“Everyone has a bet on a March Madness Bracket.” This statement isn’t too far from the truth. The NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament is among the most highly-anticipated events on the US sporting calendar. This is our March Madness betting guide.
Let’s kick off (or tip off?) with a look at the top 10 sites for betting on March Madness.
- All
- Crypto Betting
BetOnline |
$250 in Free Bets and 100 Free Spins |
$250 in Free Bets and 100 Free Spins
|
BetOnline |
Play Now
Copied
FREE250
Copy
|
|
Bovada |
50% match bonus up to $250 |
50% match bonus up to $250
|
Bovada |
Play Now
NO CODE REQUIRED
|
|
BetWhale |
Welcome Bonus of 125% up to $1,250 |
Welcome Bonus of 125% up to $1,250
|
BetWhale |
Play Now
NO CODE REQUIRED
|
|
BetNow |
150% Welcome Bonus Package |
150% Welcome Bonus Package
|
BetNow |
Play Now
Copied
BN150
Copy
|
|
Everygame |
100% Welcome Bonus up to $500 |
100% Welcome Bonus up to $500
|
Everygame |
Play Now
Copied
WELCOME500
Copy
|
|
MyBookie |
100% up to $1,000 + $10 Casino Chip |
100% up to $1,000 + $10 Casino Chip
|
MyBookie |
Play Now
Copied
MB100
Copy
|
|
Now with Brand New Sportsbook |
Coinpoker Sports |
Top Football Live Betting Action |
Top Football Live Betting Action
|
Coinpoker Sports |
Play Now
NO CODE REQUIRED
|
BetUS |
125% Sign-Up Bonus:100% up to $2,000 on sport and 25% on Casino |
125% Sign-Up Bonus:100% up to $2,000 on sport and 25% on Casino
|
BetUS |
Play Now
Copied
JOIN125
Copy
|
|
SportsBetting.ag |
100% Welcome Bonus up to $500 x 2 |
100% Welcome Bonus up to $500 x 2
|
SportsBetting.ag |
Play Now
Copied
DOUBLEUP
Copy
|
|
Xbet Casino |
50% Credit Card Welcome Bonus up to $200 (1x playthrough) |
50% Credit Card Welcome Bonus up to $200 (1x playthrough)
|
Xbet Casino |
Play Now
Copied
DAILYX
Copy
|
Best Sportsbooks for March Madness Sport Gambling
Most online sportsbooks will offer markets on the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, as the tourney is one of the most anticipated betting events in the US. Our experts have put together the best March Madness betting sites available in many US states for wagering on the Big Dance.
- BetOnline – No.1 March Madness sports betting site with low margin basketball odds and great market coverage.
- Bovada – Consistently offers the best NCAAB odds and covers loads of March Madness markets.
- BetWhale – Get a 50% daily boost on sports winnings, including March Madness.
- Everygame – Claim special NCAAB boosted odds during March Madness to increase your potential payouts.
- TG Casino – Anonymous, Telegram based, no KYC sportsbook that covers every major US sport.
- BetUS – Bet on March Madness and NCAA games with the highest betting limits.
- MyBookie – Enjoy March Madness gambling with bonuses that feature very low rollover requirements.
- BetNow – Offers exciting sports betting contests during the NCAAB and NBA seasons.
- Jazz Sports – Use the handy and intuitive prop builder to create March Madness parlays.
- SportsBetting.ag – Offers low margin odds for basketball betting including NCAAB.
- BUSR – Boosted odds and fast payouts on college basketball and the NBA.
- XBet – Incredibly fast and responsive live betting platform on mobile for NBA betting.
Top 5 March Madness Online Sportsbooks
We thoroughly examined and reviewed our top five sportsbooks to help make picking that perfect March Madness sportsbook that much easier for you. Check out all the best reasons to choose one of these excellent licensed offshore sports betting sites.
1. BetOnline – Best March Madness Sportsbook Overall
- Payout time: 0-2 days
- Established: 2004
- License: Panama Gaming Authority
- Headquarters: Panama City, Panama
- Restricted states: NJ
Our Verdict: 9.8/10
BetOnline covers every game of the NCAAB season including all pre-season and March Madness games. The odds offered drop earlier than most bookmakers and the famed low margins are still applied. You’ll always find a good mix of props and standard wagers, plus futures markets ahead of the season.
Its $200,000 March Madness Bracket is huge. It’s $20 for your first entry, $15 for your 2nd and 3rd, $10 for your 4th to 10th entries, and $5 for the rest of your entries up to a total of 20.
They don’t shy away from a free bet or reload offer during March Madness either.
You’ll find numerous ways to deposit your funds including top cryptocurrencies – just be aware you can’t withdraw using a credit or debit card. There is also a fixed fee for card deposits. But cryptos are free and fast.
Features Overview
- Betting Options: 9.8/10
- Betting Odds: 9.5/10
- Streaming & Features: 7.5/10
- Promotions & Rewards: 8/10
- Desktop Experience: 8.5/10
- Mobile Experience: 8.6/10
- Registration Process: 8/10
- Payment Methods: 8.5/10
- Customer Support: 9/10
Top Sign-Up Offer:
Offer | Description | Promo code | Wagering Requirements | Minimum deposit |
Sports Sign-up Offer | 50% up to $1,000 | BET1000 | 10x | $20 |
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- $200,000 March Madness Bracket
- Low margin basketball odds
- March Madness futures drop early
- Offers boosted odds markets
Cons:
- Fixed fee for card deposits
- Can’t withdraw to a bank card
2. Bovada Sportsbook – Best March Madness Odds
- Payout time: 0-1 days
- Established: 2011
- License: Curacao
- Headquarters: Costa Rica
- Restricted states: DE, MD, NV, NJ, NY
Our Verdict: 9.7/10
After rigorous testing and checking historical data, we confirmed that Bovada regularly offers the best odds during the NCCAB season. This extends to March Madness brackets where Bovada consistently beats big hitters BetOnline and BetUS on price.
The market range is extensive too with loads of props, numerous spreads, and future markets come out with plenty of time to take advantage of the odds before the squares get involved. You can also live bet during March Madness.
There is a fairly limited cashier though and you’ll likely want to stick to cryptocurrencies to avoid any fees. Card transactions incur a heavy fee and you still can’t withdraw to a credit or debit card.
Features Overview
- Betting Options: 10/10
- Betting Odds: 9.9/10
- Streaming & Features: 7/10
- Promotions & Rewards: 7.5/10
- Desktop Experience: 9.8/10
- Mobile Experience: 9.9/10
- Registration Process: 8.9/10
- Payment Methods: 7.5/10
- Customer Support: 4.5/10
Top Sign-Up Offer:
Offer | Description | Promo code | Wagering Requirements | Minimum deposit |
Sports Sign-up Offer | 75% up to $750 | BTCSWB750 | 5x | $20 |
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Offers the best March Madness odds
- Futures are released nice and early
- Big range of NCAAB markets
- Fast crypto transactions
Cons:
- Very expensive card fees
- Limited withdrawal options
3. BetNow Sportsbook – Valuable NCAAB Spread Betting
- Payout time: 0-1 days
- Established: 2017
- License: Curacao
- Headquarters: Curacao
- Restricted states: DE, FL, HI, NV, NJ, NY, PA, WA
Our Verdict: 9.5/10
While this bookmaker is significantly smaller than BetOnline and Bovada, it is dedicated to US major league and college sports. The odds are fairly competitive and you’ll usually find some deceptively valuable spreads.
Market coverage isn’t as big as BetOnline and Bovada, and live betting isn’t always offered – especially for early brackets. What BetNow does offer is a $1 million free bracket contest. You only get one entry, but that entry can win up to $350,000, one of the biggest prizes available.
It also serves as a great competitor by which you keep a deposit handy and take advantage when a market or the odds beats the big operators.
The cashier is small here too with mostly cryptos and money transfer apps as your go-to banking options. Keep an eye on the promotions section though because BetNow often has a special contest during major events like March Madness.
Features Overview
- Betting Options: 9/10
- Betting Odds: 9.1/10
- Streaming & Features: 5/10
- Promotions & Rewards: 9.1/10
- Desktop Experience: 8.9/10
- Mobile Experience: 8.8/10
- Registration Process: 9.5/10
- Payment Methods: 8.5/10
- Customer Support: 8.8/10
Top Sign-Up Offer:
Offer | Description | Promo code | Wagering Requirements | Minimum deposit |
Sports Sign-up Bonus | 50% up to $500 | BN50 | 10x | $20 |
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Solid range of markets for NCCAB
- $1 million March Madness Bracket
- Hosts big contests and tournaments
- Great welcome bonuses
Cons:
- Live betting isn’t always available
- Fewer markets than BetOnline
4. BetUS Sportsbook – High March Madness Betting Limits
- Payout time: 1-2 days
- Established: 1994
- License: Curacao
- Headquarters: Costa Rica
- Restricted states: None
Our Verdict: 9.4/10
BetUS is a great bookmaker for those who like to bet big on March Madness. Betting limits tend to be quite high at BetUS and the sportsbook is well regarded for paying out big winners – think placing those absurd 10+ leg $5 parlays, or trying to win a share of $1 million in their March Madness Bracket by depositing $100.
Coverage of NCCAB games is just about as good as BetOnline with loads of spreads, props, and early futures. The lines can often drop as early as BetOnline at times too. Odds are competitive and usually sit somewhere between BetOnline and Bovada.
BetUS also likes to offer special promotions during major events and this has included March Madness in the past. It is usually a small reload or free bet offer. You can bank with cryptos, cards, checks, and wire transfers but you can’t withdraw using a card.
Features Overview
- Betting Options: 9.5/10
- Betting Odds: 9.3/10
- Streaming & Features: 8/10
- Promotions & Rewards: 9/10
- Desktop Experience: 8.5/10
- Mobile Experience: 9/10
- Registration Process: 8.5/10
- Payment Methods: 8/10
- Customer Support: 8.5/10
Top Sign-Up Offer:
Offer | Description | Promo code | Wagering Requirements | Minimum deposit |
Sports Sign-up Bonus | 200% up to $5,000 | JOIN200 | 15x | $100 |
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Very competitive NCAAB odds
- Fairly early March Madness lines
- Wide market coverage
- Can offer March Madness promos
Cons:
- No credit or debit card withdrawals
- Bonuses can have high minimum deposits
5. Everygame – Boosted March Madness Odds
- Payout time: 1-2 days
- Established: 1996 (as Intertops)
- License: Curacao
- Headquarters: St Kitts and Nevis
- Restricted states: KY, LA, MD, MO, NJ, NY, WA
Our Verdict: 9.2/10
Everygame is often very competitive during collegiate seasons and offers several benefits. Firstly, boosted odds are consistently offered during major events and can apply to single markets as well as parlays. Also, there are suggested markets for novices to take advantage of.
Live betting is fairly quick thanks to being on a separate site, but you won’t always find the most expansive range of markets. The cashier section is mostly powered by cryptocurrencies but credit card acceptance is very high – you still can’t withdraw to a card, though.
Everygame offers bonuses alongside boosted odds during certain events and we have seen this for March Madness too. You’ll usually see a parlay offer or some form of free bets.
Features Overview
- Betting Options: 8.9/10
- Betting Odds: 8/10
- Streaming & Features: 5/10
- Promotions & Rewards: 9/10
- Desktop Experience: 8/10
- Mobile Experience: 8/10
- Registration Process: 9.2/10
- Payment Methods: 8.6/10
- Customer Support: 9/10
Top Sign-Up Offer:
Offer | Description | Promo code | Wagering Requirements | Minimum deposit |
Sports Sign-up Bonus | 50% up to $1,000 | CRYPTO1K | 8x | $20 |
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Offers great special boosted odds
- May provide free bets or parlay bonuses
- High credit card acceptance
- Fast live betting
Cons:
- Limited live betting markets
- No credit/debit card withdrawals
How March Madness Works
With hundreds of NCAA Division I men’s basketball programs competing for the 68 available places throughout the college basketball season, March Madness is the culmination of a year’s work for college basketball players nationwide.
To newcomers, March Madness can be overwhelming, so below, we’ve provided a guide to some of the basics of the tournament, including the selection process, how the bracket is decided, and how 68 teams become one national champion.
The Selection Process
College basketball fans often have one event circled on their calendars at the beginning of the NCAAB season, Selection Sunday, when the NCAA’s Basketball Committee, or selection committee, sets the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament bracket.
Selection Sunday kicks off March Madness, the bonanza of college basketball that ends with the crowning of the national college basketball champion. In 2024, Selection Sunday falls on March 17th.
March Madness brings together 68 teams nationwide for a single-elimination tournament in four regions. There are two ways to earn a berth in this jamboree of college hoops.
Each of the 32 NCAA Division I conferences receives an “automatic bid,” given to the winner of its conference tournament, regardless of the school’s regular season record. These schools are collectively known as the “automatic qualifiers.”
The second method to receive an invite is through an “at-large bid,” which the selection committee allocates. The committee, comprised of school and conference administrators from across college basketball, selected for a five-year term, choose the final 36 teams based on overall record, the strength of schedule, and other metrics and stats. The 32 automatic qualifiers and 36 at-large berths comprise the entirety of the 68-team tournament.
The Bracket
Once the selection committee has decided on the field, it ranks the 68 teams from 1 to 68 based on its assessment of the team’s quality. The team with the best regular season and conference tournament performance will be ranked No. 1, the second-best No. 2, and so on.
The teams are divided into four regional brackets, with those ranked 1-4 occupying the No. 1 seed in each regional bracket. Then, the four overall lowest-ranked teams and the four lowest-ranked at-large teams meet in a play-in round called the First Four. The winners of these games join the main March Madness bracket, and the 64-team field is set.
Each region’s teams are seeded 1-16 by the 10-man selection committee. The first-round matchups pit the top team in a region against the lowest team to reward teams with a better ranking. The next highest goes against the next lowest, and so on. In theory, the higher your ranking, the easier your path to the championship.
After the first and second rounds, the nation’s sixteen best teams meet in regional semi-finals, dubbed the “Sweet Sixteen.” The winners will play in the Regional Finals, known as the “Elite Eight.” Finally, the four winners of the regional tournaments will meet for the “Final Four,” the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament semi-finals and finals. The winner of the tournament final is crowned the College Basketball national champion.
March Madness Bet Types
Placing your first bet on March Madness can be daunting. So, to help you get started, read our guide to some common bet types available at most March Madness betting sites below.
Moneyline
A moneyline is a simple market that involves bettors predicting who will win a matchup. Moneyline bets are simple and easy to place. If you select an underdog, moneyline bets can offer some excellent payouts, especially if a Cinderella team wins and you correctly predict it.
Points Spread
A point-spread bet requires the favorite to overcome an imaginary points deficit, called a handicap, to ‘cover the spread.’ When you bet on the points-spread favorite, you need them to win by more than the handicap to win the bet. Alternatively, when you bet on the underdog, your wager will payout if the team loses within its handicap or wins.
Totals
Another popular wager among basketball bettors is the total points bet, where your sportsbook will set a total for a particular statistic. To win the bet, you must correctly predict whether the total will be over or under the total set. Total points, rebounds, and assists for individuals and the team are usually available for wagering on most US sportsbooks for March Madness.
Player Props
Proposition bets, often called props, are not made on the game’s score but on an individual player or event. For example, will a player be ejected, will a player score a slam dunk in the second quarter, or will a team foul out in the first half?
Futures
A future bet is a wager on a significant event in the future. When betting on March Madness, top US sportsbooks will offer future bets on the winners of each regional tournament and teams to make the Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight, and Final Four. The earlier you place your bets, the better odds you’ll receive.
How to Sign Up to a March Madness Betting Site
It doesn't take much effort to sign up to a top online sportsbook that covers March Madness. Registration can be completed in a few short minutes and you'll be able to deposit and start betting in no time.
Choose a Bookmaker
Select any of the top March Madness betting sites from our recommendations. Personally, we think BetOnline is the best option and the sign-up process is so simple.Sign the Forms
Click on “Join” to begin and simply fill out the web form. This will include providing information such as your name, number, email, address, and date of birth. You’ll also need to verify your email address by clicking on the link sent to your email inbox.Select a Bonus
Check out the terms and conditions of the sports welcome bonus and then click “Deposit”. You can choose a bonus code from the top banner.Deposit Your Funds
Select a deposit method and choose how much you wish to deposit. Fill out any required details and be sure to input the BetOnline promo code in the space provided. Follow any payment gateway prompts if required.Bet on March Madness
Now simply head to the sportsbook an check out the latest markets for the NCAAB season. Just click on any selection to place it in your bet slip. Add a stake and confirm the bet to place your wager.
College Sports Betting in the US
Whether you can bet on March Madness and the types of bets you can place varies from state to state. Some jurisdictions allow every kind of bet on all collegiate programs, some restrict wagering on in-state schools, and some prohibit collegiate bets altogether. Read below for an overview of where you can bet on sports and what restrictions exist on March Madness sport gambling.
Where is Sports Betting Legal in the US?
Since the US Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA), allowing states to pass sports betting legislation, many US states have legalized sports betting in one form or another.
The majority of legal betting states permit in-person and online sports betting. Others have entered expanded gaming compacts with tribal authorities, like North Carolina, while others have legalized retail sports betting but not online or the other way around.
However, offshore sportsbooks operate outside state jurisdictions and bettors from states that haven’t authorized college basketball betting can still enjoy a bet on March Madness by using an offshore operator like BetOnline.
States with No College Betting Regulations
While many states allow you to place bets on March Madness with no restrictions, some states heavily restrict collegiate sports betting. Restrictive states will impose restrictions on prop bets and/or not allow you to bet on a home state.
However, offshore sportsbooks do not need to adhere to those restrictions and you can freely bet on your home state and as many prop markets as you like, regardless of state restrictions.
The Best March Madness Betting Site Overall
BetOnline is the best all round March Madness sportsbook thanks to incredible low margin odds, early lines, great market coverage, and it’s solid Bracket Madness competition. You can also take advantage of early futures bets ahead of the collegiate season.
BetOnline also offers great bonuses and you can claim up to $1,000 by signing up and depositing for the very first time.
How We Test and Review Sportsbooks
100+ Sports Betting Sites Reviewed
200+ Hours of Research Every Month
150+ Sportsbook Promotions Verified
1,000s Betting Markets & Odds Analyzed
We follow a proven methodology when reviewing sports betting sites that highlights the pros and cons of each platform.
Our process enables us to rate sportsbooks on key features so you can compare sites with ease.
We cover:
- Sports and betting markets
- Competitiveness of odds
- Reputation and licensing
- Bonuses and promotions
- Payment methods
- Customer support
…and more.
Check out our complete guide to learn how to rate sportsbooks featured on Techopedia.
FAQs
Can you bet on NCAA basketball in the USA?
How do you bet on March Madness?
Is it legal to bet on March Madness online?
What’s a March Madness bracket?
When does March Madness start?
Can I bet on the Elite Eight and Final Four before the tournament starts?
Affiliate Disclosure: Techopedia may receive advertising commissions for visits to a suggested operator through our affiliate links, at no added cost to you. However, all our recommendations are unbiased and follow a thorough review process. Gambling can be addictive, please play responsibly and you must be a legal gambling age.
References
- NCAAB Bracket (NCAA)
- Overturn of PASPA (Supreme Court)
- Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA)
- National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG)