Complete Guide to NCAA Basketball Betting

Our betting guide explains everything you need to know about how to bet on college basketball games before the opening tip-off. With plenty of markets to choose from, you can craft your wagers from our comprehensive guide for your betting pleasure.

College basketball betting guide

1. College basketball wager types
2. College basketball betting tips and tricks
3. College basketball betting Do’s and Don’ts
4. Best college basketball betting apps
5. College basketball betting FAQs

College basketball wager types

NCAAB moneyline

When you bet the moneyline, that means all you need to happen is for your team to win. The odds will point you to which team is the favorite and which is the underdog via the + or – in front of the juice. A negative sign means that they are the favorite, while a positive sign is an underdog. 

The heavier the favorite, the less return you get on a flat wager. The bigger the underdog, the more you make back on a minimal flat wager.

An example of a moneyline wager:

Team	Moneyline Odds
North Carolina Tar Heels	-145
Duke Blue Devils	+125

NCAAB spreads

An alternative to betting moneylines, the spread offers bettors a different form of betting at much friendlier odds. When wagering on the favorite, you are betting that they will win by more than the listed number, while the underdog is being wagered to not lose by more than the listed number.

An example of Spread wagering:

Team	Spread	Odds
North Carolina Tar Heels	-3.5	-110
Duke Blue Devils	+3.5	-110

North Carolina would need to win the game by four points or more for your wager to cash. As for Duke, they would need to lose by four points or less (or win straight up). The spread will vary by how big of a mismatch there is between the two teams.

In some instances, there will be a whole number that presents a potential third outcome when betting ATS (against the spread). Should North Carolina be a three-point favorite and they win exactly by three points, you will push your bet. A push means you get your wager back in whole.

NCAAB totals

Instead of wagering on a team to win or cover the spread, another common bet type is betting on the total amount of points scored. A total bet involves a wager on whether the combined final score will go over or under the listed total.

An example of wagering on the total:

Total Points: 160.5	Odds
Over 160.5	-110
Under 160.5	-110

If you bet the over, it means you need the total points to be more than 160.5 to win your bet. If you take the under, you need less than 160.5 total points scored. As the same in wagering on the spread, pushes can also happen when you bet on totals should the total amount land on the listed total.

You can also wager on a team’s specific total amount. The same applies as before, meaning you would need to go over or under your listed teams’ total amount to win your wager. 

An example of wagering on a team total:

Team	Team Total Points
North Carolina Tar Heels	o83 -110 / u83 -110
Duke Blue Devils	o77 -110 / u77 -110

Parlay Betting

One of the most popular wager types today, a parlay, is when you string together a series of bets for a potentially higher payout. You can include the previously mentioned bet types, including moneylines, spreads, totals, etc.

An example of a parlay:

• North Carolina Moneyline + Michigan vs. Michigan State OVER + Kansas to cover the spread +1000

The catch with parlays is that in order to win, all your wagers must hit, hence the higher total odds. Should one of the wagers lose, you lose the entire bet.

Other forms of parlays include Same Game Parlays, a newer type of wager allowing you to string together wagers within the same game.

An example of a Same Game Parlay:

• North Carolina Moneyline + North Carolina vs. Duke OVER + Armando Bacot Over 10.5 rebounds +500

Same as before, all wagers would have to win in order for your parlay to cash. In this case, the wager is that the game will be high-scoring, with UNC winning outright while also adding in a player prop which will be discussed below.

Note: You do not have to parlay the same sport; you can add other sports as well into your wager. For example, you could add a New York Giants moneyline into your parlay for some cross-sport fun.

NCAAB props

While initially not allowed to bet on college basketball props in most states upon release, they have become increasingly available as we went through last season and through March Madness.

A prop is a general term within the betting market of a select game. Prop bets can vary from team-specific props to player props, like the Bacot example above (and below. Other examples of props include betting on a team to record a certain number of blocks, a team’s total three-pointers made, or a player’s specific stat line, like their total number of rebounds.

An example of a player prop:

Player	Over 10.5 Rebounds	Under 10.5 Rebounds
Armando Bacot	-110	-110

College Basketball futures

Futures bets are a form of long-term bets, meaning you are trying up your money until a certain outcome, like a championship winner, is determined. There are plenty of different forms of college basketball futures, including:

• NCAAB Championship winner
• Regular Season Conference winner
• Conference Championship winner
• Team regular season win totals
• Wooden award winner
• Season-long stat leaders

When betting on futures, it is critical to have more than one sportsbook. Books’ future lines always vary, allowing players to line shop, also known as getting the best number available.

Some betting apps will have better-priced futures odds than others, an example being one sportsbook having UNC to win it all at +1400 while other books may have them at +900. That is a potential lost $500. Should you put $100 at +900 while a different book had +1400 simultaneously?

Make sure to shop around at the best college basketball betting sites for which sportsbooks offer the type of wagers that more suit your style. 

Online sports betting tips and tricks

Now that you know about the common bet types and how to bet them, now it’s time to learn some helpful tips when making those wagers. It takes a lot more than just selecting a bet at random to be successful in this industry. Hopefully, this guide serves as a help to put yourself in the best position possible to succeed.

Establish a bankroll

Before even placing your first bet, ask yourself this. “How much money am I willing to lose?”. This is helpful for several reasons, mainly because gambling can be a serious addiction, and it is always smart to devise a plan before you are way too far in deep.

A bankroll is money set aside specifically for sports betting. A set amount that you are willing to lose over time should things not go your way. A limit so you know when to stop, and you would still be satisfied with your day-to-day life.

Determine your unit

Like a bankroll, determining your unit is a way of avoiding a free fall should you hit a losing slump.

A unit can be one of two things. A set bet amount that you wager every time, no matter the juice, or a set amount you bet to win every time. I prefer the second one, but both methods have their positives and negatives.

To determine your unit, the simplest way to calculate it is by making it 1% of your bankroll. Should you go into sports betting with $10,000 as your bankroll, then your unit would be $100 per bet.

Track your bets

Now that you have determined how much you are willing to wager safely, the next important step is tracking your bets. It’s fairly easy to get lost with everything that you are on, as sportsbooks offer hundreds of bet types, distracting you from how much you may be losing.

Tracking your bets is the safest way to make you realize whether you are winning or losing overtime. One of the best tracking apps to help with this is the Action App. An app built by The Action Network, they help give you all the tools you need to track your picks and see your results over the long run.

College basketball betting tips and tricks

Do your research

I can’t stress this enough, always do your research. Vegas sets the numbers the way they are for a reason, statistically backed to give them the edge. That doesn’t mean you can’t beat them with enough research.

Sportsbooks make mistakes all the time. They have hundreds of wagers to set up and monitor. Should an injury take place that they are slow to react on or not react far enough, you now have value towards that bet that sets you up for potentially more success in its cashing.

Constantly monitor news and updates, don’t just bet blindly.

Know your strengths and weaknesses

You may get a feel early on for what is working and what is not working for you when making bets. Another reason to track your bets, they can show you what type of wagers are cashing or losing for you.

Should you have a good feel for spread bets but constantly lose when betting on totals, then shade your money more toward spreads. You have full control over what you wager on, you might as well put yourself in the best position possible to succeed.

Take advantage of live betting

The concept of live betting began a few years ago and has immensely grown in popularity. Being able to wager mid-game after it started, live betting presents plenty of value for multiple reasons, especially in a sport like basketball where swings can take place at a moment’s notice.

If you dislike the spread of the team you want to bet on before the game, live betting gives you a chance to potentially grab it live. For example, if I wanted North Carolina at -3.5 instead of the pregame number of -5.5, I would wait for the game to start and grab them at the number should they fall behind early.

College Basketball Betting Do’s & Don’ts

DO’s

Keep up with the news

It’s always important to have the most knowledge possible when betting. Make sure to follow injuries, trends, and recent results before you bet on a given game. Sure, placing random bets can be fun at times, but it’s ultimately a losing strategy. 

Bet against ranked teams

A number next to a team’s name only means so much, especially in college hoops. These are college kids, and even if they are super talented, bad shooting nights, unorthodox defensive schemes, and hostile road environments can lead to unexpected losses. Furthermore, teams ranked in the bottom of the top 25 are more vulnerable to a loss because sometimes those teams are just products of easy schedules or hot shooting streaks.

Support home teams

Home court matters in college basketball. Teams have to go on the road and play predominantly night games in small college basketball arenas where the fans can be right on top of you. Of course, home-court advantage varies based on the quality of teams, but in general, it’s best to go with the home team if you’re on the fence.

DON’Ts

Bet with emotion

Don’t bet against Duke simply because you hate Duke, and don’t bet on your favorite team or alma mater just because you want them to win. Betting with emotion is almost always an awful strategy because your biases can cloud your judgment. Make bets based on data, not your gut.

Place too many makeup bets

If you have some bad bets on Saturday college basketball games, don’t double down and bet on night games to try to get your money back. You’ll win some bets, but making quick, less-informed wagers is a losing strategy in the long run. Having a bad gambling day happens to everyone, so accept it and don’t bet more than you can afford to lose.

Overly support power conference teams

Power conference teams are generally better than lower-level teams, but the separation often isn’t that large. After all, Saint Peter’s just made it to the Elite Eight! Teams from smaller conferences win all the time in college basketball, so don’t base your betting strategy on which school has a bigger national brand.

The best College Basketball betting apps

Rank	App	New User Promo	T&Cs	iOS?	Android?
1	Caesars	Up To $1250 First Bet on Caesars + 1,000 Tier Credits + 1,000 Reward Credits® with code NPBONUSFULL	New players only, 21+. Available in AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MI, NJ, NY, PA, TN, VA, WV only. Full T&C apply.	✓	✓
2	FanDuel	Bet $5, Get $150 + 3 Month NBA League Pass Sub	New customers only. 21+. NY, AZ, CO, CT, IA, IL, IN, LA, MI, NJ, PA, TN, VA, WV only. T&C’s apply.	✓	✓
3	BetMGM	Risk free bet up to $1,000 with NPBONUS	New customers only. Must be 21+. AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, LA, MI, NJ, NY, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY only. (Welcome Offer not available in NY) Full T&C apply.	✓	✓
4	Barstool sportsbook	Bet up to $1,000, Get Refunded if You Lose with Promo Code NYPOST1000	21+. AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MI, NJ, PA, TN, VA, WV. T&C apply.	✓	✓
5	BetRivers	Up to $250 Deposit Bonus	New players only, 21+. AZ, CO, IL, IN, LA, MI, NY, PA, VA, WV only	✓	✓
6	SI Sportsbook	Bet $20, Win $100 in Free Bets!	New Customers only. 21+, CO, VA, MI only. Full T&Cs apply.	✓	✓

College basketball betting FAQs

Why can’t I bet on NY-based teams in New York?

The rules differ for each state as sports betting has become legalized. Certain states have limited the ability to be able to wager on teams in their state. Illinois and New York are the two biggest examples.

In New York, bettors are not allowed to bet on any college basketball team from New York. Even if it is an away game. As for if this rule will change down the road, that is to be determined.

What’s the best sportsbook to use for college basketball?

There are a number of online sportsbooks for you to choose from when living in New York. Check out the best sports betting sites to help make your decision about which one suits you best. Remember, it’s smart to have more than just one sportsbook account, as lines can vary between the two.

What happens if I leave the state?

If you make the bet before leaving the state, the bet is still active and will grade accordingly. Should you travel to a state where online sports betting is not legalized, you will not be able to make any wagers in the apps.

On the contrary, should you travel to another state where it is legalized, like Michigan, for example, you may use the apps that are permitted in that state and wager while you are there as well.

What happens if I do a player prop and he does not play?

Should you make a player prop and that specific player does not play at all, your bet will be voided and refunded.

If he starts the game and gets injured, then it will be graded as a loss. Sportsbooks rules vary between each book, but the common rule is if they touch the court, then they are considered actionable.

Can I bet on March Madness?

Yes. Arguably one of the best sports times of the year, wagering on March Madness is another way to enjoy the tournament. Wagering on March Madness can involve betting on specific games each round or putting money on a team to win it all as a futures bet.

Reminder: Just because it is the tournament, that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to bet on your in-state team if sports betting is not legal in your state.