We're about to embark on what should be another exciting college basketball tournament, so it's a great time to go over some March Madness sports betting tips. Since 2011, 68 teams either earned one of 32 automatic bids or one of 36 at-large bids into the big dance. This process always takes place on Selection Sunday, which falls on St. Patrick's Day this year.
In this article, we'll outline some of the top trends and how they apply to betting during March Madness. Follow these tips and make this one of your most successful tournaments yet.
March Madness Betting Odds
Understanding the March Madness betting odds isn't difficult, considering they are mostly similar to what you'll find during the regular season. However, you can assume that some of the matchups between higher-seeded and lower-seeded teams in the first round will have point spreads upwards of 20 points. The same goes for the moneyline odds, as you'll usually see the favorite at upwards of -1000. Matchups between #8 vs #9 and #7 vs #10 will typically have point spreads of less than a handful of points, and the moneylines will be close to a pick 'em.
As the tournament goes on, and lower-seeded teams are quickly eliminated, you will find closely contested matchups in terms of point spreads. Here, you won't see too many point spreads in the double digits, and you might even luck out on picking an underdog winner for a nice profit.
Underdogs That Bark
Part of the allure of March Madness is the upsets that happen on an annual basis. In recent years, we have finally seen #16 seeds knock off #1 seeds in the first round, with the most recent one being Farleigh Dickinson over Purdue in 2023; University of Maryland Baltimore County also knocked off Virginia in 2018. Don't bank on this happening every year, though, because #1 seeds are 150-2 all-time in the first round against #16 seeds.
Typically, you'll find most upsets happening with #5 vs #12 seeds and #6 vs #11 seeds. Although, last year, #15 Princeton did have an upset win against #2 Arizona, marking the third straight tournament where a #15 seed knocked off a #2 seed. As for #14 seeds, they are 22-130 all-time in the tournament while #13 seeds are 32-120 all-time.
Look For Teams With Great Road Records
Since every game in the NCAA Tournament is played at a neutral site, looking for teams with great road/neutral site records could prove to be a profitable endeavor. College basketball is a truly unique sport in that the home crowd advantage is a major differentiating factor during the regular season, and some teams thrive off the fans. However, some teams don't bring that type of intensity away from their home campus, and you want to make sure you understand which teams those are.
All of these factors certainly come into play during the NCAA Tournament, and there's always the factor of the unknown. Hopefully, these tips help you cut down some nets of your own during the big dance as you embark on college basketball betting.
This article is part of our Betting Promotions series.
