College Basketball
NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of men’s intercollegiate basketball in the United States. It is comprised of 350 schools across America that are divided into 32 conferences from coast-to-coast. Teams typically play a 31-game regular season schedule from November to March. The best squads advance to the 68-team NCAA Tournament, where they compete for the National Championship. March Madness, as it’s also known, has become one of the most popular betting events in America. In 2018, approximately 76 million people filled out more than 170 million March Madness brackets to predict the winner of the event.
Betting on NCAA College Basketball
Betting on the moneyline, spread and total in NCAA Division I college basketball remain the go-to option for most players. Futures and prop betting are also popular as well, especially during March Madness and the road to the Final Four.
NCAAB Moneyline Betting
The moneyline is a wager on the straight-up winner of the game. In most cases, there will be a favorite and an underdog listed for each game. Placing a bet on the favorite will offer a lower payout, while placing a bet on an underdog will offer a premium payout, if they win. The NCAAB moneyline is typically based on the bet required to win $100 if betting on the favorite vs. the potential win for a bet of $100 placed on the underdog.
NCAAB Against the Spread Betting
The point spread is the number of points taken from the favorite, or assigned to the underdog, to give both sides an even chance of winning the wager. For instance, if the Duke Blue Devils are -10 favorites against the North Carolina Tar Heels, they will need to win their game by 11 points or more to “cover” the spread. Conversely, the Tar Heels need to either win or lose by nine points or less to cover.
Against the Spread (ATS) bets add excitement to games that may otherwise be lopsided affairs.
NCAAB Over/Under Betting
An NCAAB over/under bet involves simply choosing whether you think there will be more total points scored by both teams, or less total scores, than the figure listed on the published line.
NCAAB Futures Betting
Futures, as the name suggests, are wagers based upon events which may, or may not, transpire at a much later date. The futures market for the NCAAB revolves heavily around which team will win the national championship, as well as which players will win annual awards such as the John R. Wooden Award. These are long-term investments that can reap big rewards for savvy bettors.
Where to Bet on College Basketball Online
Residents of Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania can enjoy legal college basketball betting at TwinSpires Sports. You'll find a wide selection of odds, props, and futures to wager on throughout the NCAAB season and beyond! And don't forget to visit The TwinSpires Edge regularly for the best college basketball betting advice from our dedicated team of experts.
College Basketball Betting Strategy
The TwinSpires Edge is your one-stop source for the best college basketball betting strategy on the Web. Check out our regular game previews, read our John R. Wooden Award analysis, read our college basketball power rankings, and learn how to bet on March Madness with expert tips and tricks from our featured columnists.
College Basketball Best Bets
Making the best bets on the college basketball requires research, patience, and a deep understanding of the game. Our experts take many college basketball betting factors into account including injuries, scheduling, player matchups, past performance, and a variety of analytical trends. You can find the latest sortable college basketball stats at NCAA.com.
College Basketball Betting Tips
Check out The TwinSpires Edge's daily college basketball coverage for the best basketball betting tips on the market. Our in-house experts offer NCAAB online betting advice and NCAAB betting strategy for a wide range of events including conference tournaments, the NCAA Tournament, and the Wooden Award race . They analyze the latest trends and serve up the best college basketball bets available.
NCAAB Championship Trends
- The ACC and Pac-12 have produced more national champions than any other conference with 12 a piece
- California has produced the most championship teams thanks, in large part, to UCLA's dynasty during the 1960s and 70s. San Francisco also won back-to-back titles in 1955 and 1956 and Stanford was the last team standing in 1942
- 2008 marked the first - and so far only - year that all four top seeded teams reached the Final Four
When it comes to national titles, everyone is still chasing the Bruins. UCLA won an unprecedented seven consecutive championships from 1967 to 1973 under the steady leadership of legendary head coach John Wooden.
The NCAA has been honoring its most outstanding player since 1977 with the introduction of the John R. Wooden Award. The award is given annually by the Los Angeles Athletic Club and is voted upon by a selection of 1,000 journalists and sportscasters representing all 50 states. Here are three things you need to know about this prestigious honor:
- Candidates for the award must be full-time students with a cumulative 2.00 grade point average
- Former Virginia center Ralph Sampson is the only player in NCAAB history to win the Wooden Award multiple times
- Zion Williamson, Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant are the only freshmen to win the Wooden Award