College Basketball March Madness Betting Guide, Tips And Pool Strategy 4r1210

For years on end, March Madness has provided college basketball fans with countless incredible memories. 4g3y6t

Depending on your age, maybe that memory is Jim Valvano’s NC State Wolfpack upsetting the mighty Phi Slama Jama Houston Cougars in 1983. Maybe it’s the epic 1992 regional final in Philadelphia when Christian Laettner caught the inbound, dribbled, turned, and made one of the most iconic jumpers in basketball history. Or maybe it’s Bryce Drew’s famous 1998 buzzer-beater that would lift his father’s 13-seeded Valparaiso Crusaders over the Ole Miss Rebels with just 2.5 seconds remaining and the ball on the opposite end of the floor.

If any of these moments are from before your time, your early tournament memories may include Carmelo Anthony leading Jim Boeheim’s Syracuse Orange to the program’s first and only title back in 2003. Or it could be Bruce Weber’s Fighting Illini and their shocking 15-point comeback led by Deron Williams against Arizona in the 2005 Elite Eight. Or maybe it’s the loaded Florida teams, led by Joakim Noah and HC Billy Donovan, that won back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007. And who could forget those Butler teams that lost the 2010 and 2011 championship games in heartbreaking fashion with Brad Stevens and Gordon Hayward at the helm?!

Recently, it was Tony Bennett’s miracle Virginia Cavaliers that shocked the sports world by winning the 2019 title after becoming the first team in history to lose to a 16-seed in the previous tournament. Deservedly so, that team would remain the defending champions for nearly two years, after the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the cancellation of the 2020 NCAA Tournament. Following the tournament’s much-anticipated return in 2021, Scott Drew’s Baylor Bears delivered one of the most dominant Final Four performances in history.

Most recently, we’ve seen Kansas and UConn win (back-to-back), respectively in the last three seasons. UConn entered this year’s bracket as the top overall seed in the field and became the first group to repeat since the dominant Gator teams in 2006 and 2007.

If you only pay attention to NCAAB a few days before the College Basketball Tournament tips off and pick your bracket based on uniform colors or mascot ferocity, then this effectively bet on the games at a legal sportsbook near you.

The 2025 NCAA Tournament took place across the last two weeks in March and the first week of April, beginning with the First Four on March 18 and 19 in the UD Arena, Dayton. Florida Gators secured their third NCAA title since 2006, edging Houston Cougars 65-63 in a thrilling championship showdown on Monday, April 7. Here are the dates and recaps for all rounds of the tournament:

First Four – Dayton, Ohio 2x6d1v

Tuesday, March 18, and Wednesday, March 19 – The First Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament began in Dayton. Kicking things off on Tuesday at 6:40 p.m. ET, Alabama State (20-15) defeated Saint Francis(PA) (16-18) 70-68. Hornets’ Amarr Knox scored 16 points, including a game-winning layup with one second left after a turnover and long inbounds . The No. 16 seed Alabama State advanced to face No. 1 Auburn.

Later that evening, starting at 9:10 p.m. ET, San Diego State (19-15) fell against North Carolina (20-14) 95-68. RJ Davis led the Tar Heels with 26 points, hitting a school-record six 3-pointers, as they set an NCAA Tournament record with 14 total 3-pointers. The No. 16 seed North Carolina will next face No. 6 Ole Miss on Friday.

Wednesday will at 6:40 p.m. with a 16-seed showdown between American University, riding high from their Patriot League crown, and Mount St. Mary’s, the Northeast Conference champs. American leans on its disciplined play with guard Elijah Stephens likely dictating tempo and forward Matt Rogers providing a strong inside presence. Meanwhile, Mount St. Mary’s, the Northeast Conference champ, relies on guard Dallas Hobbs’s scoring skills and forward Dola Adebayo’s rebounding and scoring inside.

Then, at 9:10 p.m., the 11-seeded Texas Longhorns square off against the Xavier Musketeers. Texas brings a balanced attack with guard Tre Johnson’s scoring flair and forward Arthur Kaluma’s athleticism. Xavier, representing the Big East, counters with guard Ryan Conwell’s sharpshooting and forward Zach Freemantle’s interior toughness. Both contests carry high stakes as these squads aim to secure their place in the main bracket.

First Round – Various Locations 5t5g55

Thursday, March 20, and Friday, March 21 – Perhaps the best part about the NCAA Tournament is all of the different states, sites, and arenas used to host games across the nation. First and second-round games took place in Providence, Denver, Wichita, Lexington, Seattle, Milwaukee, Raleigh, and Cleveland.

The 2025 men’s NCAA Tournament kicked off with first-round upsets on Thursday. No. 12 seed McNeese secured their first-ever March Madness victory over Clemson (69-67), No. 11 seed Drake defeated Missouri (67-57) under the new head coach Ben McCollum, and Arkansas upsetting Kansas (79-72), ending the Jayhawks’ 19-year streak of avoiding first-round losses while setting up a notable second-round coaching showdown between John Calipari and Rick Pitino.

On the second day, the two-time defending champion UConn advanced with a 67-59 win over No. 9 Oklahoma, while No. 6 Illinois defeated No. 11 Xavier in the Midwest region. No. 12 Colorado State upset No. 5 Memphis in the South region, while top-seeded favorites No. 1 Florida and No. 2 seeds Alabama and Michigan State also secured victories to progress to the second round.

Second Round – Various Locations 3n6v6l

Saturday, March 22, and Sunday, March 23 – The Round of 32 took place in the same eight cities listed above and tipped off around noon on Saturday, March 22. 

In the second round, top-seeded Florida Gators narrowly defeated defending champions UConn 77-75, led by Walter Clayton Jr.’s clutch 23-point performance, advancing to their first Sweet 16 since 2017, while No. 1 Duke dominated No. 9 Baylor 89-66 with Tyrese Proctor’s 25 points and Cooper Flagg’s all-around play; meanwhile, No. 4 Maryland edged No. 12 Colorado State 72-71 on a dramatic buzzer-beater by freshman Derik Queen, securing their first Sweet 16 berth since 2016.

Sweet 16 – Newark, San Francisco, Atlanta, Indianapolis 4g5372

Thursday, March 27, and Friday, March 28 – Both the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight took place in four great cities: Newark, Indiana.

On Thursday, Alabama defeated BYU 113-88 behind Mark Sears’ 34-point performance, while Florida demonstrated resilience in an 87-71 victory over Maryland. Meanwhile, Duke survived an overtime thriller against Arizona, winning 100-93 with clutch play, and Texas Tech edged Arkansas 85-83 in a tight contest.

On the second day of the Sweet 16 round, Michigan State held off Ole Miss 73-70 to end the Rebels’ notable run, while Tennessee triumphed over Kentucky 78-65 in a meaningful rivalry win. Auburn defeated Michigan 78-65 with John Broome’s standout 22 points and 16 rebounds, and Houston edged Purdue 62-60 in a gritty defensive battle.

Alabama’s Mark Sears led the Crimson Tide to a tournament-high 113 points, scoring 34 in a dominant win over BYU, while Auburn’s John Broome, a National Player of the Year candidate, powered the Tigers past Michigan with an impressive 22 points and 16 rebounds.

Elite Eight – Newark, San Francisco, Atlanta, Indianapolis 3f4k32

Saturday, March 29, and Sunday, March 30 – The arenas selected for each host city are as follows: Prudential Center in Newark, Chase Center in San Francisco, State Farm Arena in Atlanta, and Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

In the Elite Eight, Duke asserted their dominance with an 85-65 rout of Alabama, showcasing a stifling defense led by freshman Cooper Flagg. Florida edged Texas Tech 84-79 in a thrilling comeback from a nine-point deficit, securing their first Final Four spot since 2014; meanwhile, Houston overpowered Tennessee 69-50 with a standout defensive performance. Finally, Auburn triumphed over Michigan State 70-64, driven by Johni Broome’s clutch play, marking their second Final Four appearance in program history.

Standout stars shone brightly in the Elite Eight, with Duke’s Cooper Flagg delivering 16 points and 9 rebounds to anchor the Blue Devils’ commanding win over Alabama, Auburn’s Johni Broome overcoming an injury to score 25 points, including a game-sealing three-pointer against Michigan State, and Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr. dazzling with 30 points, eight in the final two minutes, to fuel the Gators’ rally past Texas Tech.

Final Four – San Antonio, Texas 2k3t3g

Saturday, April 5 – The Final Four took place at the home of the Arizona Cardinals: Alamodome in San Antonio, Arizona. Both matches aired on CBS, with the first one starting at 6:09 p.m. and the second at 8:49 p.m.

Championship Game – San Antonio, Texas 68w4k

Monday, April 7 – The National Championship tipped off at 8:50 p.m. on April 7 on CBS.

Florida clinched their third national championship since 2006 with a 65-63 victory over Houston in a tense title game on Monday, overcoming a 12-point second-half deficit. Despite Houston’s top-ranked defense stifling star Walter Clayton Jr. for much of the contest, the Gators’ ing cast kept them afloat until Clayton’s late surge, including a game-tying three-pointer with 3:14 left.

March Madness Betting Tips and Bracket Strategy l30w

Here are a few NCAAB March Madness betting strategies before you dominate your office bracket contest, place some March Madness bets, and win some cash:

• Pick some upsets during the first weekend, but know that the elite teams will rise to the top once we get to the Sweet 16. A team from a major conference will most likely win the championship.
• In the first round, pick a 12-seed to beat a 5-seed. Since the NCAA Tournament’s expansion to 64 teams in 1985, there have been just five instances (1988, 2000, 2007, 2015, & 2018) of all four 12 seeds going winless in the first round. Incredibly enough, we’ve actually seen THREE 12-seeds collectively advance in five different tournaments (2002, 2009, 2013, 2014, & 2019), meaning they are just as likely to nearly sweep the board as they are to completely flop on opening weekend.
• When in doubt, pick the better seed (2 vs. 3, 1 vs. 4, etc.). If you pick the better seed in every game, your bracket will do statistically better than someone who picks randomly or uses their own NCAAB strategy. According to an analysis by NCAA.com, a bracket that only picks the better seed would have performed above average in each of the past eleven Tournaments.
• Defense wins championships. The majority of teams that can win six games in a row will have an off-shooting night at some point and will need to survive and advance using their defense. One way to figure out if a team has a good defense is to look at KenPom’s adjusted efficiency ratings. Some of the teams at the top include Iowa State, Houston, Tennessee, Auburn, and UNC.
• Each team has weaknesses and could have a down day. A team that has upperclassmen with Tournament experience and/or a veteran coach may be able to navigate the pressure of the later rounds better than a team with talented freshmen.

2024 National Championship Recap 42345

The UConn Huskies became the first team in nearly two decades to repeat in arguably the hardest postseason format in sports.

Not only did they repeat, but they did so in historically dominant fashion. Over their last two tournaments, UConn was 12-0 ATS, winning each matchup by at least 13+ points. Although it was close for nearly 30 minutes, UConn, as they’ve proven to do time-after-time, separated from Purdue in the national title game, 75-60.

UConn will look to become just the second program ever to three-peat in the sport in 2024-2025.

States Where You Can Legally Bet on College Basketball 1k2t3m

Now that we’ve gone through all of the details regarding this year’s tournament and given you some tasty info nuggets, let’s go over what you need to know to place some bets and win some money. Understanding the March Madness pool.

While many states have legal online sports betting or allow wagering at brick-and-mortar sportsbooks, you can’t bet on college basketball in every state just yet. This page includes a map of where things stand across the U.S. Scroll over your state to see the latest information.

In the table below, wagering on college basketball is allowed, or will soon be allowed, in each state on the left. However, in some states, there are small limitations, including not being able to make a wager on a team that’s located within the state. For example, if you’re Connecticut. While players in New York still can’t bet on local college teams like Colgate, they will be permitted to wager on tournament games taking place in Buffalo as long as they don’t involve a team from The Empire State. Residents of Illinois can bet on their favorite college teams at any physical sportsbook, just not through mobile. For players in Connecticut, March Madness odds for your beloved UConn Huskies won’t be offered on an individual-game basis, however, futures for Dan Hurley’s bunch to make the Final Four or win the National Championship are available at most CT sportsbooks.

Popular College Basketball Bets 363u3m

In the section below, read about different types of bets, including moneyline, point spread, totals, parlay, etc.

Moneyline 5hr6u

A moneyline or a “straight-up bet” is a single bet where you are betting on the team that you think is going to win the game. If you are betting the favorite, you will see a (-) symbol, and if you are betting the underdog you will see a (+) symbol. For example, you could see a line of -200 ncaab moneyline odds. This means a $200 bet would win $100 if you took the favorite and the favorite won the game. Conversely, if you bet $100 on the underdog at +200 and that team won, you would win $200. When you bet on an underdog, the sportsbook rewards you, or gives you better odds, because you are taking a chance betting against the favorite, or better ncaab team.

Point spread 3yz

A bet on the point spread allows betters the opportunity to place a wager on how much a team wins or loses by. For example, if North Carolina is playing Marquette and North Carolina is favored by three points, the line would show North Carolina -3 and Marquette +3. To win, or “cover” the point spread, North Carolina would need to win by four or more points. On the flip side, Marquette could lose the game by two or fewer and still cover the spread, thus winning the bet. If North Carolina won by exactly three points, it would be considered a “push” or a “tie.” In this scenario, all bettors would receive their money back. If you are wondering why you often see a half-point line like -3.5, you are right that there are no half-points in basketball. The half-point exists to eliminate pushes/ties. A team will either win by 4 or they will not. This is easier and a lot less confusing than a push at -3.

Totals (Over/Under) 26531k

A bet on the total means you are making a wager on the total number of combined points scored in a game. This bet type is also known as an over/under. For example, if the total of a college basketball game is 145.5 you can bet on whether the two teams will have a combined total score of over 145.5 or under 145.5 points. You can also bet on first half or second half totals, as well as on individual team totals, which is the same concept, but it’s just betting on whether an individual team is going to go over or under its predicted total. It might be something like 73.5, depending on how much the team typically scores and the quality of their opponent.

Parlay 2e1h4x

Parlays are very popular among sports bettors due to the potential of a large payout. A parlay is when you bet on multiple games and you need to win every game to win. The majority of sportsbooks will allow you to play a parlay with moneyline, point spread and a totals bet. It’s a challenge to consistently hit parlays because you have to win every game in every wager.

Teaser 4f2r21

A teaser is also a multi-game wager. The difference with a teaser is you can move a point spread up or down — on either the favorite or the underdog. For example, if you like the favorite and they are laying eight points (Illinois -8) and you want to bring that down a bit, you can tease the game down four points to -4, which could drastically change the outcome of your wager. If you really like an underdog and they are +2, you could tease them up to +6 which would give you a bigger cushion, obviously, especially if there’s a streak of free throws at the end of the game. Teasers in college basketball can range anywhere from 3 added points to 14 added points, however options will vary depending on the operator.

It should also be noted that the payout from a teaser is much less than a similar parlay. A 4-team parlay pays out 10/1 on a -110 standard bet, whereas a 4-team teaser getting 4 points per game pays out 3/1 at most sportsbooks. A parlay is riskier with a greater potential reward.

In-Game Wagering 6a6p73

This innovative type of betting option has become popular among mobile bettors. In the past, if you missed the opening tip of a basketball game, you missed the opportunity to bet on the game. Now, you can make an in-game wagering options that are updated on the app or website in real time. Live bets are a great opportunity to take advantage of potentially mispriced lines, but they are also a quick way to lose money on just a few plays. Play carefully.

Player Props 3np1o

Some of the more popular prop bets are individual-focused, such as which player will score the most points, how many points an individual player will score, who will have the most rebounds or which player will hit the most three point shots. College player props are restricted in some states, including Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Mississippi, New York, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia.

Futures 30251z

The majority of future bets in college basketball involve which teams will make the Final Four or win the championship. Some of the less common futures that are offered by most sportsbooks include whether a team will their conference tournament, earn a 1-seed in the Tournament, or which player will win the Wooden Award (Player of the Year).

Maximizing Value 19e45

In this section, you can read about two different college basketball strategies that can help maximize value – line comparisons and betting in-game lines.

Line Comparisons 5426x

Shopping for line value is a strategy that takes time but is very important for a serious handicapper. Before you make a bet, it’s important to check with multiple sportsbooks to see which one has the best ncaab odds for your game. Opening multiple sportsbook s may not appeal to everyone, but shopping around to get even a 1-point spread advantage (-4 vs. -5) could be the difference between winning or losing a bet. Finding an improved line can make all the difference. Do it.

Betting In-Game Lines 1q1k46

As we discussed above, it is important to be locked into a game and have the ability to make a bet in a very short period of time through in-game wagers. One college basketball betting strategy is if a favorite gets down early, you will find much better college basketball odds than you had before the game began. For example, if you have a ticket on Gonzaga at -9 and they get down late in the first half you will find much better odds on them to win or cover with a live wager due to the current score of the game. In many cases, the favorite will turn into the underdog and offer a ton of value if you still believe they can come back and win the game outright.

NCAA Tournament Details 1v4q64

In the section below, you can find information about who gets into the NCAA Tourney, the NCAA Tourney bracket, and teams by conference.

Who Gets into the NCAA Tourney? 3r481a

Selection Sunday is a magical day in the beginning of March that awards 36 at-large bids to the top teams in the nation that did not already receive an automatic bid by winning their respective conference tournament. After the 32 conference tournament champions have punched their tickets, a group known as the Selection Committee get into a room and decides which teams will be invited to the Big Dance. 

The Selection Committee is made up of twelve NCAA Commissioners and Athletic Directors, broken down by the following criteria: one member from each of the five autonomy conferences (ACC, B10, B12, Pac-12, & SEC), three from the seven highest-ranked nonautonomy conferences, and four from the remaining 20 conferences.

NCAA Tournament Bracket 4s6fl

Four separate regions make up the tournament bracket. They are the East, South, Midwest, and West. The selection committee attempts to make each region as balanced as possible. This can lead to more enticing matchups as the tournament moves forward. Each region contains 16 teams, with the No. 1 seed playing the 16-seed, the No. 2 seed playing the 15-seed, and so on. The 1-seeds have the easiest matchups, but upsets can still occur at any point of the tournament. In 2018, the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC) shocked Virginia to become the first 16-seed in tournament history to take down a 1-seed, while last year we saw Fairleigh Dickinson repeat the feat over Purdue. Historically speaking, the games that produce the most frequent upsets are the 7 vs. 10, 6 vs. 11, and 5 vs. 12 matchups.

NCAA Tournament Teams by Conference 3m1a2s

Below you will find all the conferences that make up the NCAA Tournament and their respective representatives. Since 1990, the ACC has won 11 titles, followed by the Big East with eight (current ACC member Syracuse was in the Big East when it won its title, while UConn was a member of the AAC for its 4th title), and the SEC with six.

• American Athletic Conference: UAB, Florida Atlantic
• Atlantic Coast Conference: Duke, North Carolina, Clemson, NC State, Virginia
• American East Conference: Vermont
• Atlantic 10 Conference: Duquesne, Dayton
• Atlantic Sun Conference: Stetson
• Big 12 Conference: Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech, Houston, BYU
• Big East Conference: Creighton, Marquette, UConn
• Big Sky Conference: Montana State
• Big South Conference: Longwood
• Big Ten Conference: Illinois, Michigan St., Purdue, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Northwestern
• Big West Conference: Long Beach State
• Colonial Athletic Association: College of Charleston
• Conference USA: Western Kentucky
• Horizon League: Oakland
• Ivy League: Yale 
• Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference: Saint Peter’s
• Mid-American Conference: Akron
• Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference: Howard
• Missouri Valley Conference: Drake
• Mountain West Conference: Boise State, Colorado State, San Diego State, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah State
• Northeast Conference: Wagner
• Ohio Valley Conference: Morehead State
• Pac-12 Conference: Arizona, Oregon, Colorado, Washington State
• Patriot League: Colgate
• Southeastern Conference: Alabama, Auburn, Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida, Texas A&M, South Carolina, Mississippi State
• Southern Conference: Samford
• Southland Conference: McNeese State
• Southwestern Athletic Conference: Grambling State
• Summit League: South Dakota State
• Sun Belt Conference: James Madison
• Western Athletic Conference: Grand Canyon
• West Coast Conference: Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s