Legal College Basketball Betting
In Springfield, Massachusetts at the YMCA International Training School, known as Springfield College today, basketball was created by Dr. James Naismith on December 21, 1891.
Vanderbilt University played against the Nashville YMCA on February 7, 1893, which became the first game of hoops against an outside opponent, and the first official game between two colleges took place when Hamline University faced what is now the University of Minnesota on February 9, 1985.
Once teams began competing, it wasn't long before betting on basketball captured the interest of the nation. The NCAA became the official collegiate governing body for basketball in 1939, and today, there are 353 Division I men’s basketball programs in 32 conferences.
College basketball features one of the most exciting postseasons in any sport, the NCAA Tournament, or what it’s better known as March Madness, which is one of the most bet on sporting events in the entire country each year.
Before betting on a favorite or a Cinderella team's odds for March Madness, regular-season games, or NCAAB Thanksgiving weekend games, we want to make sure you “survive and advance” by providing the best legal online sportsbooks for you to bet on college basketball.
Is College Basketball Betting Legal In 2024?
Offshore: Yes. There are no federal gambling laws preventing the use of online sportsbooks if they are located offshore and are legally operating in the industry. Each of the betting sites we recommend not only meet these requirements but also rank among the biggest and most trusted brands in the industry for betting on college basketball and other sports.
Domestic: Some states only. After the U.S. Supreme Court repealed PASPA in May 2018, it paved the path for sports betting to be legalized by state legislatures. Local sportsbooks are available in a few states, but online sportsbooks operated within the country are only legal in a few states at this time.
Best Online College Basketball Sportsbooks For 2024
Bovada Sportsbook
#1 Rated Online Sportsbook For USA Players
Bovada LV is the highest-rated college basketball betting site and caters exclusively to US players. NCAAB fans can enjoy all types of wagering at Bovada Sportsbook, with college hoops odds ranging from straights and spreads to totals, props, parlays, and more. And if you didn't get your bets in before tip-off, Bovada has live basketball betting, too!
Site Rating
Compability
Pros
US Friendly - Most US States Accepted
Most reputable name in online sports betting
Licensed by Curacao - Operates within Costa Rica
Generous 50% bonus up to $1,000 for new members
Easy deposits using credit cards or Bitcoin/crypto
Fast and reliable payouts guaranteed
Cons
Only US, Mexico and Brazil players accepted
Excluded States: CO, CT, DC, DE, KS, LA, MD, MI, NJ, NV, NY, OH, PA, WV
Limited deposit options compared to other sites
Best College Basketball Betting SItes For 2024
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NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Structure
For NCAA Division I men’s basketball, there are 353 teams across 32 conferences. In total, 68 teams will qualify for the NCAA Tournament and have a chance at winning the national championship.
The 32 conference tournament winners receive automatic bids while the remaining 36 teams are chosen by the NCAA Selection Committee, who also seed each team.
A college basketball team must win 6 games in a row (7 games if seeded into the play-in) to win the national championship.
2024-25 College Basketball Schedule
Knowing the schedule is key whether you’re betting on college basketball lines or odds. Here are the dates for the most important tournaments and events during the current Division I Men’s Basketball season.
- Season Start Date: November 4, 2024
- Selection Sunday - March 16, 2025
- First Four - March 18 and 19, 2025
- First Round - March 20 and 21, 2025
- Round Of 32 - March 22 and 23, 2025
- Sweet 16 - March 27 and 28, 2025
- Elite 8 - March 29 and 30, 2025
- Final Four - April 6, 2025
- NCAAB National Championship - April 7, 2025
Where To Bet On College Basketball Games
We've compiled our top college basketball betting sites in a section above and have included links that will transport readers toward the absolute best NCAAB sportsbooks accepting wagers today.
We recommend these online NCAA Basketball sportsbooks because they operate offshore which means that just about anyone over 18 in the USA can legally bet on March Madness or any other college hoops contest on the schedule.
Most domestic basketball betting options in the USA require a minimum age of 21 to participate and also make gamblers travel to in-person locations. That's not the case when doing business with our top NCAA Basketball betting sites, so check them out right now!
How To Bet On NCAA Basketball Betting Lines & Odds
There are two things to look for when betting on college basketball, and you’ve likely seen both before: Odds and Lines. In the following section is a breakdown of how to wager on all the current NCAA basketball odds.
College Basketball Betting Odds
The type of betting odds offered on college basketball games revolve around the point spread, the money line, and the over/under, all of which are detailed in the following section.
If betting on NCAAB Championship futures, bettors will encounter a list of teams that each feature money line odds next to their name that imply their chances of winning the national title as well as indicates the amount of money that can be won by betting on them.
Prop bets also use money line odds, and are often given yes or no options to bet on. March Madness draws a lot of casual viewers and basketball bettors so prop bets are more plentiful during the college hoops postseason. Proposition bets can be made on how many points a player will score, whether a player will foul out, or what color sweater a given head coach will wear.
Bracketology is also a major source of gambling intake during March Madness, and involves participants selecting the results of each matchup in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. There's never been any record of a perfect bracket, so if you intend to actually add some cash to your bankroll, you may want to stick to betting on individual college basketball games.
Odds via Bovada.
NCAA DI Men's Basketball Tournament - Odds To Win
- Connecticut +800
- Alabama +850
- Kansas +1000
- Duke +1200
- Houston +1600
- Gonzaga +1800
- Baylor +2000
- North Carolina +2000
- Arkansas +2200
- Arizona +3000
- Auburn +3000
- Iowa State +3000
- Kentucky +3500
- UCLA +3500
- Creighton +4500
- Illinois +5000
- Michigan State +5000
- Purdue +5000
*More odds available online
College Basketball Betting Lines
A betting line in college basketball typically includes three items that can be wagered on - the point spread, the money line, and the over/under. These three types of college basketball bets are detailed below.
- Point Spread: a bet that requires the favorite to win by a set margin and the underdog cannot lose by more than the same margin or can win the game.
- Example: Duke -6.0 (-110) @ North Carolina +6.0 (-110)
- Money Line: a bet solely on which team will win the game.
- Example: Florida (+250) @ Kentucky (-300)
- Over/Under Total: a bet on whether the total points scored by one or both teams will go over or under a set number of points.
- Example: Kansas @ Michigan State Total O/U: 154.0
NCAA Basketball Prop Bets
College basketball prop bets include wagering on anything contained within a game telecast that does not involve elements of the standard betting line. NCAA basketball props include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Basketball prop bets for player and team stats
- Off-court props for occurrences on the sidelines and stands
- Broadcast commentary prop bets
- First team to score
- Odds for most 3-pointers
- Props for players fouling out
- and much more
NCAA Basketball Betting Apps
Mobile college basketball betting is possible by using the services provided by any of our top NCAAB sportsbooks listed within this guide.
Simply click on any of the college basketball betting site links provided above using a smartphone or tablet and watch as it transforms into an NCAAB gambling device in the palm of your hand.
18 and over gamblers in the USA can legally bet on NCAAB odds using iPhones, iPads, and other Android devices on the fly with no software download requirements at all for mobile sports betting!
10 Fun Facts You Didn't Know About Basketball
- Dr. Naismith is the only Kansas Jayhawks coach to have a losing record (55–60) during the prestigious history of its college basketball program.
- UCLA has won 11 national champions, more than any other school. Out of the 11 titles, 10 of which were won by legendary coach John Wooden.
- Three people have won a national championship in college basketball as a player and a coach: Joe B. Hall (Kentucky), Bob Knight (Ohio State/Indiana), and Dean Smith (Kansas/ North Carolina).
- LSU Guard and Basketball Hall of Famer “Pistol” Pete Maravich holds the record for the most points scored for a career in Division I history with 3,667 (1967-70) and for average with 44.2 PPG.
- Kevin Bradshaw holds the record for most points scored in a single Division I basketball game with 72 points scored against Loyola Marymount University on January 5, 1991.
- From 1967 to 1976, the NCAA banned the dunk in college basketball because Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who is 7’2”, used it frequently dominate opposing players.
- The 3-point line was first tested at the collegiate level in 1945 but was not officially implemented in college basketball until 1986.
- Since 1986, the national champion receives the entire hardwood court used for the Final Four and championship game.
- The oldest coach to win a championship was Jim Calhoun, who won it for UConn at age 68 in 2011. The youngest coach to win it all was 31-year-old Emmett McCracken, who coached Indiana to the title in 1940.
- The 1992 Troy State vs. DeVry game was the highest scoring men’s basketball game at any level in NCAA history and the most points ever scored by a single team, which saw Troy State win 258-141 and many experts today consider both the team and total scoring records to be unbreakable.