It’s that time of year again! The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament has just started.
It is one of the most exciting times for sports enthusiasts, and it may be an excellent chance for people trying to make some extra cash on the side.
In this March Madness betting guide, we’ll teach you how to pick winners and place bets like a pro. So whether you’re a seasoned gambler or a basketball novice, we’ve got you covered.
History Of March Madness
March Madness is one of the most popular sporting events in the United States, with millions of people filling out brackets and betting on the outcomes. This tournament is a single-elimination event played annually in the month of March.
The NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament consists of 68 teams and the championship game is always played on the first Monday in April.
Understanding Tournaments Strategy: How To Bet On March Madness?
In order to pick winners and bet on March Madness, you need to understand a bit about how one of the most viewed tournaments works.
The tournament’s first-round features 64 teams randomly divided into four regions (East, Midwest, South, West). Each region then has 16 teams, divided into four groups of four.
The top seed in each region is automatically placed in the so-called Elite Eight. Furthermore, the second and third seeds compete against one another to make it to the Elite Eight. The fourth seed is then matched up against the fifth seed, with the winner advancing to the next round.
The tournament then progresses as follows:
-The sixth seed plays against the 11th seed
-The seventh seed plays against the 10th seed
-The eighth seed plays against the 9th seed
The winners of these matchups then compete in the “Sweet Sixteen. From there, it’s a single-elimination tournament, so any team that loses is out of the running.
Here’s how that translates into games for each round.
- First Four: Four games
- First round: 32 games
- Second round: 16 games
- Sweet Sixteen: Eight games
- Elite Eight: Four games
- Final Four: Two games
- National championship: One game
The Final Four round is played on Saturday preceding the first Sunday in April, with the championship game on Monday. So, there are 67 games from start to finish in the March Madness tournament.
March Madness Betting Types
The most common methods to bet on March Madness odds are the point spread, Over/Under, and Moneyline. These are the regular types of bets offered on March Madness betting sites.
Point spread
The point spread is the bookmakers’ estimate of the difference in score between the two teams on the scoreboard. When higher-ranked teams play lower-ranked rivals such as a No. 1 vs No. 16 match, the opening rounds of March Madness betting may feature wider point spreads. As the tournament progresses, the spreads will narrow as the level of competition gets more intense.
Over/Under
The Over/Under is the projected total number of points scored by both teams in their NCAA Tournament game. College basketball totals are one of the most challenging during March Madness when foreign countries, diverse styles, and quick turnarounds occur in each tournament round.
Moneyline
The most basic approach of wagering on the NCAA Basketball Tournament is to pick which team will win. Each team has a Moneyline value determined by its chances of winning the game outright. Moneyline underdogs are a popular March Madness bet because of the unexpected upsets that occur in the early rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
The Gonzaga Bulldogs are the favourites to win the 2021/2022 March Madness season, with +400 odds.
Props
March Madness props can cover individual team or player achievements, events, and statistics. They can be about anything like, will the game go into overtime, how many assists will a player have. Some examples of NCAA betting show bets like whether the game will go into overtime or how many assists a player will have.
Tournament MVP
Futures betting on which player will win the tournament MVP – also known as the Final Four Most Outstanding Player – is a type of futures betting. These odds go up at the beginning of the tournament, with the top participants from each conference. The MVP odds change based on outcomes, outcomes, and wagering activity throughout March Madness.
Live Betting
Every popular online sportsbook that offers March Madness betting offers life betting on almost every game in the group phase, and of course, in the finishing phases of the tournament as well.
Concurrent March Madness Betting Markets
Who will win the 2021/2022 March Madness season?
- Gonzaga Bulldogs – 4/1
- Arizona Wildcats – 13/2
- Auburn Tigers – 14/1
- Baylor Bears – 14/1
- Kansas Jayhawks – 19/1
NCAA Championship Top 4 Finish
- Arizona Wildcats – 31/20
- Houston Cougars – 10/1
- Florida Gators – 10/1
- Baylor Bears – 7/2
- Providence Friars – 17/1
Conference of Winning Team Winner
- Southeastern Conference – 3/1
- West Coast Conference – 7/2
- Big 12 Conference – 7/2
- Big 10 Conference – 4/1
- Pac-12 Conference – 5/1
Ivy League Conference Winner
- Princeton Tigers – 10/11
- Yale Bulldogs – 7/4
- Pennsylvania Quakers – 4/1
- Cornell Big Red – 6/1
Who will win the John Wooden Award award?
- Oscar Tshiebwe – +400
- Kofi Cockburn – +600
- Ochai Ogbaji – +850
March Madness Betting Tips
The probability of filling out a flawless bracket is 1 in 9.2 trillion, but you can still win money in other ways by using good NCAA Tournament betting tactics.
March Madness Champions are balanced teams
According to statistics, a team has to have both a glorious offence and an outstanding defence strategy to win March Madness. Only one champion, UConn in 2014, has been ranked outside of the top 20 in KenPom’s offensive efficiency ranking over the last 18 events.
In 2022, these are the teams that checked all of the boxes:
Pay attention to advanced metrics
Systems such as NET Ranking, Sagarin and KenPom have proved to be highly efficient in their March Madness predictions on the markets and odds. However, this is just a tip and not a single-handed strategy.
March Madness Champs cover the spread
History proves that eight of the last nine March Madness winners have exceeded 55% of the games in their championship seasons. However, at the same time, the best betting approach isn’t to simply look for the teams with the most outstanding ATS records during the year and bet them blindly because bookies and sharpies modify their odds.
Home Court Advantage still matters
Home support is significant since home teams have massive support from the crowd, and the guests have a lot to travel on many occasions, so it is an additional burden to their concentration and overall sports shape.
Don’t think that “Expert Brackets” are the GOD
Experts from a variety of sports betting sites will post their March Madness selections on ESPN, CBS Sports, Yahoo, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report, and The Athletic. But beware of impostors because there are plenty who have “earned” their expert spot.
In College Basketball, the Coach plays a crucial role
In college basketball, coaching is extremely important. However, with 358 teams in Division I, there is a significant difference in coach quality, which shows up on the court as well.
Over the last six years, only a few coaches have highly distinguished themselves from others:
Wrapping up
This March Madness betting guide will turn your ticket to money and will make you an NCAA betting expert, without a doubt.
So have you considered placing your bet or adding a new odd to your bet slip?
FAQ:
Where can I bet on March Madness games?
There are numerous online March Madness betting sites, but DraftKings is one of the leaders in the field, offering most of the regular and the special markets, though BetRivers, PointsBet, FanDuel and BetMGM offer good odds too.
How does the NCAA tournament work?
The first round of the NCAA tournament is known as the “Sweet 16” because it features 16 teams competing in four matchups. The winners of those matchups advance to the “Elite 8” and then the “Final 4” before finally playing for the national championship.
Does DraftKings do March Madness brackets?
When it comes to March Madness betting, DraftKings offer the best odds, and of course, they include brackets in their rich betting offer as well.