How To Bet The Ncaa Tournament

The NCAA Tournament provides many gamblers with high hopes and dreams to capitalize on legal March Madness betting. It is estimated that $10 billion is bet on the NCAA Tournament each year as it has become one of the most popular sporting events. The tournament consists of 68 teams and 67 games – all played within 19 days. This ensures that no other sporting competition can show this excitement with so much suspense. College teams are invited to join from all around the country and this gives fans even more angst and desire to explore betting options during March Madness.

1. How To Bet On Ncaa Championship
2. How To Bet The Ncaa Tournament

The Mountaineers, the tournament’s No. 4 seed with +900 odds, are receiving 38.9% of the bets and 37.1% of the money at BetMGM. Next in line is No. 2 seed Kansas (+500) at 23.5% of the bets. These are bets like who is going to win the regular season conference title, conference tournament, and NCAA tournament. You only have to risk a small amount for a big payout. But, the down side is your money will be tied up for a long period of time. The NCAA Tournament and March Madness Betting research begins on 'Selection Sunday' as the field of 68 teams are announced. After the brackets are filled in, the March Madness format is followed with all games being played at neutral sites. First Four - Thursday 18, 2021. 23 hours ago  Big East. Bubble teams: It looks like UConn has done enough to get in the NCAA Tournament, and they are now the betting favorite to win the Big East Tournament due to recent events surrounding Villanova and Creighton. That leaves the bubble teams as Xavier, Seton Hall and St. John’s.Seton Hall will.

Here’s a handy run-down of March and April tournament odds and markets, from the simplest bets to the most complex “parlay” wagers on Men’s and Women’s college basketball combined with other sports. March Madness Total Bets: Betting the Over/Under. The simplest line in sports betting - or in NCAA basketball - is the Over/Under.

Filling out a perfect bracket is everyone’s goal as there used to even be a $1 billion payout from Warren Buffet. Buffet knew this was nearly impossible, a one in 9 quintillion chance, and has closed the competition; however, the ability to bet on the tournament has only increased. Single-game wagering options, as well as office pools and bracket challenges, are available to those who know the game inside and out or are just casual fans. Many millions of Americans participate in some form of March Madness betting every year; however, most are not aware of all of their betting options.

Is it Legal To Bet On The NCAA Tournament?

Yes, there are legal options for betting on the NCAA Tournament. Whether you choose to wager in one of the states where there are legal sports betting options or decide to use an offshore sportsbook, there are a variety of betting options available. The Supreme Court decided states had the ability to determine their own sports betting laws after they appealed the former federal law known as PASPA. This opened up many avenues for betting on March Madness in states as well as online operators– just be sure to stick with a licensed operator who is located offshore.

What States Offer Legal Sports Betting For March Madness?

Some states are available to hold action on the NCAA tournament where you can bet in a land-based sportsbook. These states include New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Mississippi, and West Virginia. However, be advised that each state is different and have different regulations about what you can wager on. For example, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Delaware do not allow for betting lines to be offered on collegiate teams that are from their states. This can become a problem during tournament time but consider choosing an offshore sportsbook, as there are no restrictions on these sites from offering college basketball betting lines.

Are March Madness Brackets Legal?

March Madness Brackets are considered social gambling and are accepted in many states. Some states do not allow for social gambling as long as a certain price threshold isn’t met. However, it is unheard of to have a law official bust down your door because you were running an office pool or bracket challenge. Many online websites offer paid and unpaid bracket pools that give prizes so it is easy to say enforcement on brackets is nearly inexistent.

How Do I Make A Deposit Before March Madness Begins?

Making a deposit is simple with offshore sportsbooks. The easiest method is generally to use your credit card; however, federal laws are in place that prevent US banks from processing your payment. If your transaction gets declined, do not worry, just call the cashier of the sportsbook and they will remedy the situation. They will cancel that transaction and explain you can also deposit using Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, Western Union money transfers, Visa pre-paid Gift Cards, MoneyOrders, Cashier’s Checks, or wire transfers. Funds are generally added to your account within minutes of the site receiving your payment but be sure to look for promotions before you make your first deposit.

Each sportsbook varies in the prizes, tournaments, and promotions that are offered. Some are ready to automatically give you an initial deposit bonus while others will enter you into reward programs where you can have every deposit matched. Be sure to read all of the terms and conditions of the promotions as most put an expiration date on when the free play must be used. But you will not find better offers than by utilizing offshore sportsbooks that are licensed by their home country.

Is Withdrawing Money On Sportsbooks Safe?

The licensed operators that are located offshore are the safe accounts and will not give you any trouble when you want to withdrawal your money. These sites offer many different ways to return your winnings from MoneyOrders, bank wires, and Cashier’s Checks to many forms of cryptocurrency. The timeframe for receiving your sportsbooks winnings are anywhere from a few hours to a few days- it all depends on which method you use. Each site has a page that explains the fees (if any), timeframes, and minimums for depositing and withdrawing.

There are many different choices you have when it comes to betting on NCAA Tournament. The single-elimination tournament is popular amongst many bettors as there is always a Cinderella story to root for or a number 1 team who can’t be stopped. These situations cause for great betting scenarios and you can determine how you can’t to gamble on the tournament. The five main wagering options are betting on the spread, the over/under, the moneyline, compiling a parlay, or taking a futures bet.

Point Spread Wagering

Spreads are the most common wagering option that gamblers find. This style will have a team name with a number next to it. That number will have a plus (+) or minus (-) sign in front of it. The positive indicates the team is the underdog while the negative shows the favorite. Take this example:

This indicates that Kentucky is 4.5-point favorites in the game. In order for them to cover the spread, they must win by 5 or more. On the opposite side, Villanova can cover the spread by losing by less than 4 points or winning the game. Some betting lines are whole numbers and if a team wins by that number a “push” occurs and all money is returned to the gambler.

Straight-Up Betting

Betting on the spread can be a challenge as last-second points are inevitable in basketball games due to free throws. Instead, you have the option for betting on NCAA Tournament to wager on which team will win, straight up. The odds are tougher for more favored teams but the payouts are much nicer for the underdogs. A typical moneyline wager will look something like this:

The numbers next to the team name is called the moneyline. The positive number indicates an underdog while the negative is considered the favorite. Payouts happen like this: Bet $100 on Kansas (+145) and receive back $245 ($100 bet + $145 profit), Bet 175 on Duke (-175) and receive back 275 ($175 bet + $100 profit). Keep in mind this number is just a ratio for $100 but you can choose to bet as little or as much as you prefer.

Betting On The Over/Under

Teams have styles of play that determine how quick or slow they play and how it impacts the overall score of the game. You can bet on the total points scored in an NCAA Tournament game, also known as the over/under. Given the ability to choose between both teams’ points or one team’s points, you will be able to find a number you think will hit or be too high. There are many stats available on the web that explain each teams pace of play and points scored and allowed per game. Do your research and you should find betting on the over/under for March Madness is no challenge.

How Do Parlays Work?

Parlay betting is a style that requires you to select a group of betting lines, usually two (sometimes 3) or more. Instead of betting on them individually, you compile them into a list where every single choice must be correct for you to win the bet. While this seems like a challenge… it is; however, each game or betting line you add to the list make the odds only further increase. If you bet on four NCAA tournament games separately for $100, you could make $400 or you could consider parlaying those 4 games and make over $1200. Each parlay payout is different as picking many favorites won’t increase your odds drastically but picking a few underdogs can see your odds move heavily in your favor.

March Madness Futures Betting

Futures betting on the NCAA Tournament allows you to watch your bets increase their value over time. This style of wagering has you make you a bet on a result of an event well in advance. You can choose to bet on the next NCAA Tournament immediately after the conclusion of this upcoming March Madness. Odds are generally stacked in your favor as picking a future bet like who will win the tournament before you see the seeding and/or their conference schedule can be tough. The University of Connecticut is a prime example of bettors finding the right futures line. In 2013-14, they were given +10000 odds in the month of February! A payday of 100x their initial bet was well rewarded. The top ten odds to win the 2019 Men’s NCAA Tournament are:

Prop Bets For March Madness

Prop bets for the NCAA Tournament come in all varieties. You can choose wagers over a long period such as how many number 1 seeds will make the Final Four. On the other hand, you can choose individual prop bets that occur only over a game like how many three-pointers will both teams have. These make the tournament games more interesting because you are focused on the individual team or players’ actions that can influence how your bet turns out. Offshore sportsbooks provide more prop bets than you could imagine and are popular amongst big fans of college sports as well as casual viewers.

Legal March Madness Betting FAQs

How Can I Do Mobile Betting On The NCAA Tournament

Mobile betting makes betting on March Madness even easier. All of our recommended sportsbooks have mobile versions that will allow you to check your account and play the odds from anywhere. There are state-run sportsbooks offered but betting lines are generally worse off. Even more, most of the state regulations require that bettors be physically present at the sportsbook or within state lines at the least.

Can I Wager Once A Game Has Started?

Yes, all of the mobile apps or web pages offer what is called live in-play betting. This allows you to wager at any point during the game but be sure to get your bets in quickly. The betting lines and odds change with every second of the clock and if you notice the right line at the right time then the payouts can be much more rewarding. The types of wagers range from spreads, alternative lines, winning margins, and so many more.

How Do I Sign Up For An Online Sportsbook?

Signing up for legal sports betting sites is easy and even better, they are free to join. Find a licensed one who has been in business for a while with positive reviews and is located offshore. Signing up takes nothing more than a bit of information about yourself and an initial deposit. There are always bonuses with your first deposit so check into their promotions too. When you want to receive your money, you will have to prove your identity before you can withdrawal which takes nothing more than uploading a photo ID and showing a bill or bank statement with your name and address on it.

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Two years ago, I wrote an article giving out five tips for betting on college basketball’s power conference tournaments. We missed out on March Madness last season due to COVID-19, so it’s time to check back in and see which philosophies still apply after this year’s unique college basketball season.

Most of my points from 2019 are still relevant, including betting on bubble teams and schools that want to improve their NCAA Tournament seeding. I’ll also look to fade contending teams that are more concerned about the Big Dance next week and target favorable bracket paths when trying to identify value in the futures market.

Something that is less important this season is knowing which fanbases travel well. While some conference tournaments will have a limited amount of fans, it likely won’t be enough to create an advantage for a team.

Here are my thoughts on the six power conference tournaments.

Note: My picks could change based on new information and any news that breaks after the publication of this preview. I will discuss the finalized bets I make on a Periscope show I host called Weekend Warriors. The show will be live for an hour this Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET and can be seen on Stadium’s Periscope channel or Stadium’s Twitter.

ACC

Bubble teams: It’s been a down year for the ACC, especially since the conference had three No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament two seasons ago. North Carolina and Duke being on the bubble for most of the season is the main reason for the league underachieving. Also having traditionally strong programs like Louisville and Syracuse on the bubble has watered down the ACC as a whole.

How To Bet On Ncaa Championship

North Carolina, Duke, Louisville, Syracuse and Georgia Tech are the five teams currently on the bubble. All of those schools could use a win or two to cement their place in the NCAA Tournament. Duke needs multiple wins in the ACC Tournament after ending the regular season on a three-game losing streak. The Blue Devils are the No. 10 seed and could play as many as five games in five days if they make Saturday’s championship game.

Teams that want to improve their seed:Virginia and Florida State were the two consistent teams in the ACC this season, but have slipped a little bit in NCAA Tournament projections over the last few weeks. Virginia lost three straight games before ending the season with two wins against Miami and Louisville, while Florida State ended the regular season with an upset loss against Notre Dame. It’s hard to tell how motivated these two teams will be, but I would predict they’ll want to improve their seed this week.

Teams focused on NCAA Tournament:Virginia Tech is a No. 8 seed in Stadium’s latest bracket projections, so they’re likely in the NCAA Tournament field. The Hokies earned a double bye this week but they have only played four games since Feb. 3 due to COVID-19 protocols, and we’ve seen teams in college basketball struggle after a virus-related layoff. The Hokies didn’t play last week and are a team I’ll look to fade in the conference tournament.

Clemson is another team securely in the field. They play the winner of Pittsburgh-Miami on Wednesday, and with a win, they’d play a rested and motivated Georgia Tech in Thursday’s quarterfinals, which I would likely favor the Yellow Jackets in.

Teams that have a favorable path: The path for No. 6 North Carolina to make the semifinals sticks out. They play the winner of Notre Dame-Wake Forest on Wednesday and then would get Virginia Tech in the quarterfinals. Unfortunately, that path is built into the odds, as they are the third favorite to win the conference tournament at +450.

Georgia Tech has a double bye going into the quarterfinals and are the sixth favorite to win the ACC Tournament at 10/1. I mentioned they’ll have the motivational edge if they play Clemson in the quarterfinals, and they’re in the half of the bracket with Virginia, who has been far from convincing down the stretch.

Early-round bet: The only second-round game currently confirmed is Syracuse-NC State on Wednesday afternoon. I will be looking to bet Syracuse in that one.

Potential later-round bets: A game most neutral fans would like to watch on Wednesday is a second-round matchup between Duke and Louisville, with the Blue Devils getting a shot at avenging two losses against the Cardinals this season. The Blue Devils were a five-point favorite in their overtime loss on Feb. 27, so I would expect Duke to be a small favorite in this game. But if they are an underdog, I’ll look to back Duke over Louisville.

The potential quarterfinal games that I’m looking to bet on is Georgia Tech against Clemson and North Carolina against Virginia Tech. Those potential plays will be dependent on the point spread because I expect both teams to be favorites.

Big East

Bubble teams: It looks like UConn has done enough to get in the NCAA Tournament, and they are now the betting favorite to win the Big East Tournament due to recent events surrounding Villanova and Creighton.

That leaves the bubble teams as Xavier, Seton Hall and St. John’s. Seton Hall will play St. John’s on Thursday afternoon in the quarterfinals, which is a quick rematch of a game played over the weekend that St. John’s won by 10. It’s a must-win game for both teams to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive.

Team that wants to improve their seed: Not only will UConn be looking to improve their NCAA Tournament seed, but I would imagine they are excited to be back at the Big East Tournament. It felt out of place for the Huskies to be playing in the AAC and now they’re back at Madison Square Garden, a building where the program has many fond memories. However, the value on UConn at +210 to win the Big East is gone, and they aren’t going to sneak up on any teams this month.

Teams focused on NCAA Tournament:Villanova lost star guard Collin Gillespie to a season-ending injury last week against Creighton and then lost the next game at Providence. Creighton head coach Greg McDermott was suspended for racially insensitive comments he made to his players, but on Monday he was re-instated ahead of the Big East Tournament. I would shy away from betting on Villanova or Creighton this week.

Teams that have a favorable path: The winner of Seton Hall and St. John’s could potentially play Villanova in the first semifinal on Friday. Because of Villanova being weakened by the Gillespie injury, that’s a more favorable path than the bottom half of the bracket. I like Seton Hall to beat St. John’s, so I will consider placing a future bet on the Pirates.

Early-round bet: I’m going to look to back Seton Hall on Thursday against St. John’s. The point spread is not available at the time of this publication, so that’s something I’ll monitor this week and tweet out if I make any bets.

How To Bet The Ncaa Tournament

Potential later-round bet: There’s nothing that sticks out right now. Maybe taking Seton Hall over Villanova in their potential matchup, but if I bet a future on Seton Hall I’ll likely avoid placing more money on them.

Big 12

Bubble teams: The Big 12 Tournament won’t have bubble drama this year. They have seven teams that are currently locked into an NCAA Tournament spot and three teams in TCU, Kansas State and Iowa State that would have to win four games in four days to make the NCAA Tournament via automatic qualifier.

Teams that want to improve their seed: There won’t be bubble implications, but the competition in the later rounds should be great at the Big 12 Tournament. I can see all the teams outside of Baylor looking to improve their seed in the NCAA Tournament. It might be a tough conference tournament to handicap because of the lack of motivational edges, but it should be very entertaining to watch.

Team focused on NCAA Tournament: I excluded Baylor from the list of teams that want to improve their NCAA Tournament seeding because they are locked into a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The 21-1 Bears, who recently had a three-week COVID-19 layoff, suffered a hiccup against Kansas at the end of February in their only loss.

Head coach Scott Drew was outspoken about his team’s pause after the loss to Kansas, and that was the first signal to me that they are more concerned about the NCAA Tournament than the conference tourney. Baylor ended the season strong with three wins against good competition to solidify themselves as one of the best teams in the country. I’ll be looking to fade Baylor against the spread in the conference tournament because I question their motivation this week.

Teams that have a favorable path: Baylor is in the top half of the Big 12 bracket, which also includes West Virginia and Oklahoma State. Because of my concern with Baylor’s motivation, I think those two teams have a more favorable path than the bottom part that includes Kansas, Texas and Texas Tech.

Oklahoma State just upset West Virginia in Morgantown on Saturday without Cade Cunningham and Isaac Likekele. Even if those Cowboys return next game, I like West Virginia to bounce back and beat Oklahoma State. That makes West Virginia to win the Big 12 Tournament at 7/1 a bet that I’ll be looking to make.

Early-round bet: I have no interest in betting the underwhelming first-round games of this tournament. I like West Virginia to beat Oklahoma State, but I’m not sure if I would bet them to cover the point spread. The matchup between Texas and Texas Tech should be a great game on Thursday night, but I don’t have a betting opinion on that game right now.

Potential later-round bet: If it ends up being West Virginia and Baylor in the first semifinal on Friday then I’ll be looking at the Mountaineers plus the points. The two teams played at West Virginia last week, and Baylor was a five-point favorite, so I’ll be hoping for West Virginia +7 or better.

Big Ten

Bubble teams: The Big Ten definitely has six teams in the NCAA Tournament. Maryland, Rutgers and Michigan State all are likely in, but those three teams might want to win one more game just to sleep easier leading up to Selection Sunday. Indiana has fallen off the bubble, so they’ll need to string together multiple wins to be considered again.

Teams that want to improve their seed: Illinois is the team that stands out for me. The Illini are coming off a three-game stretch where they won road games at Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio State. The first two wins were without star guard Ayo Dosunmu, who returned to the court Saturday in the win against Ohio State. Illinois is projected to be a No. 1 seed and a trip to the title game will secure a top seed.

Last week, Ohio State was in the mix for a No. 1 seed, but now the Buckeyes have lost four straight games, including three at home. They aren’t trending in the right direction, but I would guess they’ll be refocused for this conference tournament and have a new goal of being a No. 2 seed for the NCAA Tournament.

Team focused on NCAA Tournament: Michigan has lost two of their last three games, but with a 19-3 record they are in a strong position to be a No. 1 seed regardless of what they do this weekend. I would stay away from betting the Wolverines in the favorite role.

Team that have a favorable path: On paper, Wisconsin has the most favorable path of the teams that don’t have a double bye, as they play the winner of Nebraska-Penn State. If they win that game, then it’ll set up a matchup against Iowa, who might be without Joe Wieskamp. I just don’t trust the Badgers, who have lost six of their last eight games.

Early-round bet: The Michigan State-Maryland game on Thursday is very intriguing, especially since Maryland lost to Northwestern and Penn State last week, putting their NCAA Tournament status in question. There’s currently no lean for me in that game, but I will tweet out a play if I have a bet.

Potential later-round bet: I mentioned Illinois as a team looking to improve their seed, but I will try to fade them as favorites in their first game at the Big Ten Tournament, which will be against Indiana or Rutgers. I’m not really high on Indiana or Rutgers, but it will be tempting to take them catching points against an Illinois team in a prime letdown spot coming off three marquee victories.

Pac-12

Bubble teams: There are 11 teams in the Pac-12 Tournament this season with Arizona serving a self-imposed postseason ban. Oregon, USC and Colorado are safely in the NCAA Tournament and UCLA should be joining them as well. Just to be safe, the Bruins would want to beat Oregon State on Thursday.

Teams that want to improve their seed: USC and Colorado are currently No. 5 seeds in Stadium’s NCAA Tournament projections. Both teams have room to improve, so I would expect them to be focused on a strong showing this week. That could make for an exciting semifinal between these two teams if they get there.

Team focused on NCAA Tournament: Oregon could also be looking to improve their seed, but I wonder how much energy they have left after a strong end to the season. The Ducks played one game between Jan. 10 and Feb. 3 because of a COVID-19 pause. Since Feb. 6, Oregon has won 10 of 11 games to play themselves off the bubble. As the tournament’s top seed, the Ducks might be more focused on preparing for the dance instead of dominating in Las Vegas.

Teams that have a favorable path: There isn’t a path that sticks out for a team in the Pac-12 Tournament.

Early-round bet: The first day of games are between teams not on the bubble, so I have no opinion.

Potential later-round bets: My only potential bet would be taking UCLA over Oregon in a semifinal, but I need to see how both teams look in their first games. There’s actually a good chance I don’t end up betting anything from this conference tournament.

SEC

Bubble teams: The SEC Tournament will only have 13 teams due to 2019 Final Four participant Auburn serving a postseason ban. The only bubble team in the conference is Ole Miss. There are six teams that are securely in the NCAA Tournament and the other schools, including Kentucky, need to win the SEC Tournament to go dancing.

Teams that want to improve their seed: Alabama is the top seed in the SEC Tournament and has been solidly on the two-line for the NCAA Tournament over the last several weeks. If there are a few upsets at the Big Ten Tournament involving Illinois and Iowa, then maybe a door opens for the Crimson Tide to nab a top seed. Even if they don’t, Alabama will still want to play well this week so that they are a No. 2 seed in a region where Gonzaga or Baylor isn’t a No. 1 seed.

Arkansas has really ascended up the ranks in college basketball. The Razorbacks haven’t lost since Jan. 30 and have won 11 straight SEC contests. Arkansas is on track to be a No. 3 seed, and there’s a shot they’ll capture a No. 2 seed if they win the conference tournament.

Team focused on NCAA Tournament: Missouri wasn’t expected to make the NCAA Tournament before this season, so being in the field might cause them to overlook the SEC tourney since they likely achieved their main goal. The Tigers have lost five of their last seven games and aren’t a team I would be looking to bet on — unless they are an underdog.

Team that has a favorable path: The path for Arkansas sets up well in the bottom part of the bracket. They avoid teams like Kentucky, Alabama, Florida and Tennessee until the championship game. A potential path of Georgia/Missouri in the quarterfinals and Ole Mss/LSU in the semifinals sets up nicely for the Razorbacks, who are 3/1 to win the tournament.

Early-round bet: There isn’t a bet I like in the four games that are currently set for the SEC Tournament.

Potential later-round bets: If Kentucky beats Mississippi State on Thursday then they’ll play Alabama on Friday. That could be a spot to back Kentucky as an underdog against an Alabama team that might feel the pressure of being the top seed in the tournament.

Later on Friday, taking a bubble-motivated Ole Miss over LSU will be something to consider if the Rebels win on Thursday.