CBB

March Madness are two of the best words in the sports dictionary and the only thing that can make that event even more exciting is betting on it. College basketball, in general, is one of the most exhilarating sports out there, so with sports betting growing by the day, the two are a match made in heaven.

Important upcoming dates for NCAA Basketball bettors & fans

• January 13: Villanova vs. Providence, Virginia vs. Louisville, UConn vs. Seton Hall, Indiana vs. Michigan State, Iowa State vs. Kansas, Baylor vs. Oklahoma State, and Saint Mary's vs. San Francisco

• January 14: Iowa vs. Purdue, Auburn vs. Missouri, Vanderbilt vs. Texas, North Carolina vs. Stanford, Virginia Tech vs. SMU, Arizona State vs. Arizona, Michigan vs. Washington, Duke vs. California, and TCU vs. BYU

• January 16: Creighton vs. Providence, Baylor vs. Kansas, and Colorado State vs. Boise State

• January 17: Michigan State vs. Washington, Minnesota vs. Illinois, Kentucky vs. Tennessee, Virginia vs. SMU, Butler vs. Seton Hall, Alabama vs. Oklahoma, Buffalo vs. Miami (OH), Florida vs. Vanderbilt, Iowa vs. Indiana, Arizona vs. UCF, Arkansas vs. Georgia, Duke vs. Stanford, Purdue vs. USC, BYU vs. Texas Tech, St. John's vs. Villanova, and Gonzaga vs. Seattle U

• March 15: End of 2025-26 regular season

• March 17-18: NCAA Tournament First Four

• March 19-20: NCAA Tournament First Round

• March 21-22: NCAA Tournament Second Round

• March 26-27: NCAA Tournament Sweet 16

• March 28-29: NCAA Tournament Elite Eight

• April 4: NCAA Tournament Final Four at Lucas Oil Stadium

• April 6: National Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium

  • BOOSTED ODDS: Duke to win the National Championship: Old Odds +1100, NEW Odds (+1200) (Bet365)

Comparing online sportsbooks and their CBB betting markets

With the sheer number of teams at the D1 level in college basketball, slates can feature 30+ games. For that reason, it is essential for a bettor to ensure they are getting a good price or odds on each game they bet on. Since there can be nights that are loaded with games, the numbers for point spreads or point totals can be drastically different, which changes the value of each bet.

In a sport like college basketball, where free throws can be missed at an alarming rate, a half-point can make a big difference for a bettor. That said, we recommend maintaining multiple sports betting accounts to facilitate daily line shopping. In general, we have found that over the past few seasons, BetMGM is a good place to start when looking to bet on point spreads, and FanDuel is a good product for point totals.

Now, for bettors who are always on the hunt for a good promotion, we’ve found that DraftKings, BetRivers, and ESPN Bet do a good job of providing existing customers with college basketball-related promos. These promos may boost odds for a big game in the SEC, or they could pertain to the NCAA Tournament.

CBB and Daily Fantasy Sports

If a college basketball fan happens to live in a state without legalized sports betting or just prefers daily fantasy sports contests, they are in luck, as multiple DFS operators offer CBB contests. Now, before we delve into those contests, it is essential to note that some states prohibit college player props from being offered. This means that even if DFS sites and apps operate in the state, markets for college sports are not available.

In states in which college player props are available, there are two primary DFS contests for college basketball. The first of the two involves creating a lineup for a given slate of games while using a salary cap. This contest has become a staple on the DraftKings DFS app, and the layout of the given product allows customers to filter each contest to their needs.

The other contest is most commonly known as a Pick’em entry, where CBB fans select the over or under on different stats for players. The more picks they include in an entry, the higher their payout will be. These contests are very well done on both Underdog Fantasy and PrizePicks, as both products seem to be constantly working on improving the CBB contests and markets offered.

What kind of bets can you place on College Basketball?

The amount of betting markets available for college basketball may not be as extensive as the NBA, but there is certainly still a wide variety for bettors to wager on. While markets may vary depending on the state a bettor is in, the three markets that are always available include point spread, point total, and moneyline bets. These three markets can be wagered on for the full game or for each individual half.

Other game-specific betting markets include team point totals for either the full game or each specific half. All of the aforementioned markets can also be bet on either before or during the game. With all of the momentum changes during a given college basketball game, live betting can be very advantageous for a bettor.

Aside from the four markets listed above, other live betting markets for college basketball include which team will make the next basket, the method of scoring for the next basket, and the result of a team's next possession. The availability of these markets varies depending on which sports betting app a customer happens to be using.

Player prop markets for college basketball are available for select games during the regular season and in most games during the postseason, whether that be during conference tournaments or the NCAA Tournament. While some bettors do not have access to these markets due to the state they reside in having a restriction on them, other bettors can get on different player's total for points, assists, rebounds, threes, and more, depending on the book.

READ MORE: 2025-26 NCAA Basketball Odds

Team Futures

While college basketball is one of the most bet-on sports in the country, especially during March, the futures markets for the sport are not as plentiful as other sports like college football or the NBA. Due to the fact that there are 351 teams at the D1 level, futures markets like win totals are not made available by sportsbooks, which means the three main futures markets are regular season conference winners, conference tournament winners, and the National Championship.

The National Championship market is generally always the first one that is released before each season, as sportsbooks will release their opening odds just minutes after the previous season ends. As for other futures markets, bettors may need to wait until a week before the season to place a wager on them.

Since the NCAA Tournament is such a massive event, many sportsbooks will also release specific futures right before the event starts. These markets include betting the over/under on a team's seed in the tournament, how far a team will make it in the tournament (i.e., Elite 8 or Final 4), and the winner of each portion of the bracket.

National Championship Winner

After all of the chaos and excitement of the NCAA Tournament, a champion is crowned, and over the past two seasons, the UConn Huskies have been that team. There are plenty of talented teams each and every season, and now, with the transfer portal, teams can quickly reload for the next year.

Of course, at the end of the day, no matter how talented a team is, there is always a chance they get knocked off by a 12-seed in the NCAA Tournament, which is what makes college basketball great but also makes placing futures on a National Champion so complicated.

Conference Champions

As previously stated, there are two ways that bettors can wager on conference champions. Prior to the season, CBB fans can place futures bets on teams to win the regular season title in their respective conference. Once the regular season wraps up, bettors can then place wagers on who will win the conference tournaments for all conferences, whether it be the SEC or A-SUN.

Other Useful Apps & Websites for CBB Bettors

With how many D1 basketball teams are competing on a nightly basis, it is imperative that bettors have a place where they can sort through team and player stats for each team. Down below, we'll break down the best websites and tools for college basketball bettors and fans.

• KenPom: Arguably the most notable college basketball metrics website that is used as a resource by some of the most prominent analysts and handicappers. With easily sortable stats, along with a paid subscription option, KenPom can help bettors with their handicapping, or it can keep fans up to date on how their favorite team stacks up to the rest of the country.

• Bart Torvik: For those who don't want to pay for an elite statistics website, Bart Torvik is one of the best options. Fans can find efficiency stats for each D1 team, but they can also find in-depth looks into how different teams rank within their conference. On a player stat level, fans and bettors can find usage rates and individual efficiency ratings for every player.

• Haslametrics: If you're looking for in-depth matchup breakdowns and extensive individual team pages, Haslametrics is the place to go. Each team page breaks down offensive and defensive metrics, as well as a team's momentum, home or away success, tempo, and efficiency ratings for each individual game. This site is a great tool to use to compare teams as well.

From bench rage to bankroll: reading coach-ref tension for live bets

The rules state that a technical foul will result in two free throws and the opposing team will maintain possession. However, beyond what the rulebook says, it also alters the momentum of the entire game. Depending on which team the technical foul is on, the energy in the arena will shift for better or worse, and where there are momentum shifts, there are live betting opportunities.

Many coaches across the country have garnered a reputation for being difficult with the referees. Recently, UConn coach Dan Hurley has sparked numerous conversations about his temper with referees and how his technical fouls can swing the game away from his Huskies, especially in close-fought Big East games. 

A technical foul in a close contest often leads to a quick 4-to-6-point swing, which, for bettors, can be the difference between a profit and a loss. Factoring relationships between referees and coaches is not something that handicappers can quantify, but observing how a coach interacts with a referee throughout a game can lead to some strong live betting edges. 

For example, a short home favorite could come out sloppy during a big conference game. However, during the second half, a bettor could notice that the home team is receiving a few whistles, and the opposing head coach is becoming more expressive. Around this team, it may be worth considering whether a bettor can capitalize on the home team as a slight underdog, assuming the momentum is shifting, and soon the road team could be handing them free points.