-by-step manual that guides you through the entire process:

  1. Choose a sportsbook that offers NCAAB betting and sign up.
  2. Claim one of the welcome offers available with the sportsbook.
  3. Create a personal account using either the mobile app or desktop interface.
  4. Deposit funds into your account using one of the many available deposit methods.
  5. Navigate to the NCAAB betting section within the sportsbook's interface.
  6. Pick a game and the specific market for your first bet.
  7. Submit the bet.

It’s that easy! Upon successfully completing the registration process with the sportsbook of your preference, you will gain access to numerous college basketball betting markets.

📲 Where to Bet on NCAAB Games Online

NCAAB betting is very popular during the winter months and there are many sportsbooks that allow you to bet on NCAAB online. Each sportsbook features unique promotions, apps, and odds, making it wise to compare different college basketball betting sites before the upcoming season. Let’s take a look at some of our top NCAAB sportsbooks.

NCAAB at Caesars

Caesars Sportsbook provides a great experience for betting on college basketball, as it features a user-friendly mobile app, daily odds boosts and odds for hundreds of NCAAB games. Furthermore, the welcome offer available to new users who sign up for a new account today ☀️ is an incredibly valuable.

By claiming the Caesars promo code FNEG1000, new customers will receive up to $1,000 back in a bonus bet if their first bet loses. Just wager $10-$1,000 on any sport, such as NCAAB, and bet with confidence knowing that a losing opening bet credits an exact refund. If you win, you could reel in quite the profit in cash funds.

NCAAB at BetRivers

BetRivers Sportsbook is a fantastic place to bet on NCAAB, as the sportsbook offers low-juice odds and a huge selection of alternate lines. The BetRivers new-user promo is also very lucrative given its potential to be worth up to $500. 

If your first qualifying bet doesn’t win, you will receive a bonus equal to the amount of your losing wager. Get started by ➡️ CLICKING HERE ⬅️ and create your new account today.

NCAAB at BetMGM

BetMGM Sportsbook is also an exciting place to be for all NCAAB bettors who want to 🌟 create a new sports betting account 🌟 BetMGM has competitive odds for every college basketball game and the opportunity to watch some of them via live streaming. By live streaming the game, you can watch the game and place bets in the live betting markets from the BetMGM app. 

New BetMGM customers can claim the $150 sign-up bonus when they register for BetMGM using our banner below and the BetMGM promo code FANNATION. Simply deposit $10+ and place a bet up of $5+ and no matter if it wins or not, you’ll be given $150 in bonus bets.

NCAAB at DraftKings

NCAAB bettors should pay close attention to the instant & guaranteed DraftKings Sportsbook welcome offer. New DraftKings customers receive $150 instantly when they make a $5 bet on any market. The Bet $5 & Get $150 promotion is unique in the sense that it doesn’t even matter if your first bet wins or loses. 

By using our widget below to join DraftKings ASAP ⏳ you are guaranteed to receive $150 in bonus bets, win or lose. You don't even need a promo code to enroll.

NCAAB at FanDuel

FanDuel Sportsbook’s first-bet bonus offers a guaranteed profit in bonus bets as well. NCAAB bettors should definitely consider joining FanDuel to take advantage of this incredible promotion. 

Just make your first deposit of $10 at FanDuel and bet $5 on any market. If you win, you'll receive $200 worth of bonus bets within 72 hours. USE THIS LINK 🔗 to create a new account now.

🏀 How NCAAB Betting Works

If you’re new to college basketball betting, use the guide below that walks you through how to bet on NCAAB games.

  1. Log in to your sportsbook account.
  2. Click on the NCAAB tab.
  3. Select a game from the list.
  4. Pick an available market from the game.
  5. Enter the amount of your bet.
  6. Submit the bet and enjoy the game.

Once you’ve answered, “Can I bet on NCAAB games online legally?”, betting on NCAAB is a lot of fun because there are a lot of options when it comes to how to bet on NCAAB games. Below, we’ll outline some of the most popular types of bets that can be used on college basketball.

NCAAB Parlays

Parlays are very popular among NCAAB bettors because they let you combine multiple bets for a chance at an increased payout. For instance, you could combine money lines on two separate college basketball games and if both bets win, your payout will be much higher than if you placed the bets individually. However, both bets must win in order to win the parlay bet.

NCAAB Same Game Parlay

In recent years, the Same Game Parlay has gained considerable popularity as a type of parlay bet. This option enables you to combine two or more distinct bets on different markets within a single NCAAB game. For example, you could place a wager on both a side of the point spread and the total of, say, an Arizona vs. UCLA game. If both of these bets turn out successful, you stand to earn a substantial payout.

NCAAB Teasers

Teasers represent bets that grant the bettor the ability to adjust the point spread or total of a game, making the bet more favorable in terms of winning. In exchange for this advantage, you must combine multiple bets into a parlay. Among the most prevalent college basketball teasers is the two-team teaser where you can move the lines 4 or 5 points, as seen in the example below.

If the original point spreads for the two games in your teaser are -5 and -8.5, a four-point teaser permits you to modify the point spreads on your bet to -1 and -4.5, respectively. This would make it easier for each leg of the teaser to win, but you must win both legs in order for the entire bet to win.

NCAAB Futures

The futures market is yet another popular college basketball betting market. Unlike the bets mentioned earlier, futures bets do not settle on an immediate single game. Instead, they focus on outcomes that will be determined in the future, hence the name. In the futures market, you place bets on who will emerge victorious in events like the National Championship, Final Four, or the Big Ten Conference.

These bets often come with plus-money odds due to their involvement in multiple games. For instance, you could place a bet on Houston with odds of +900 to win the National Championship. In this case, a $10 bet would yield a $90 profit if Houston indeed cuts down the nets.

In addition to all of the bet types mentioned above, most sportsbooks offer other NCAAB betting markets as well. Some of these might include the National Player of the Year award, Coach of the Year and regular season win totals. For the complete list of markets, check with your preferred sportsbook.

🏀 NCAAB Odds & Betting Lines Explained

The section above explained the various bet types for College Basketball. In this section, we will get into the specifics of how to bet on NCAAB online. For example, when creating a parlay, you must understand the components of what could be involved in a parlay bet.

  • Point Spread: A bet on the point spread in a college basketball game is a bet on the margin of victory in the game, such as in the example below:
    • Kansas -6.5 (-110) vs. Oklahoma +6.5 (-110)
  • Money line: A money line bet is simply picking the team that will win the game. Odds will be shown in the format below:
    • Michigan State (-150) vs. Northwestern (+130)
  • Total (Over/Under): Betting on the total in a college basketball game is betting on the number of combined points the game will end with. You will see odds like this:
    • Gonzaga vs. Saint Mary’s: Over 133.5 (-115) vs. Under 133.5 (-105)

📖 How to Read NCAAB Odds & Betting Lines

As a follow-up to the prior section, you’ll want to know how to bet on NCAAB games when you see them listed at your sportsbook. We’ll be using the same examples from above.

Point Spread: Kansas -6.5 (-110) vs. Oklahoma +6.5 (-110)

By reading this line, you will see that Kansas is favored by 6.5 points against the underdog Oklahoma. If you pick Kansas to cover the spread, the Jayhawks would need to beat Oklahoma by at least seven points for your wager to win. If you prefer Oklahoma plus the points, your bet would win if Oklahoma wins the game, or if they lose by six points or less.

In the parentheses, you will see the odds of each side of the point spread. Both Kansas -6.5 and Oklahoma +6.5 have odds listed at -110, which means a winning $11 bet would profit $10.

Money line: Michigan State (-150) vs. Northwestern (+130)

As mentioned above, a bet on the money line is simply just picking the team that wins the game. There is no spread to worry about, but the odds become paramount. In this example, you would need to wager $15 on Michigan State to profit $10, but only have to bet $10 to profit $13 if Northwestern were to win the game.

Total (Over/Under): Gonzaga vs. Saint Mary’s: Over 133.5 (-115) vs. Under 133.5 (-105)

This example combines both a side of the bet and the odds. An $11.50 bet on the over 133.5 would profit $10 if at least 134 total points are scored. A bet on under 133.5 at -105 odds means that you would need to bet $10.50 to profit $10 and the bet would win if less than 134 total points are scored.

Certain sports bettors like to incorporate trends into their NCAAB betting strategy. Trends involve analyzing historical data to identify patterns that could potentially be relevant for future bets. Reliable trends typically exhibit high winning percentages over a substantial sample size, although it's important to note that they do not guarantee consistent success in predicting winners.

One popular trend in college basketball is to bet on the first half under in NCAA Tournament games. There may be something to this trend, such as the nerves of the players, unfamiliar shooting backgrounds, etc., but as mentioned above, trends are not guaranteed to produce winning bets, especially in a small sample size.

🤓 NCAAB Betting Strategies

Basic

A basic NCAAB betting strategy involves relying on expert opinions regarding specific matchups. You won’t have to look too far to find NCAAB betting experts that share their insights, including their own bets on various games. We would recommend utilizing experts that provide free analysis and picks, as even the best college basketball bettors are not guaranteed to win.

Intermediate

An example of an intermediate NCAAB betting strategy could involve using certain trends to place bets on upcoming games. This would require some research but would allow for some data to support a theory you might have. Another type of intermediate strategy could be simply watching as many games as possible. This would be a significant time investment to watch multiple games and teams, but you may see some information that could help you with future bets.

Advanced

Advanced NCAAB betting strategies would mostly include pertinent statistics. There are tons of statistical sites available that can help with how to bet on NCAAB games. Examples of these websites include KenPom, Synergy, Bart Torvik, and Hoop-Math. There’s no guarantee that using these stats will make you a great college basketball bettor, but when applied correctly, they may increase your chances of winning.

❌ What to Avoid When Betting on NCAAB

Betting on NCAAB requires a lot of time, effort, and learning, but there are a lot of ways to do it. Some bettors may stay up to date with all of the roster turnover and coaching changes, while others may use trends to bet on NCAAB. No matter which approach they use, all smart bettors avoid these common mistakes.

  • Chasing losses: Skilled sports bettors understand the importance of not chasing their losses, embracing a long-term approach instead of seeking quick riches. Even experienced NCAAB bettors may encounter losing streaks, but those who achieve long-term success refrain from attempting to recoup all losses through a single massive bet. The key is to enjoy college basketball betting over the years, and avoiding chasing losses is a wise way to ensure a sustained and enjoyable betting experience.
  • Overreacting to a single game: Wise NCAAB bettors know that there is going to be a game, many of them in fact, in which one team just performs way above their averages. That’s the beauty of basketball as on any given night, one team may get hot from the three-point line. The important thing to remember is that the best approach to NCAAB betting is to play the long game, not viewing each result as something that is indicative of the next game.

📱 Betting on NCAAB Games With Mobile Apps

We feel that the easiest and best way to bet on NCAAB is by utilizing the sportsbooks’ mobile apps. These college basketball mobile apps can be easily downloaded from the App Store or the Google Play Store, granting users access to a wide array of up-to-date betting markets right from their mobile devices. 

With the convenience of a mobile app, you can also engage in live-betting markets while actively watching the games, enhancing your betting experience and enabling real-time wagering on unfolding events.

❓ FAQs

❓ What is the Over/Under in NCAAB Betting?

The over/under, or total, is simply projecting how many combined points will be scored in the game. For example, you may see a NCAAB game with a total of 136.5. A bet on the over would win if at least 137 points are scored, while a bet on the under would win if less than 137 points are scored.

❓ Can I Bet on Individual Player Performances in NCAAB Games?

Some states and sportsbooks allow for betting on player props in NCAAB games. After getting an answer for “Can I bet on NCAAB games online legally?”, it’s best to check with your local sportsbook regarding individual player props.

❓ Can NCAAB Betting be Profitable?

Yes, betting on college basketball can be profitable, but there is no guaranteed way to win. You can use our guide on how to bet on NCAAB online for the best chance at winning, but please remember to bet responsibly.

❓ How to Bet on NCAAB & Win

Betting on college basketball and achieving consistent wins does not have an exact formula. If it were that simple, everyone would be successful at it. While our NCAAB betting guide offers valuable tips and insights, it's crucial to acknowledge that there is no guaranteed method to ensure victories. Responsible gambling is of utmost importance, and it's essential to approach betting with a cautious mindset.

Enjoyed this article? Further enhance your betting experience with our guides, handpicked for you:

Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Hope is here. GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call (800) 327-5050 for 24/7 support (MA). Call 1-877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 21+ and present in select states. FanDuel is offering online sports wagering in Kansas under an agreement with Kansas Star Casino, LLC. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, KY, MI, NJ, OH, PA, IL, TN, VA, VT), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org(MD), 1-800-522-4700 (WY), or visit www.1800gambler.net (WV).

The Arena Media Brands, LLC and its partners may receive compensation for links to products and services on this website. The Arena Media Brands editorial team is not involved in the creation of this content.