March Madness Betting Guide
The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, also known as March Madness, is a 19-day single-elimination tournament featuring 68 teams and 67 games. It is by far the most wagered-on event in college sports, annually drawing a huge volume of bets. All 67 games feature numerous betting options, from traditional bets on the spread or moneyline to player-specific stat props, as the tournament offers plenty of variety for smart fans to exploit betting odds and profit from. Of course, you don’t actually have to go to Nevada, Atlantic City, or any other sports betting town to enjoy legal March Madness betting. Thanks to online Internet betting sites like Bovada, SportsBetting, and others, you can actually wager on every matchup of the 68-team tournament legally and securely for free, regardless of your individual state’s sports betting laws. Of the estimated 30 million Americans who place bets on March Madness each year, over 95% of them do so at these legal online sportsbooks.
March Madness Betting Guide
The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, also known as March Madness, is a 19-day single-elimination tournament featuring 68 teams and 67 games. It is by far the most wagered-on event in college sports, annually drawing a huge volume of bets. All 67 games feature numerous betting options, from traditional bets on the spread or moneyline to player-specific stat props, as the tournament offers plenty of variety for smart fans to exploit betting odds and profit from. Of course, you don’t actually have to go to Nevada, Atlantic City, or any other sports betting town to enjoy legal March Madness betting. Thanks to online Internet betting sites like Bovada, SportsBetting, and others, you can actually wager on every matchup of the 68-team tournament legally and securely for free, regardless of your individual state’s sports betting laws. Of the estimated 30 million Americans who place bets on March Madness each year, over 95% of them do so at these legal online sportsbooks.
Current Odds To Win 2025 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament
- Connecticut+1000
- Duke+1000
- Kansas+1200
- Houston+1400
- North Carolina+1400
- Kentucky+1600
- Gonzaga+1800
- Alabama+2000
- Baylor+2000
- Arizona+2200
- Arkansas+2200
- Auburn+2200
- Iowa State+2500
- Purdue+3300
- Illinois+4000
- Michigan State+4000
- Texas+4500
- BYU+5000
- Creighton+5000
- Marquette+5000
- Miami Florida+5000
- Tennessee+5000
March Madness Betting Apps
There are literally hundreds (if not thousands) of betting shops littering the Internet, but most of these are...litter. They’re either small sportsbooks with no history and no pedigree or they’re outright scams. In either case, it’s an unnecessary risk to place your wagers with anyone but the industry’s top services.
The best USA online sportsbooks for March Madness betting are any of the ones that will accept your money and pay you when you win. Each of the sites shown below have been around for years, and they’ve all got solid reputations among their tens of millions of US customers. Pick one or several – you can’t go wrong signing up at any of these first-rate sportsbooks.
March Madness betting at Bovada is a world-class experience, and millions of US bettors trust Bovada with their wagers on the Big Dance each year. When you’ve never missed a single March Madness payout, it’s easy to get a reputation among sports betting fans for awesome customer service. New members can even get a $250 Sports Welcome Bonus to put on their favorite teams and brackets. If you deposit with Bitcoin, you can claim a bonus worth up to $5,000 that can be used in both the sportsbook and the casino. BVSBITCOIN will unlock a 50% match bonus up to $250, while BVCBITCOIN150 will reward a 3x redeemable 150% match bonus up to $1,500. Create your account at Bovada sportsbook today!
One of the best things that BetOnline has to offer is their crypto capability. They allow you to deposit and withdraw with up to 17 different forms of crypto. These include major coins such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Shiba Inu, and much more. The benefits of using one of these coins to deposit and withdraw include low transaction limits, big paying bonuses, instant processing times, and zero processing fees either.
What sets MyBookie aside from some of the other online March Madness betting sites is that they have some of the top safety features and customer service that you could ever ask for. Those include encryptions that protect both their servers and the web browser that you are using that carries all of your personal information. In addition to that, their customer service runs 24/7 in the event that you have an issue or concern for them to help resolve at any moment. They are available to you via live chat, email, or even on the phone.
SportsBetting Sportsbook
SportsBetting Sportsbook - A Top March Madness Betting Option
SportsBetting is without question one of the best sportsbooks in the country, with millions of satisfied sports betting fans from all 50 states. In addition to having one of the best mobile betting sites in the business, SportsBetting also offers the industry’s most comprehensive and varied deposit and withdrawal options to suit every customer’s needs. They even accept bitcoin! In fact, bettors can redeem a 100% cryptocurrency bonus on their first deposit with code 100CRYPTO. The bookmaker will credit your account with an instant bonus of up to $1,000. For the best experience with legal March Madness betting, sign up at SportsBetting now!
You have all the freedom in the world when it comes to betting from anywhere with XBet as they have one of the best mobile betting platforms that you could ever ask for. That is because any feature that you have access to on your computer can be found right from your phone or any other mobile device that has internet access. With XBet’s mobile platform, you could make deposits, withdrawals, take advantage of bonuses, and place a bet on any sports that they have on their site all in a matter of seconds.
Past March Madness Winners
| Year: | Team: | Preseason Odds: | Pre-Tournament Odds: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Kansas | +1400 | +900 |
| 2021 | Baylor | +800 | +500 |
| 2020 | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| 2019 | Virginia | +1350 | +675 |
| 2018 | Villanova | +2700 | +570 |
| 2017 | North Carolina | +1900 | +535 |
| 2016 | Villanova | +2500 | +1500 |
| 2015 | Duke | +900 | +1000 |
| 2014 | Connecticut | +6500 | +9500 |
| 2013 | Louisville | +700 | +450 |
| 2012 | Kentucky | +550 | +185 |
| 2011 | Connecticut | +4000 | +2500 |
Biggest March Madness Upsets
March Madness is one of the craziest times of the year for any sports bettors laying action on any game. This is because of all of the upsets and Cinderella runs that have taken place over the years. One thing to note about these upsets is that either someone was either very upset with the favorite losing, or took off a nice chunk from Vegas. Below are some of the notable upsets and March Madness runs that shook the betting world.
2022: #15 St. Peter's "Peacocks" Into The Elite 8
Making a major splash in 2022, the St. Peter's Peacocks were a huge victory to some or a major bankroll killer for others. Starting off their amazing run, St. Peter's beat #2 Kentucky 85-79. Holding control for the entirety of the game, they won as a +1200 underdog and covered the 18-point spread by 24 points! The Round Of 32 proved no problem to St. Peter's, beating #7 Murray State 70-60. St. Peter's was an 8.5-point underdog with +325 odds to win. It didn't stop there, though. Beating #3 Purdue 67-64 in the Sweet 16 (on National Peacock Day), the Peacocks hit +650 odds to win as a 12-point dog. The Peacocks lost by 20 to #8 UNC - the runner up of the 2023 tournament - on their smallest line of the tournament (+8).
2021: #15 Oral Roberts Takes Down #2 Ohio State In Sweet 16 Run
Oral Roberts had the nation backing them up during their 2021 March Madness run. They went into the tournament as a 15 seed and they were tasked with a +15.5-point spread and +950 odds in the first round as they went up against Ohio State. They took care of business in a close matchup 75-72 before going up against 7 seeded Florida. In the game against Florida, they were a hefty underdog once more at +7.5 points and +280 odds before taking them down 81-78. Those $100 bettors that laid action on them in their first two games would have profited $1,230.
2018: #16 UMBC Makes History Over #1 Virginia
The UMBC Retrievers became the first team in the history of college basketball to beat a #1 seed as a #16 seed team. They had an impressive 24-10 season going into the tournaments while Virginia was one of the top teams in the country at the time with just two losses in the regular season. Not only did UMBC make history as the first 16 seed to beat a 1 seed, but they also became the first tournament team to win a game with a +2750 moneyline or more. They also went into the game a whopping 20-point underdog and covered by 41 points as they won the game 74-54.
2013: Dunk City Take Over
The Florida Gulf Coast Eagles were the Cinderella story of the 2013 March Madness Tournament as they made the Sweet 16 as a 15 seed. Making things even more impressive for them was that they took down a dominant Georgetown Hoyas, who were the 15 seed in the tournament. The Eagles went into the game as a 14-point underdog and had +740 odds on the moneyline. They then went on to take down the 7 seeded San Diego State Aztecs as a 7.5-point underdog with +285 moneyline odds before their journey came to an end against the Florida Gators in the Sweet 16.
2006: Patriots Topple UConn For Historic Final Four Run
The George Mason Patriots made betting history in their 2006 March Madness run. Going into the tournament as an 11 seed, not many gave them a chance. In the first round, they had +190 odds to defeat Michigan State, they had +230 odds to take down North Carolina in the Round of 32, they were -140 favorites over Wichita State in the Sweet 16, and were a massive +320 underdog to UConn in the Elite Eight. For those betting in $100 units, if you were to take your winnings from each game the Patriots won and bet on their following game up until the Final Four, you would have profited upwards of $6,800.
1985: Villanova Spoils Georgetown’s Near Perfect Season
The Georgetown Hoyas were seen as a powerhouse of the 1984-85 season as they finished with a near-perfect 35-3 regular-season record. They went into the tournament as a 1 seed in the East bracket and won three of their first four games by double-digits. However, over in the Southeast bracket, Villanova was making noise as an 8 seed taking down 1 seeded Michigan and 2 seeded North Carolina on their way to the Final Four. Many were quick to count out Nova as Georgetown had already beaten them twice in the regular season. The Wildcats went on to defeat the Hoyas 66-64 and win the National Championship. They went into the season with +3000 odds and went into the Final Four at +350.
Are March Madness Brackets and Office Pools Legal?
Yes, March Madness brackets and office pools are legal. While only about a quarter of US states have explicit carve-outs for this particular pastime on their books, office brackets/pools have been a tradition for decades nationwide. Even in states that do not address NCAA March Madness brackets and states that explicitly ban sports betting, brackets and pools - conducted without a “house take” - are considered legal. As long as your office isn’t taking a little “off the top”, you can rest assured that everything is on the up and up.
In fact, most sports media outlets (as well as US-based sportsbooks and overseas sports betting shops) offer printable “official” office brackets on their websites in the lead-up to the tourney. You do not have to worry about being fined or arrested for participating in office brackets or pools for March Madness. All you need to concern yourself with is setting your picks and having a good time when the hottest basketball tournament on the planet finally gets underway.
March Madness Betting Trends
Those that plan on betting on one or more of the many March Madness games that will be played in 2024 can take one major thing into consideration before doing so and that is betting trends. Betting trends help bettors get a better idea of what a team's current status is or even how a team has done in a certain position over the years. In this case, March Madness is the perfect place to look into betting trends on certain matchups.
- Just one 15 seed has ever made it to the Elite 8.
- Only one 16 seed has ever moved on from the first round which happened in 2016.
- Seeds 13-16 have made nine combined Sweet 16 appearances and have gone 0-9 in those games.
- 1 Seeded teams have gone 120-19 in the second round.
- Seeds 8-11 have made the Final Four six times and have gone 0-6.
- 5 seeds have gone 0-3 in National Championship Games.
- 9 seeds have gone 72-68 over 8 seeds in the first round.
- Seeds 1-6 all have a win percentage of over 52% all-time.
- 8 seeds have a 2.1% chance of making it to the National Championship.
- 6 seeds have gone 42-46 in the second round.
How To Register For A March Madness Betting Site?
The registration process for a March Madness online betting site is far from stressful on any betting site you choose. They all require from you the same information including your name, location, and contact information amongst a few other pieces of info. Once all of that is squared away, your account is ready to go and the process would have taken you no more than 10 minutes.
- First/Last Name
- Confirm Location (Zip Code)
- Contact Info (Phone/Email)
- Date of Birth
- Create Password
Requesting A Withdrawal From March Madness Online Sportsbooks
The entire process of requesting a withdrawal takes four easy steps and none of them require any thought whatsoever. The entire process for requesting a withdrawal can be found right below:
- On the top right of your account in the “cashiers” tab, select your payout method
- Enter how much you want to withdraw in dollar amount
- Confirm with your account via a verification code that you are making the withdrawal
March Madness Wager Types
Before you take part in legal March Madness betting, it’s imperative that you understand the basic March Madness wager types. Fortunately, putting money on the tournament is the same general process as betting on any other basketball game or event, and the common bets most people make should be fairly familiar to you. If you aren’t familiar, you’re in luck, because we have constructed this page so that you can get familiar.
Outright Winner
Selecting a team from the futures section can have you winning big on the NCAA Basketball champion. These odds are presented immediately after the conclusion of the previous season and are adjusted throughout the course of the season. If a team gets the attention of the media or goes on an impressive winning streak, you may have missed an opportunity to get on their train of support. Likewise, a team that is struggling will often see their odds reduce, giving you a fantastic opportunity to take advantage of the negative outlook.
Spread
Betting the spread is often noted as the most common betting style across a variety of sports. In college basketball, all you must do is determine who will win the game with the given spread or handicap. The favorite is indicated by a minus sign while the underdog will be represented by a plus sign. A spread of -3.5 means the team would need to win by 4 or more in order to cover the spread. If you were betting on the team who is +3.5, they would have to lose by 1,2, or 3 points (or win the game outright).
Totals
The total points (also known as over/under) is one of the simplest methods to bet. The total refers to the total points scored in the game, and it reflects on both of the teams and how each of them tends to play. Does a team slow the pace or like to run the floor? How well does the team shoot from three against certain types of defenses? Knowing details like this can greatly impact betting the total points, which only requires you to select over or under on the projected total. If the number is whole (not halved) and the final result is equal, all bets will be refunded in what is called a push.
Moneyline
This method is extremely easy but sometimes bettors can be confused by the actual odds presented. A moneyline bet means you think a team will win, regardless of by how much or how many points are scored in the game. The favorites generally have a better chance to win, which is why you must wager more than what you will profit (usually). A team with -140 odds would require you to bet $140 to win $100. Oppositely, an underdog with odds of +125 would require a $100 wager in order to profit $125. Two things to note: The favorite and underdog interact conversely with each other, as you will win more betting on the dog. Also, these are just ratios – sportsbooks will accept action as low as 25 cents in some cases or as much as $1,000.
Player Props
Along with there being hundreds of gamelines to choose from throughout March Madness, there are. also several different player props as well. Those include totals for points, rebounds, assists, or even a combination of the stats where you can bet on the player to either go over or under in the set number for that specific stat. There are also player props to choose from including first-basket scorers and head-to-head matchups.
Game Props
Similar to player props you also have several games props to choose from as well within the game. You can either bet on game props for both teams combined such as alternate point totals, first team to 10 points, and other things of that nature or you can bet on single-team props as well. Single-team props could include team total points, alternate spread lines, first and second-half lines, and much more.
Selection Criteria For March Madness
The March Madness bracket will be revealed on Sunday, March 13, 2022, in an event known as Selection Sunday. Setting and seeding the bracket is the responsibility of a 10-member committee of athletic directors and conference commissioners representing 10 different conferences. 32 tournament bids automatically go to the NCAA’s 32 Division I conference champions. The other 36 bids are selected from the remaining teams (these bids are referred to as “at-large”). At-large bids are generally the focus of selection controversy, especially toward the bottom end of the tournament, which is referred to as the “bubble”. Committee deliberations occur behind closed doors, and the exact methodology for selecting teams is not public, but we do know about a number of factors that the committee weighs heavily in their selections. Here is an estimate of the most important factors in tournament selection and seeding and their order of importance:
- Strength of win-loss record (adjusted based on opponent quality)
- Computer rankings/advanced metrics
- Subjective analysis and opinion of committee members
- Record in road games
- Strength of schedule
- Strength of nonconference schedule
- Key injuries or suspensions that impacted results.
The purpose of the committee is to get the best 36 at-large teams in the country, regardless of the prestige of their brand or how impressive their record looks on paper. Part of the process of improving the selection process has been phasing out unfair or unpopular selection criteria, like disproportionately weighting games late in a team’s season. These overhauls have led to an increase in marquee regular-season matchups as scheduling difficult games is now a net benefit for teams when Selection Sunday rolls around.
States With Legal March Madness Betting
When it comes to land-based, brick-and-mortar sports wagering, there are still only a limited number of places you can place your basketball bets. To date, there are over 20 states with legal March Madness betting available to the public. These include Nevada, Delaware, New Jersey, Mississippi, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, New Mexico, New Hampshire, New York, Colorado, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Montana, Oregon, Tennessee, Arkansas, and even Virginia.
If you live in one of these states, there’s a good chance that you live fairly close to a casino or racino venue that accepts sports betting.
However, there are exceptions to the above. Residents of (or guests visiting) Delaware, New Jersey, New York, New Hampshire, or Rhode Island may not wager on games featuring collegiate teams from their home states. That means that New Jersey bettors cannot bet on Seton Hall games, for example, and DE and RI gamblers can’t put money on games including their hometown teams (not that either of those latter states is all that likely to have representation in the Big Dance).
If you live in a different state than the above (or if you live in a state that forbids wagering on any home-team action), there is a solution: legal USA online sportsbooks. These sites, operating overseas and outside of US jurisdiction, are allowed to take US customers, and you are free to use these sites to place real-money wagers on March Madness and all other NCAA and professional sports action. Even if you have a local sportsbook to bet on the basketball tournament, it still makes sense to use these books as points of reference, allowing you to shop lines for the very best possible payouts. In their way, these offshore books are the best gambling edge any NCAA sports bettor can get. And best of all, there is never any hometown skew on the odds boards when betting online!
In-Game March Madness Betting
Another way sports bettors can play to win big is through live in-game betting on the March Madness Tournament. In-game March Madness betting is when players place wagers while the gaming is going in real-time. The betting lines will pop up fast, so sports bettors should make sure they are moving quickly if they want to capitalize. Sportsbooks post live odds for every game, so there will be a seemingly limitless supply of winning potential for in-game March Madness betting. This is the best way for players to hedge their bets, as live odds allow players to offset any losses with so many wagers available. Every possession of the game, free throw attempt, and inbound play will become a win or lose station for sports bettors. Betting on the March Madness tournament is done right with in-game betting.
Mobile March Madness Betting Apps
You’ll never be left empty handed from March Madness betting odds as you can access them at any moment from wherever you are with online betting sites mobile platforms. While none of the betting sites on this page have downloadable applications, you can easily access them by entering their URLs on the web browsers from your device. From there on, you can log in, create and account and bet on March Madness as you would from your normal computer. Some of the mobile devices that can be used to bet on March Madness are:
- iPhone
- Android
- Samsung Galaxy
- Google Pixel
- Microsoft Surface
- iPad
- Galaxy Tab
- Blackberry
Best March Madness Betting Deposit Methods
Deposit methods that online sportsbooks accept for March Madness are both plentiful and extremely to use. The most common methods are cryptocurrencies because they are the fastest, safest, and most rewarding deposit methods. Players will also have the option to bet on March Madness with deposits made via credit card, money orders, and wire transfers. The best ways to bet on March Madness at online sportsbooks are found below:
- Betting on March Madness with Bitcoin: The single most popular way that people bet on March Madness is with Bitcoin. Bitcoin deposits take less than 30 minutes to process for nearly every top online sportsbook, meaning players have plenty of time between rounds to deposit funds. Bitcoin deposits are typically so fast that they can be done at halftime, so players will have their funds at their disposal if Craig Gumbel and the rest of the halftime show say something that makes college basketball gamblers want to get in on the action. Bitcoin deposits never have any fees and have minimums as low as $10 at sportsbooks such as Bovada. The most a player can deposit with Bitcoin is $500,000 at BetOnline.
- Betting on March Madness with Ethereum: Fast deposits into March Madness betting sites is a given with Ethereum, as the widely popular cryptocurrency allows players to receive their funds in 30 seconds or less at Bovada. Ethereum deposits into online sportsbooks are not just fast though, they are also free and come with some of the highest depositing limits available. Players at Bovada may deposit Ethereum in $5,000 increments, with no limit on how many deposits they make. Other sportsbooks such as BetOnline ($100,000), MyBookie (No Maximum), and SportsBetting ($100,000) offer similarly high deposit maximums.
- Betting on March Madness with a Credit Card: The most common way to deposit into a March Madness sportsbook that is not a cryptocurrency is via credit cards because of the instant nature of their transactions. The most common brands of credit cards accepted at March Madness sites are Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. Nearly every online sportsbook will charge a fee for credit card deposits, with fees ranging from 6% to roughly 15% depending on the site and brand. Some sites, such as Bovada, waive fees on credit card deposits for new players. The general deposit range for credit cards is $50-$2,500, with Bovada offering the lowest minimum ($20) and BetOnline offering the highest maximum ($5,000).
- Betting on March Madness with a Money Order: Available at BetOnline and SportsBetting, Money Order deposits are one of the most secure ways for players to deposit into March Madness sportsbooks. That is because Money Orders are prepaid and unattached from the depositor's bank account. Those safety features make Money Orders a primary option for those looking go to bet on the Big Dance. Money Order deposits must be made between $300-$9,000 and take one week or less to be processed and applied to players’ accounts.
- Betting on March Madness with a wire transfer: Wire transfer deposits into online sportsbooks have practically been around since Lew Alcindor was dominating the UCLA Men's varsity team as a freshman. That may be a slight exaggeration, but wire transfers do represent an all-time great and classic deposit method. Wire transfers take five business days or less to process at all the top March Madness sportsbooks, although fees and depositing ranges change for each sportsbook throughout the year. The normal range of deposits accepted for Wire Transfers is between $500 and $10,000.
Fastest March Madness Betting Payout Methods
The main benefit that many bettors look for after cashing a major bet on March Madness are the payout times. Luckily, all of the online betting sites that offer March Madness betting odds have some of the fastest betting payout methods that you could ask for. No matter which online betting site you use though for your March Madness betting, their crypto options will always have the fastest processing times of any other method.
| Sportsbook: | Processing Time: |
|---|---|
| Bovada | 15 Minutes |
| BetOnline | Up to 48 hours |
| MyBookie | Up to 24 hours |
| SportsBetting | Up to 48 hours |
| XBet | Up to 48 hours |