NCAA Basketball Odds
Welcome to our popular hub for college basketball betting odds. This section allows you to find the best NCAA Basketball lines by comparing the prices at different sportsbooks. You can also use the line history tool to see how popular each pick is among the betting public. Read on for information on how to identify a trustworthy sportsbook and the different NCAA Basketball betting line options available.
If you are also interested in betting on other leagues, visit our NBA Odds and College Football Odds sites now. For all other betting odds please check out our Betting Odds page.
Best Sportsbooks for College Basketball
Most of the online sportsbooks offer betting on college basketball. They will try to win your business by offering enticing sign-up bonuses and other promotions, but you must remain diligent and wary when selecting a sportsbook. Many of them are scam sites that will rip you off. We have reviewed more than 1,000 betting sites, so we can point you in the direction of legitimate, trustworthy sites offering college basketball betting lines. Check out our list of top sportsbooks and choose a site with an A+ or A rating, such as 5Dimes or Bovada.
College Basketball Futures Betting
This is a long-term wager on which team will win a tournament or which player will win an award. The most popular futures market when is the winner of March Madness. Oddsmakers at all the leading sportsbooks will weigh up the strengths and weaknesses of each team in the bracket. They will then assign a set of NCAA Basketball daily lines to each team, based on the probability of it seizing glory.
There will be a favorite or joint favorites, and the odds will then grow progressively longer until you reach the rank outsider in the NCAA Basketball odds. In 2019, Duke was the +320 favorite to win the NCAAB men’s tournament, followed by Gonzaga at +500 and North Carolina at +600. Teams including Bradley and Gardner-Webb were complete outsiders at +5000.
If you see a plus sign in college betting, it tells you the profit you stand to win from a $100 stake. A $100 bet on Duke would have earned you $320 if successful, whereas a $100 bet on Bradley would have netted you $5,000. In the end, +800 shot Virginia won the tournament. The futures prices change as the tournament progresses: by the time the final four odds were released, the NCAA Basketball betting lines on Virginia winning the tournament had decreased significantly as it was one of the few teams still standing.
College Basketball Moneyline Betting
This is a simple wager on which team will win a game. Sportsbooks weigh up the relative strengths of each team before assigning NCAA Basketball odds on each of them. If Duke is due to play North Carolina State, you might see a moneyline price of -300 on Duke and +250 on N.C. State. A minus sign tells you how much you need to wager in order to make a $100 profit.
In this instance, you would need to bet $300 on Duke to make a $100 profit. A $10 bet on Duke would earn you $3.33 if successful, whereas a $10 bet on N.C. Stare would earn you $25. That tells you the sportsbooks think Duke has a much better chance of winning the game, so it is the clear favorite in the NCAA Basketball odds.
College Basketball Spreads
This is the most common way to bet on college basketball. The sportsbooks will give the stronger team a handicap in order to make things even. You might see Duke installed as the 8.5-point favorite in the March Madness lines for that hypothetical game against N.C. State. You would then be able to bet either on Duke -8.5 or N.C. State +8.5 in the NCAA Basketball point spreads.
If you bet on Duke to cover the spread, it would need to win by 9 or more points. However, you would be likely to find odds of -110 as opposed to -300, so your potential profit would be much higher. If you bet on N.C. State to cover that spread, it could either win the game or lose by no more than 8 points and you bet would pay off. However, you would be likely to find odds of -110 as opposed to +250, so your payout would be smaller. Some books offer -105 lines. They are known as reduced juice books.
College Basketball Totals Betting
Sportsbooks will set college basketball lines relating to the total points that will be scored in a particular game. An example would be 144.5 points. You then have to predict whether the cumulative points scored by both teams will go over or under that line. Once again, you will typically see -110 on either outcome, unless it offers reduced juice NCAA Basketball odds.
College Basketball Prop Bets
Some bettors want to go deeper than spreads and totals when looking for the perfect NCAA basketball lines to bet on. Sportsbooks cater to those bettors by offering a range of exotic prop bets on college basketball games. Props focus on a particular event within a game, such as the first team to score 5 or more points, the total field goals made or the total points scored by a particular player.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the over under for NCAA Basketball championship?
This is a bet on the total points scored in a college basketball game. The sportsbooks will set a total points line, and you can bet on over or under depending on whether you think it will be a high-scoring game or a low-scoring game.
How does the spread work in college football?
The sportsbooks give the stronger team a handicap. If Duke is perceived to have a better roster than N.C. State, you might see it given an 8.5-point handicap. You can then bet on Duke -8.5 or N.C. State +8.5. This is known as NCAA Basketball against the spread betting.
Can you bet on college basketball?
Betting on college basketball is perfectly legal in many states. You will often see Las Vegas college basketball odds discussed on TV and in print, as NCAA Basketball Vegas odds are often used to explain how strong each team is in the build-up to March Madness. Despite the prominence of Las Vegas college basketball odds, many other states offer college basketball latest line betting. The vast majority of online sportsbooks have a dedicated college basketball section, but make sure you stick to our list of best sportsbooks.
What is the line on NCAA basketball?
An NCAA basketball line refers to the handicap spread on a particular game. NCAA Basketball tournament point spreads are particularly popular every year, and Vegas odds college basketball give spreads pride of place.
What’s the best college basketball team?
UCLA has won 11 national titles and that is a record for the NCAAB Men’s Division. Check out our NCAA Basketball Picks page, and find the best bets and predictions on the teams that will perform well.
How do you bet on college basketball?
Visit a highly rated sportsbook and sign-up for an account. Click on college basketball and check out the latest line. NCAA basketball is normally one of the most prominent sections at US sportsbooks. Choose a spread, totals or moneyline bet, click on the selection and you will trigger a bet slip. Enter the amount you would like to wager and then click on “Place Bet”.
What is the point spread for NCAA basketball?
NCAA basketball betting sites will give the superior team a handicap to level the playing field. That handicap is known as the point spread. You can then bet on either team to cover it.
Where can I bet on college basketball?
Most leading online sportsbooks offer college basketball point spreads. Just make sure you stick to those sites with strong ratings from SBR and avoid sites with a history of failing to pay customers when looking for college betting lines.
What are the college football spreads?
These are the same as NCAA basketball lines. You can back either team to cover a point spread, which is set by the sportsbooks.
What are the Vegas odds on the NCAA basketball championship?
The lines published as part of March Madness odds previews are often Vegas odds. NCAA basketball is an important market for the Vegas books, so they work hard to promote their lines. However, you will find betting on college basketball at leading sportsbooks around the world, and you should always shop around for the most attractive lines.
What is the moneyline in college basketball?
This is a straightforward wager on which team will win a game. There will generally be a favorite and an underdog, with each team priced accordingly.
