College basketball is fun to watch because of its thrills and entertainment. However, many fans tend to overlook the betting aspect of the game. NCAAB betting is just as fun as watching the games, plus it also graces players with high returns due to the odds.
Jimmy is our on-duty tipster and writer. His favorite sports are cricket, tennis, and basketball. If you’re looking for the best betting tips in the business, Jimmy’s your guy. His tips and events previews are among the most read at BetZillion.
This article will enlighten you on the bright side of choosing the best NCAAB betting sites and apps.
List of the Best NCAAB Bookmakers
Your priority as a bettor is getting the best betting site. The website you are using makes a big difference. I see that a lot of people tend to ignore this crucial step. The bookmaker you go to offers betting odds that determine your winnings.
You also need to look at the payment methods. Make sure you are comfortable with the payment options. Most importantly, make sure your site has a gambling license for security purposes. Run from a site without one. Some of the best college basketball betting websites are DraftKings, PointsBet, BetMGM, and William Hill. Check out my list below!
List of the Best College Basketball Betting Apps 📱
Gone are the days of having to go to Las Vegas. A lot of people prefer to place bets on sites. Sincerely, it is not bad. However, you can get something better: betting through the app. It makes it way more comfortable. Now, most bookies have a mobile app available to players. For such reasons, more people are beginning to port away from using websites.
The list below shows you the best apps for Android and iOS that you can access to wager on NCAA basketball matches.
When you’re placing bets on sports in the US, you have to make sure you choose a trusted and licensed bookie. I’ve done extensive research to find the very best options. My focus was to ensure you get really great odds on NCAA basketball games. At the same time, I also considered what the sportsbooks offer, including their welcome bonuses.
Check out my list of the best college basketball sportsbooks in the US.
Also, pay attention to this table showing the states where sports betting is legal.
State
Online Betting
Retail Betting
Arizona
Yes ✅
Yes ✅
Arkansas
Yes ✅
Yes ✅
Colorado
Yes ✅
Yes ✅
Connecticut
Yes ✅
Yes ✅
Delaware
No ❌
Yes ✅
Illinois
Yes ✅
Yes ✅
Indiana
Yes ✅
Yes ✅
Iowa
Yes ✅
Yes ✅
Kansas
Yes ✅
Yes ✅
Kentucky
Yes ✅
Yes ✅
Louisiana
Yes ✅
Yes ✅
Maine
Yes ✅
No ❌
Maryland
Yes ✅
Yes ✅
Massachusetts
Yes ✅
Yes ✅
Michigan
Yes ✅
Yes ✅
Mississippi
No ❌
Yes ✅
Montana
No ❌
Yes ✅
Nevada
Yes ✅
Yes ✅
New Hampshire
Yes ✅
Yes ✅
New Jersey
Yes ✅
Yes ✅
New Mexico
No ❌
Yes ✅
New York
Yes ✅
Yes ✅
Ohio
Yes ✅
Yes ✅
Oregon
Yes ✅
Yes ✅
Pennsylvania
Yes ✅
Yes ✅
Rhode Island
Yes ✅
Yes ✅
South Dakota
No ❌
Yes ✅
Tennessee
Yes ✅
No ❌
Vermont
Yes ✅
No ❌
Virginia
Yes ✅
Yes ✅
West Virginia
Yes ✅
Yes ✅
Wisconsin
No ❌
Yes ✅
Wyoming
Yes ✅
No ❌
6 Best NCAAB Bookies by Category
There are lots of bookmakers that you can pick from. While you can view a top list, it’s important to know what each of them offers. This is why I also want to share the best college basketball sportsbook but this time, based on different categories. My focus was on categories like best website, bonuses, cash out, high payouts, and more.
bet365 is a popular bookie that offers a wide selection of games to bet on. They’ve got multiple NCAA championships available. It’s also the best overall betting site.
You get access to a site that works great on all devices. Filtering between different sports is quick and easy. On Sundays, you can get up to $25 in bonus funds. There’s also a generous welcome offer that gives you up to $1,000 in extra cash.
What makes Unibet great is that it was developed by punters. This gives it a unique approach to sports betting. The site focuses on convenience and ease of access and offers a diverse range of wagering options.
The welcome bonuses at Unibet are great. You can claim up to $500 as part of the bookie’s prompts. This is a deposit match bonus. It basically doubles the first deposit you make.
MyStake is the Best Sportsbook for College Basketball with Cash Out 🔙
MyStake Website
With MyStake you get a modern layout and lots of useful links in the navigation menu. This ensures you can easily find NCAA basketball games and other betting options.
The platform offers cash outs for several games, which gives you a chance to get your money before the match comes to an end. There are several welcome promos that you can use on the site, including a 100% deposit bonus.
At ABCIslands, you can claim a welcome bonus of up to $1000. The site also offers high payouts compared to other sportsbooks. There are crypto withdrawal options, as well as P2P transactions.
Sportbet.one is the Best Crypto Sportsbook for NCAA Basketball 🪙
Sportbet.one Website
Sportbet.one is the best choice if you want to pay using crypto. The bookie supports a variety of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Ethereum. You can use digital wallets to easily make your deposits or request withdrawals.
A mobile-friendly layout ensures you can continue to place your bets on a smartphone. There are also betting options for various basketball games, including NCAA.
PROS
CONS
PROS
Website works on mobile and desktop devices
Accepts different crypto coins
Fast deposits and withdrawals
CONS
You can’t buy crypto with a credit card on the site
The sportsbook section at ComeOn allows you to bet on NCAA basketball games and many more. It’s easy to navigate, and there are lots of payment options to pick from.
There’s a VIP program that’s great for high rollers. They were established in 2012 and have since grown into a well-recognized bookie. There’s also an app for Android and iOS devices.
Now that you know more about my top college basketball sportsbooks, here’s a comparison table. This gives you a chance to view them side-by-side. It’s easier to compare the betting sites this way, especially if there are specific preferences you have in mind.
A good betting site should have offers and promotions for new and existing players. There are several ways you can get your bonuses. It could be a sign-up reward, no deposit, deposit bonus, risk-free bonus, and many more.
Existing customers should also have offers at intervals to appreciate their loyalty. The terms and conditions must also be lenient. DraftKings gives a $1000 risk-free bet for new sign-ups, one of the highest in the business. William Hill provides a $150 deposit bonus, while BetMGM offers new sign-ups $500 in the form of risk-free bets.
Kick off your new GTbets.ag account with our top-rated CASH sign up bonus. Make your first deposit to receive a 100% cash bonus up to $500, and then 50% up to $250 on your second deposit. Full T&Cs apply.
Rakeback is a withdrawable bonus that is accrued for each bet and depends on your current Rank. Please bet responsibly, begambleaware.org. 18+. Full T&Cs apply.
All our recommended bookmakers are licensed and safe.
NCAAB Odds 🎲
Many bettors, especially the new ones, are curious about where the bookies get the odds. There are a couple of things that contribute to the odd setting. The competition matters a lot. The odds of this competition are more than average.
They also consider the teams’ recent and historical performance to gauge their strength compared to the opponents. The bookmakers take into account the analytical aspects of the match; they end up getting similar odds. Not all bookies have the same odds. However, they are always around the same range. In American format, the number you see in the odds is the amount you have to bet to win $100. The odds and picks work hand in hand.
Check out my comparison table of the odds from the best NCAAB sportsbooks.
How to Bet on NCAA Basketball
First and foremost, I advise you never to gamble with money you cannot afford to lose. It doesn’t usually end well. Keep bankroll management in mind.
You should not start betting on this competition for the first time and begin with technical wager types like the parlay. It is not advisable. It is in your best interest to start with relatively simpler options like the moneyline or, better still, point spread.
Also pay attention to the betting odds and choose the best ones on the market.
NCAA Basketball Specials
Many bettors log into their bookie and bet on a favorite. They refuse to explore the various available options. It is not wrong to only bet on the winners, but there are usually more potential wins in exploring other variants.
Different specials are available on the online NCAAB betting sites. You could bet on specific players’ performance in a game rather than the whole team. You can bet on the winner of the competition in advance. Exploring can be fun and rewarding at the same time.
Promotions
Regular fans of basketball should be aware of what promotions are in collegial sports. In bball there are several divisions. The better a team is, the higher the division. It is also possible for a team to rank through the ranges depending on their performance.
There are betting options where you can bet on the team that would get a promotion. It seems fun, isn’t it? It looks quite challenging to pull off the accuracy. That is why the odds are relatively high. It is like a consensus to compensate for such a challenging task. Once you can win a bet on promotions, expect very substantial returns.
Playoffs
Many people are familiar with the NCAA basketball playoffs, even those that don’t watch basketball. It is a big event. Both players and speculators always expect the playoffs. The betting universe is equally one of the biggest anticipators of the event.
The betting lines for the playoffs usually feature the top dogs, meaning you tend to see your favorites play and equally staking on them. Due to the nature of this event in terms of anticipation and results, the odds are high. It guarantees high returns for bettors; it is not something you should miss.
Finals
The name alone says a lot about the event. The NCAA betting line is always high on the Finals as they are captivating and are a major decisive factor in picking the overall champions. It is a highly anticipated event in the gambling universe.
When you see the NCAA bb finals approaching, you should start preparing your predictions beforehand. If you can accurately bet on the final winner and it pans out well, the returns are massive.
If you want it to be more, you could also try to wager on the event’s exact scores. In this way, you will increase your winnings.
Teams
It is where your knowledge of watching the game affects you. I always advise bettors to have a decent understanding of the sport they bet on; you need to watch a few games, at least. The NCAA basketball betting lines on teams are the commonest. Some teams you can look out for are Gonzaga, Baylor, Iowa, and many more.
The odds on teams are usually above average. It would be better to explore more than the team option to unlock NCAA basketball betting full capabilities.
Best Player (MVP)
Many bettors shy away from this option because they assume it is difficult to win. In every match, there is always one player that stands out to be the best. It could be the overall top player in the game, and it could also be the best player in a specific team.
Either way, you stake your money to predict the best player, also known as MVP. Undoubtedly, accurately predicting a game’s MVP can be quite tricky. Due to this, winning rewards you with high profits. The best player bets always have high odds.
Popular Bets
One thing that makes college basketball fun for bettors is the availability of numerous betting options. When punters are restricted to only one option, they get tired of it over time. They start seeking other sports options in those current varieties when such happens. Let us take a look at some of the popular ones.
Moneyline
Moneyline is arguably the simplest option to use when making wagers. I always advise newbies to start with it. When you pick the winner of the match it is a moneyline bet. Once your chosen team wins the game, the bookmaker pays you the winnings.
When you want to place such bets, besides the two teams facing off, you will see either a minus (-) or plus (+) sign beside each. The characters are there to guide you. The team with the minus sign (-) is the stronger team with a higher probability of winning.
On the other hand, the team with the plus (+) sign is regarded as the underdog, with a lower probability of winning the game. You will notice that the underdog team’s odds are usually higher than the stronger side because they have lower chances of winning. The odds are not so high with moneylines because of the simplicity, which is why most bettors shy away from it.
Point Spread
On the other hand, point spread is arguably the most popular and one of the best bet types. The popularity is one reason why everyone wants to rush into it. However, it might take a while to understand it fully.
As I said in the moneyline section, there is usually a stronger team with the minus sign (-), while the weaker one has the plus (+) sign. The point spread aims to level the playing field among two unequally matched teams.
If point spreads of the favorite are -50, that implies that the team needs to win by at least 50 points for your bet to be a win. On the other hand, if the underdog team has +50, it needs to win the game or lose by a score lower than 50 for your wager to win. Everything seems fair enough, isn’t it?
Totals (Over/Under)
The totals or over/under wager type is another common option. The good thing about the totals is that it is independent of the game-winner. If you feel that you are bad at predicting who the exact match-winner would be, this option is for you.
What you do is predict that the addition of both teams’ scores would be more or less than a certain number. For example, predicting that a match would be over 70 means that the addition of both teams’ score must be more than 70 for you to win the wager at the end of the game.
Parlay
The parlay is one interesting bet for those that would love to switch things up a bit. A parlay bet is a combination of different other stakes, at least two of them. You could combine moneyline and points spread in the same game; that is a parlay. As you would expect, combining two or more wager types would yield high odds, meaning more wins.
Prop
The prop is a shortened form of proposition bet. Earlier I mentioned that you can choose to wager on individual player performance. This is a typical example of prop bets. When you pick out a player you trust will perform well in a game, you can determine how well such a player would perform a particular action.
It could be the number of points the player would win, blocks, assists, or anything else; so far, you are betting on an individual player rather than the whole team, making it a prop wager type.
Futures
The name gives it out a bit. Sure, it involves betting on future events beforehand. In this wager type, you are not staking on a match alone. It can be the NCAA league, cup, or any other event; either way, it involves predicting the winner before the final game occurs.
It is a common wager type found among those new to betting. The name comes from the fact that you only get your result in the future and not almost immediately. Think about it; the wager type involves multiple games, depending on how early you place it, so the odds are also attractive.
Bottom line 🔚
On a general note, following up on NCAA Basketball is always fun. When you add staking on the games to it, the fun becomes double. The NCAA Basketball has been around since as far back as 1939, so you should experience that there would be lots of history to the division.
The team with the most championships is UCLA, with 11 wins. Next to them is Kentucky, with 8 titles. In third place is North Carolina and UConn with 6 tournament wins. On the other hand, Duke and Indiana jointly have 5 championships.
Some of the most popular players are Shaquille O’Neal, Cassius Winston, Patrick Ewing, Markus Howard, and Bill Walton.
Some of the most anticipated NCAA Basketball events are the playoffs, championships, and finals.
As of 2024, the biggest NCAA Basketball court was Carrier Dome in Syracuse with 34,616 seats. Next to it is far below; Rupp Arena in Kentucky has 23,000 seats. Third on the list is KFC Yum! Center located in Louisville with 22,090 seats.
My advice is to take the time to attend a live game. It will help you understand the mechanics of the game better.
This concludes my review. I advise you to find the best college basketball betting sites and apps. You should check out some of my recommended bookies to get the best odds and customer experience.
Jimmy is our on-duty tipster and writer. His favorite sports are cricket, tennis, and basketball. If you’re looking for the best betting tips in the business, Jimmy’s your guy. His tips and events previews are among the most read at BetZillion.
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