Ultimate March Madness Betting Guide. Learn betting strategies for a profitable tournament season. Perfect bracket contests are for chumps! Read on.
| Bonus | |
|---|---|
 #1 BetMGMREVIEW | New Customers - Up to $1500 Paid Back in Bonus Bets Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days One new customer offer/Add'l Terms Bet Now 21+ Playable in Ohio only Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-589-9966 |
March Madness 2024
Selection Sunday: March 17, 2024
First Four: March 19 & 20, 2024
Odds to win NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament 2024
|
Team |  BetMGM |
|---|---|
| Auburn | +750 Bet |
| Duke | +900 Bet |
| Tennessee | +1000 Bet |
| Gonzaga | +1400 Bet |
| Houston | +1400 Bet |
| UConn | +1500 Bet |
| Alabama | +1600 Bet |
| Kansas | +1600 Bet |
| Iowa State | +1700 Bet |
| Kentucky | +1700 Bet |
| Florida | +2000 Bet |
| Marquette | +4000 Bet |
| Oregon | +4000 Bet |
| Illinois | +5000 Bet |
| Michigan | +5000 Bet |
| North Carolina | +5000 Bet |
| UCLA | +5000 Bet |
| Arizona | +6000 Bet |
| Arkansas | +6000 Bet |
| Baylor | +6000 Bet |
| Cincinnati | +6000 Bet |
| Michigan State | +6000 Bet |
| St. John's | +6000 Bet |
| Texas A&M | +6000 Bet |
| Maryland | +6600 Bet |
| Memphis | +6600 Bet |
| Creighton | +8000 Bet |
| Mississippi State | +8000 Bet |
| Ohio State | +8000 Bet |
| Oklahoma | +8000 Bet |
Table of Contents
- Bracket Contests
- March Madness Bets
- Buzzer Beaters
- Betting Tips
- History
- Resources
- Tables/Reference
- Live March Madness Odds – Tap Here
| Event | Site | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Selection Sunday | TBS 6:00PM ET Live Stream | Sunday, March 17, 2024 |
| First Four | Dayton, OH | March 19-20, 2024 |
| First & Second Rounds | Various Locations | March 21 & 22 |
| First & Second Rounds | Various Location | March 23 & 24 |
| Sweet 16 & Elite 8 | Boston, MA & Los Angeles, CA |
March 28-30 |
| Sweet 16 & Elite 8 | Dallas, TX & Detroit, MI |
March 29-31 |
| Final Four | Phoenix, AZ State Farm Stadium |
April 6 & 8, 2024 |
Printable Bracket
Men’s tournament Printable Bracket – Tap Here
Perfect Bracket Contests
Don’t pay to enter a March Madness bracket contest! It’s a losing investment. And free contests just waste your time. The chances of a perfect March Madness bracket are almost none. Different prediction models reveal daunting odds.
Random pickers face impossible odds for a 64 team bracket, 1 in 9,223,372,036,854,777,808. That’s 1 in 9.2 quintillion, according to Forbes.
Knowledgeable pickers will do better, 1 in 128,000,000,000. That’s 1 in 128 billion, according to Professor Jeff Bergen of Depaul University. He describes the calculation in this video.
Slightly Better Options
FiveThirtyEight modeled predictions off the 2015 tournament field. Odds narrowed to 1 in 1,610,543,269. That’s still 1 in 1.6 million for highly capable sports handicappers!
Warren Buffet, the oracle of Omaha, famously offered $1 Billion to any Berkshire Hathaway employee with a perfect bracket. A consummate numbers man, Buffet knew he would never pay. And he was right!
You’re more likely to be killed by a vending machine than predict a perfect bracket. Find out other more likely occurrences in our odds table below.
| What | Odds |
|---|---|
| Killed by a falling coconut | 1 in 250 million |
| Killed by a vending machine | 1 in 112 million |
| Naturally having quintuplets | 1 in 60 million |
| Killed by a shark | 1 in 3.7 million |
| Struck by lightning this year | 1 in 700,000 |
| Royal flush in first poker hand | 1 in 649,740 |
| Having Conjoined Twins | 1 in 115,300 |
| Pogo stick injury requiring ER | 1 in 200,000 |
| Dating a Supermodel | 1 in 88,000 |
| Dating a millionaire | 1 in 216 |
How to Bet on March Madness
Profit from a host of March Madness betting opportunities.
Fade The Public
Recreational bettors frequently bet popular teams during March Madness. Lines are ignored. They believe big names like Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky will all have blowout wins. Money flows in for these teams.
Suppose Duke vs. Virginia opens Duke -10. Duke must win by 10 or more points.
First research Virginia’s record against the spread. Check how often they’ve covered as underdogs.
Second check the line. Suppose it’s just moved to Duke -13.5. This indicates the public likes Duke. Remember the sportsbook wants to balance its action. Making it harder for Duke to cover encourages action on Virginia. Should you still follow the public? No!
Take Virginia if they’ve consistently won against the spread. Bet against the public when line moves present an opportunity!
One 2008 bettor discovered a profitable relationship. A 0.5 pt line increase for the favorite with 65% or more public taking the favorite lost against the spread 80% or more. That means he took the underdog ATS to win.
Tip
Wait until 30 minutes before tipoff to see which underdogs get action. This is sharp money coming in. Bet with the sharps.
Spread and Total Bets
Carefully shop sportsbook lines. Your efforts will be rewarded!
Identify good total betting opportunities from a sportsbook’s spread and total numbers. See our over-under calculations. An edge exists if the calculation reveals an inconsistency.
If the projected total is under the sportsbook’s total, bet the under. If the projected total is over the sportsbook’s total, bet the over.
Finding good spread bets isn’t hard if you can handicap college basketball. Look for matchups where the sportsbook’s spread overestimates a favorite’s ability to cover. Here you’ll take the underdog.
Also look for matchups where the sportsbook’s spread underestimates a favorite’s ability to cover. Here you’ll take the favorite. It’s OK to be a chalk eater. A small win is better than a big loss.
Tip
Review each team’s seasonal performance against the spread.
March Madness Prop Bets
Important Note: Some states expressly forbid individual college athlete prop bets. The following wagers may not be available depending on your particular state laws.
| BetMGM Bet |
|
|---|---|
Illinois State
Cornell
12:00pm EST | Pending BetMGM |
Purdue Fort Wayne
Michigan
1:00pm EST | Pending BetMGM |
Kent State
Alabama
1:00pm EST | Pending BetMGM |
Sacred Heart
Miami (OH)
1:00pm EST | Pending BetMGM |
Illinois
Missouri
1:00pm EST | Pending BetMGM |
Binghamton
Army
1:00pm EST | Pending BetMGM |
Bryant
Towson
1:00pm EST | Pending BetMGM |
Central Arkansas
Oklahoma
1:00pm EST | Pending BetMGM |
Iona
Colgate
1:00pm EST | Pending BetMGM |
Morgan State
Iowa State
1:00pm EST | Pending BetMGM |
New Hampshire
Stonehill
1:00pm EST | Pending BetMGM |
UC Santa Barbara
Missouri State
2:00pm EST | Pending BetMGM |
Note: Some states and jurisdictions prohibit prop bets on individual NCAA athletes.
Example March Madness Prop Bets
Will a #1 seed win the tournament?
- Yes +120
- No -160
Those numbers mean Yes bets risk $100 to win $120. No bets risk $160 to win $100.
Analyze historical trends and bet smart. Between 1985-2016 a #1 seed has won 61.2%, 19/31 times. It’s not a sure thing. #2 Villanova fans still celebrate upsetting #1 North Carolina 77-74 in 2016. 🙂
But it is more likely than not. 61.2% occurrence over 31 years is somewhat reliable. Bet Yes $100 to win $120.
How many #1 Seeds will make the final four?
- 0 +450
- 1 +150
- 2 +180
- 3 +500
- 4 +2000
Through 2017 at least one #1 seed makes the Final Four 40.38% of the time. The bettor will collect $150 for risking $100. Note +450 for 0 teams making the Final Four. That means it is less likely to happen and therefore more risky. Reorder the lines in your head. You’ll see 1 or 2 #1 teams are the most likely.
Hoping all 4 #1 seeds make the Final Four? It’s happened once since 1985, 4% of the time. That’s why $100 wins $2,000. That’s a risky longshot.
These props combine three different elements which don’t rely on sportsbook lines.
The first is the tournament seeding process. Stay on top of Selection Sunday! Minor rule changes have been made over the years. Understand why teams get top seeds.
The second are historical occurrences discussed above. Some are reliable. Some are not.
The third is each team’s potential regardless of its seed. If a #1 team is over-seeded don’t bet that all 4 #1 seeds will make the Final Four. If a #3 team is under-seeded bet at least 1 #3 team will make the Final Four.
Tip
Review past Final Four appearances by seed. See our table below.
Ignore Early Round Parlays
Not worth it: All #1 moneyline 4 team parlay. Might be worth it: All #1 and #2 moneyline 8 team parlay.
A #1 seed has only lost once. That was in 2018 when #16 UMBC beat #1 Virginia 74-54.
Otherwise, a 4 team moneyline parlay should be easy money, right?
Not if you want to bet $1000 to win $50. It’s nearly a sure thing. But it wastes your bankroll. Most sportsbooks don’t offer moneylines for these games.
A #1 and #2 seed 8 team parlay would pay better. This assumes ML odds are available for each game. Sharp books might offer them. Payout could be better, $100 to win $40.
Remember you run the risk of a #2 upset. This has happened! See tables below.
Consider reviewing your sportsbook’s March Madness prop bets. These obvious winners could be packaged differently with less favorable odds. Don’t bet them blindly.
Tip
Stick to early round straight bets or lower seed parlays. Oddsmakers are well aware which teams are likely to win. Obvious winning bets will pay nothing and tie up bank roll.
Best March Madness Buzzer Beaters
It ain’t over till it’s over!
March Madness Betting Tips
- Refresh your bankroll before the tournament begins. Deposit early to avoid last minute credit card processing glitches.
- Don’t take March Madness sportsbook bonuses if they’ll hurt your profit potential. Bonus play through requirements don’t justify the headache. This is another way sportsbooks claw back profit from recreational bettors.
- Shop college basketball lines at multiple sportsbooks. SB3 has live odds here.
- Search for under-seeded parlay opportunities during early rounds. #1 and #2 team parlays will not have favorable moneyline odds. Look at teams seeded #4-#12.
- Don’t ignore good prop bets. Some are favorable to savvy bettors. Always visit your sportsbook’s prop bet page before March Madness begins.
NCAA D1 Basketball Tournament History
The first NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Tournament took place in 1939. Seeding began in 1979. Tournament format has changed over the years with gradual inclusion of more teams. 68 teams have participated since 2011.
32 teams receive automatic bids if they are conference champions. 36 additional teams are picked on Selection Sunday. The selection committee is comprised of 10 members serving 5 year terms.
Seeds are determined in sets of 4. Teams 60-68 must play-in to the tournament for seeds between 11-16 depending on selection committee ranking. These equally seeded teams, or “teams on the bubble”, battle each other for an automatic tournament berth.
In 2012 it was revealed the committee ranks teams 1 to 68. They assess the likelihood a team can win the tournament. Despite these expert predictions, the occasional Cinderella team has lasted longer than expected.
Most games are nationally televised. TV audiences for the Final Four are second only to the Super Bowl in annual viewership. This makes March Madness Betting particularly exciting. Popular sports commentators like Dick Vitale, known for his energy, insight and voluble banter have made their careers on March Madness. Vitale famously exclaimed, “It’s Awesome, Baby!”
Tournament Resources
March Madness
- March Madness Bracket Betting – Learn to bet on the March Madness tournament bracket, plus pick up some invaluable tournament betting strategies.
- March Madness Point Spreads – Review the latest point spreads for upcoming March Madness events.
- March Madness Moneylines – We’ve got the latest March Madness moneylines, plus a handy tutorial explaining how to place this simple bet.
- March Madness Prop Bets – We’ve got the latest March Madness prop bets and handy betting tutorial all in one article.
- March Madness Final Four Appearances – See which teams have made the most Final Four appearances in recent history.
- March Madness Over Under Trends – Our classic study looks at over-under total betting trends for the tournament broken down by seed and conference to identify unique betting opportunities.
Final Four
- Odds to Make the Final Four – See current futures odds to make the Final Four.
- Best Final Four Overtime Games – Review the best Final Four overtime games in history, including game results and summaries.
College Basketball Betting Resources
- College Basketball Betting Guide – Learn how to bet on college basketball with point spreads, totals, and moneylines, plus exotic bets like parlays and prop bets.
- College Basketball Betting Sites – We’ve analyzed and reviewed the best legal sportsbooks for college basketball betting.
- College Basketball Odds – Point spread, total, and moneyline odds for upcoming College Basketball games, including March Madness and the Final Four.
- College Basketball Prop Bets – See prop betting lines and odds for upcoming College basketball games, including March Madness and the Final Four.
- College Basketball Futures Odds – Learn more about how to bet on college basketball futures. Review odds to win the National Championship and key D1 college basketball conferences, plus odds to win the John R. Wooden Award.
- Final Four Betting Odds – The latest Final Four futures odds, men’s basketball tournament schedule, matchup odds, and prop bets.
- March Madness Betting Odds – Review odds to win the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament, then learn how to bet on the tournament with the latest matchup lines and odds.
- Basketball Halftime Middling – Learn how to identify halftime middling opportunities that can help you make money betting on college basketball.
- College Basketball Conference Futures Odds – See odds to win college basketball conferences, including the SEC, Pac-12, American, ACC, WCC, Big 10, Big East, and Big 12.
- Undefeated College Basketball Teams – See which teams are still undefeated in the current regular season.
- Early Season College Basketball Betting Tips – The first couple weeks of college basketball present a unique opportunity to get an edge as oddsmakers try to get their lines right. Learn a couple quick ways to improve your NCAA basketball handicapping techniques.