2025 March Madness Betting Odds

Ultimate March Madness Betting Guide. Learn betting strategies for a profitable tournament season. Perfect bracket contests are for chumps! Read on.

March Madness Betting Sites

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March Madness 2024

Selection Sunday: March 17, 2024
First Four: March 19 & 20, 2024

Odds to win NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament 2024

2024-25 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Odds
NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Teams to make Final Four John R. Wooden Award ACC America East American ASUN A-10 Big 12 Big East Big Sky Big South Big Ten Big West CAA C-USA Horizon Ivy League MAAC MEAC MAC Missouri Valley Mountain West Northeast Ohio Valley Patriot SEC Southern Southland Summit Sun Belt SWAC WAC WCC

AZ CT DC IA IL IN KS KY LA MI MS NC NY OH PA TN VA WY Team	BetMGM
Auburn	+900 Bet
Duke	+1000 Bet
Kansas	+1000 Bet
Gonzaga	+1100 Bet
Alabama	+1400 Bet
Houston	+1500 Bet
UConn	+1500 Bet
Iowa State	+2200 Bet
Kentucky	+2200 Bet
Tennessee	+2500 Bet
North Carolina	+3000 Bet
Florida	+3500 Bet
Arizona	+4000 Bet
Baylor	+4000 Bet
Marquette	+4000 Bet
Michigan State	+4000 Bet
Arkansas	+5000 Bet
Cincinnati	+5000 Bet
Creighton	+5000 Bet
Rutgers	+5000 Bet
Texas Tech	+5000 Bet
UCLA	+5000 Bet
Illinois	+6000 Bet
Indiana	+6000 Bet
Michigan	+6000 Bet
Ohio State	+6000 Bet
Purdue	+6000 Bet
St. John's	+6000 Bet
Texas A&M	+6600 Bet
Memphis	+8000 Bet

Table of Contents

1. Bracket Contests
2. March Madness Bets
   • Fade the Public
   • Spread & Total Bets
   • Prop Bets
   • No #1-2 Seed Parlays
3. Buzzer Beaters
4. Betting Tips
5. History
6. Resources
7. Tables/Reference
8. Live March Madness Odds – Tap Here

Markets
Point Spread Total Moneyline

Next 32 College Basketball Game Odds
+ Displays more odds

AZ CT DC IA IL IN KS KY LA MI MS NC NY OH PA TN VA WY Game	BetMGM Bet	BetRivers Bet
Cincinnati Villanova 6:30pm EST	-3.5 -110+3.5 -110
Delaware State Delaware 6:30pm EST	+13.5 -115-13.5 -105	+12.5 -110-12.5 -110
Eastern Illinois Butler 6:30pm EST	+21.5 -105-21.5 -115	+22 -112-22 -109
Lipscomb Chattanooga 7:00pm EST	+1.5 -115-1.5 -105	+1.5 -109-1.5 -112
Saint Peter's Duquesne 7:00pm EST		+4.5 -109-4.5 -112
Presbyterian Florida A&M 7:00pm EST	-4.5 -110+4.5 -110	-4 -114+4 -107
UNC Asheville George Mason 7:00pm EST	+13.5 -105-13.5 -115	+14 -108-14 -113
Army Le Moyne 7:00pm EST	-1.5 -110+1.5 -110	+1 -115-1 -106
Santa Clara McNeese State 7:00pm EST	+6.5 -110-6.5 -110	+7 -112-7 -109
Dartmouth New Hampshire 7:00pm EST	-4.5 -110+4.5 -110	-4.5 -107+4.5 -114
Winthrop Queens Charlotte 7:00pm EST	-4.5 -115+4.5 -105	-5 -110+5 -110
Princeton Saint Joseph's 7:00pm EST		+6 -113-6 -108
High Point UNC Greensboro 7:00pm EST	-1.5 -110+1.5 -110	-2 -107+2 -114
Brown Vermont 7:00pm EST	+4.5 +100-4.5 -120	+5.5 -112-5.5 -109
Stetson USF 7:00pm EST	+14.5 -105-14.5 -115	+15.5 -113-15.5 -108
Western Michigan Dayton 7:00pm EST	+24.5 -115-24.5 -105	+24.5 -112-24.5 -109
Notre Dame Georgia 7:00pm EST	+8.5 +100-8.5 -120	+9 -112-9 -109
Northwestern Iowa 7:00pm EST	+5.5 -120-5.5 +100	+5.5 -112-5.5 -109
Northern Kentucky Akron 7:00pm EST	+6.5 -115-6.5 -105	+6 -108-6 -113
UNC Wilmington East Carolina 7:00pm EST	+6.5 -110-6.5 -110	+6.5 -113-6.5 -108
North Carolina A&T Hampton 7:00pm EST	+4.5 -105-4.5 -115	+4.5 -112-4.5 -109
South Carolina Boston College 7:00pm EST	-4.5 -105+4.5 -115	-4 -113+4 -108
La Salle Northeastern 7:00pm EST	+1.5 -110-1.5 -110	+1.5 -108-1.5 -113
East Tennessee State James Madison 7:00pm EST	+2.5 -105-2.5 -115	+3 -110-3 -110
California Missouri 7:00pm EST	+8.5 +100-8.5 -120	+9 -112-9 -109
Arkansas Miami (FL) 7:00pm EST	-4.5 -115+4.5 -105	-5 -110+5 -110
Syracuse Tennessee 7:30pm EST	+18.5 -110-18.5 -110
UT-Martin Charleston Southern 7:30pm EST	+6.5 -115-6.5 -105	+5.5 -114-5.5 -107
Sam Houston State Indiana 7:30pm EST	+13.5 -110-13.5 -110	+13.5 -112-13.5 -109
Alabama State SMU 8:00pm EST	+22.5 -115-22.5 -105	+22 -109-22 -112
Bradley Southern Illinois 8:00pm EST	-3.5 -115+3.5 -105	-3.5 -110+3.5 -110
Evansville Murray State 8:00pm EST	+13.5 -110-13.5 -110	+13 -112-13 -109

2024 Final Four Schedule

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.

More Likely Than a Perfect March Madness Bracket

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.

College Basketball Prop Bets - Next 12 Games
+ Displays more odds

AZ CT DC IA IL IN KS KY LA MI MS NC NY OH PA TN VA WY	BetMGM Bet
Delaware State Delaware Game to Overtime 6:30pm EST	Yes +1500No -10000Bet
Cincinnati Villanova First to 5 Points 6:30pm EST	-125-110Bet
Cincinnati Villanova First to 10 Points 6:30pm EST	-135-105Bet
Cincinnati Villanova First to 15 Points 6:30pm EST	-140+100Bet
	BetMGM
Cincinnati Villanova Game to Overtime 6:30pm EST	Yes +725No -2500Bet
Eastern Illinois Butler First to 5 Points 6:30pm EST	+190-275Bet
Eastern Illinois Butler First to 10 Points 6:30pm EST	+260-400Bet
Eastern Illinois Butler First to 15 Points 6:30pm EST	+360-650Bet
	BetMGM
Eastern Illinois Butler Game to Overtime 6:30pm EST	Yes +2500No -10000Bet
Arkansas Miami (FL) First to 5 Points 7:00pm EST	-140+100Bet
Arkansas Miami (FL) First to 10 Points 7:00pm EST	-145+105Bet
Arkansas Miami (FL) First to 15 Points 7:00pm EST	-155+110Bet
	BetMGM
Arkansas Miami (FL) Game to Overtime 7:00pm EST	Yes +775No -2500Bet
California Missouri First to 5 Points 7:00pm EST	+115-160Bet
California Missouri First to 10 Points 7:00pm EST	+130-185Bet
California Missouri First to 15 Points 7:00pm EST	+145-210Bet
	BetMGM
California Missouri Game to Overtime 7:00pm EST	Yes +950No -5000Bet
East Tennessee State James Madison First to 5 Points 7:00pm EST	-105-135Bet
East Tennessee State James Madison First to 10 Points 7:00pm EST	-105-135Bet
East Tennessee State James Madison First to 15 Points 7:00pm EST	+100-140Bet
	BetMGM
East Tennessee State James Madison Game to Overtime 7:00pm EST	Yes +825No -3000Bet
La Salle Northeastern First to 5 Points 7:00pm EST	-110-125Bet
La Salle Northeastern First to 10 Points 7:00pm EST	-110-125Bet
La Salle Northeastern First to 15 Points 7:00pm EST	-110-125Bet
	BetMGM
La Salle Northeastern Game to Overtime 7:00pm EST	Yes +725No -2500Bet
North Carolina A&T Hampton First to 5 Points 7:00pm EST	+100-140Bet
North Carolina A&T Hampton First to 10 Points 7:00pm EST	+105-145Bet
North Carolina A&T Hampton First to 15 Points 7:00pm EST	+110-155Bet
	BetMGM
North Carolina A&T Hampton Game to Overtime 7:00pm EST	Yes +800No -3000Bet
UNC Wilmington East Carolina First to 5 Points 7:00pm EST	+105-145Bet
UNC Wilmington East Carolina First to 10 Points 7:00pm EST	+115-160Bet
UNC Wilmington East Carolina First to 15 Points 7:00pm EST	+125-175Bet
	BetMGM
UNC Wilmington East Carolina Game to Overtime 7:00pm EST	Yes +825No -3000Bet
Northern Kentucky Akron First to 5 Points 7:00pm EST	+105-145Bet
Northern Kentucky Akron First to 10 Points 7:00pm EST	+115-160Bet
Northern Kentucky Akron First to 15 Points 7:00pm EST	+125-175Bet
	BetMGM
Northern Kentucky Akron Game to Overtime 7:00pm EST	Yes +850No -3000Bet
Northwestern Iowa First to 5 Points 7:00pm EST	+100-140Bet
Northwestern Iowa First to 10 Points 7:00pm EST	+110-155Bet
Northwestern Iowa First to 15 Points 7:00pm EST	+120-165Bet
	BetMGM
Northwestern Iowa Game to Overtime 7:00pm EST	Yes +825No -3000Bet
South Carolina Boston College First to 5 Points 7:00pm EST	-135-105Bet
South Carolina Boston College First to 10 Points 7:00pm EST	-145+105Bet
South Carolina Boston College First to 15 Points 7:00pm EST	-155+110Bet
	BetMGM
South Carolina Boston College Game to Overtime 7:00pm EST	Yes +775No -2500Bet

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

1. Refresh your bankroll before the tournament begins. Deposit early to avoid last minute credit card processing glitches.
2. 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.
3. Shop college basketball lines at multiple sportsbooks. SB3 has live odds here.
4. 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.
5. 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.