How to Bet on College Basketball
Online sportsbooks are buzzing with college basketball betting, with the NCAA Tournament being one of the biggest betting events of the year. However, don’t wait until March Madness to jump into NCAAB wagering. It’s best to start as soon as possible. Here’s how you can get started.
What are NCAAB Moneylines?
When placing a moneyline bet on a college basketball game, you are simply predicting the winner of the game. For instance, in a matchup between North Carolina and Duke, North Carolina is the favored home team at -200. A negative sign indicates the favorite, meaning you would need to bet $200 to win $100. Favorites typically have lower odds due to their higher chances of winning. On the other hand, Duke may be the underdog at +150, with a positive sign signaling their status. This means you would need to bet $100 to win $150 if Duke emerges victorious.
What are NCAAB Spreads?
Once you have a good understanding of moneyline betting, you may want to explore spread betting, which is the most popular way to wager on college basketball. With spread betting, you are betting on the margin of victory by a certain number of points. For instance, if North Carolina is favored over Duke by 5.5 points, the line would be North Carolina -5.5 and Duke +5.5. In this scenario, North Carolina must win by more than 5.5 points for the bet to pay out, while Duke must lose by less than 5.5 points or win the game outright. To prevent a tie, a half-point is often added to the spread. This occurs when the margin of victory matches the spread, resulting in a push.
What are NCAAB Teasers?
If you’re not happy with the odds on the board, you can adjust them slightly with a teaser bet. This type of bet gives you a specific number of points to shift the game in your favor, but you must make a parlay bet on at least two games. While it is riskier to have to win two games instead of just one, keep in mind that you have already altered the odds in your favor, making it easier to secure a win on each selection.
What are NCAAB Totals?
Another option for betting is predicting the total number of points that will be scored in a game. For example, in a North Carolina vs. Duke matchup, the sportsbook may set the total at 161.5 points. To prevent a tie, the sportsbook may add a half-point. You can place a bet on whether you believe the final score will be higher or lower than the posted total. If there is a tie, all bets are refunded.
What are NCAAB Futures?
Finally, you can wager on futures, which is when you bet on something that will happen down the road. That might be something like the National Champion, as well as the conference winners (or if those conferences have divisions as well). You might be able to bet on who will win the national player of the year award. You should be able to find National Championship odds relatively soon after one season is over, so that’s where your research will come in handy because you can find some good prices before the season even starts.