How to Bet on March Madness

As one of the biggest sporting events of the year, March Madness is 2nd only to the Super Bowl in terms of handle and tickets sold. Given the popularity of March Madness brackets and bracket competitions out there, it's no surprise that the biggest NCAA tournament of the year offers loads of betting options. 68 teams. 1 epic tournament. Endless betting opportunities. Let's introduce you to the NCAA March Madness betting scene.

🏀March Madness Moneyline Bets
March Madness ATS Bets
💡March Madness Over/Under Bets
🔍March Madness Futures
📊March Madness Props
✨Tips & Strategies

Bet March Madness Games on the Moneyline

Let's say you want to bet on the first-round matchup between 8th-seeded Arkansas and 9th-seeded Illinois. You're quite certain that Arkansas will pull off the win, but you're not sure if it's going to be a close game or not. Basically, you just want to place a wager on an Arkansas victory.

What you want to do is to bet on the moneyline. A moneyline bet is a wager on which team will win, regardless of score margin or point spread.

So, you have Arkansas winning but don't want to worry about point spreads? Go ahead and place a moneyline bet. But first, we want you to understand a couple of things:

Look at the odds first. For example, you saw that Arkansas is a -100 favorite and Illinois is a +150 underdog. It means that betting $100 on Arkansas will give you $100 in winnings. On the other hand, betting $100 on Illinois would win you $150.
Compare sportsbook lines. These odds actually vary, depending on sportsbooks like DraftKings and FanDuel. Canvass first and see if a certain sportsbook offers promos like discounted bets or enhanced odds.

Moreover, analyze head-to-head matchups between the two teams to make more informed decisions. But if you're almost a hundred percent sure that your team will win, go ahead and place that bet.

March Madness with FanDuel

Bet March Madness Games Against the Spread

It's the NCAA Tournament's first round, and the top-seeded Auburn have won their last eight games. They're on a roll and about to face the 16th-seeded Kent State University. You're thinking that Auburn will win by a big margin.

Take advantage of this opportunity by betting against the spread. An against-the-spread (ATS) bet considers how much a team wins or loses, highlighting the "point spread".

The ATS bet is such a thrilling favorite among avid bettors. Still not over the fence? Here's a sample scenario to help you understand ATS bets better:

The 1st-seeded Duke is a -20.5 favorite against 16th-seeded Kent State.
If you place an ATS bet on Duke, they have to win by more than 20.5 points.
If you bet on Kent State, they have to win outright or lose the game by 20 or fewer points.

If there's a clear-cut favorite or an injury to a key player, that's when you want to bet big on ATS wagers.

Bet March Madness Game Totals (Over/Under)

How about we do a March Madness bet just for the fun of it? At least that's how some people look at over/under betting from the onset.

Over/under or game total bet places a wager on the combined score of both teams. No, you're not guessing which team will win or lose. You're just adding up their potential total score and betting on it.

Again, let's do an example to help you visualize how over/under betting is done:

Let's say that we have a matchup between two defensive-minded teams in 2nd-seeded Houston and 4th-seeded Tennessee.

Since they are slow-paced defensive-oriented teams, the over/under is set at 145.5 points.
If you bet the over, you'll win if the combined score of both Houston and Tennessee is 146 points or greater.
If you bet the under, you'll win if the combined score of both Houston and Tennessee is 145 points or lower.

When placing an over/under bet, consider each team's average pace and focus (offense or defense) when placing an over/under bet.

March Madness Futures

Do you think you have the potential to be the next Nostradamus? Why not prove it by placing a March Madness futures bet?

A futures bet is usually placed before a tournament begins. In this case, you place a futures bet before the NCAA Tournament starts. Here's a list of the typical futures bets placed during March Madness, along with sample scenarios:

National Championship winner: Which team will win the NCAA Tournament?
Final Four teams: Who would be the last four teams in the tournament?
Conference of the winner: Does the winner come from the SEC?

It could even go as specific as:

Number of 1-seeds in the Final Four
The winning team's seed
Number of upsets in the first round

There are even more kinds of futures bets out there, depending on the sportsbook you'll place a wager on.

March Madness Props

Are you getting bored of wagering on game outcomes and results? Then, we recommend you try March Madness prop bets.

These prop bets include betting on individual player performances and unique game events. Here are examples:

Player props:

Betting the over/under on a player's total points, rebounds, assists, steals, or blocks
Choosing two players and betting on which player will score more
Betting on which player will score the first basket in the game

Game props:

Predicting if the game will go into overtime
Betting the over/under on total made three-pointers by both teams
Betting on which team will reach 90 points first

Most sportsbooks allow you to place multiple prop bets for a larger payout. It's called a parlay and if you get them all correctly, you get larger winnings.

Expert Tips to Get You Started

Are you already itching to find a sportsbook after reading this article? Not so fast. Stay with us a bit longer to discover our handpicked March Madness betting tips.

Let's go directly to it:

Analyze player and team performances. Look into their recent games and stats. Follow NCAA basketball analytics platforms like EvanMiya and CBB Analytics to dig deeper into your stats research.
Stay up-to-date with player injuries. Injuries to major players could drastically affect your wagers. Follow your favorite NCAA basketball reporters on X to find out about recent player injuries.
Browse Odds on different sportsbooks. These sportsbooks usually vary in the odds they offer, along with their available futures and prop bets. Compare their offerings first, especially if you want to wager on a unique prop bet.

Remember, do your homework and research first before making a bet. And most importantly, always bet responsibly and rigorously stick to a budget.