Best NCAAB Betting Sites & Apps 2024 – College Basketball Betting Guide

With dozens of matchups week in and week out during the regular- and post-season, NCAAB betting provides a wealth of opportunities for bettors to cash out. But do you know the best spots to wager your cash?

That is what SportsTalkPhilly is here to help you with. Our team of experts evaluated multiple sportsbooks using selection criteria and aggregated a list of the top 10 places to bet on the NCAAB. We have also provided betting tips, strategies, and picks to get you started.

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Best NCAA Basketball Betting Sites for 2024

Check out our top 10 places to place bets on the NCAAB. We prefer offshore sportsbooks since they provide more lucrative bonuses and deeper collegiate prop markets, and players can access them anywhere in the US.

1. BetOnline – Best Overall NCAAB Betting Site in 2024
2. Bovada – Get Potentially Bigger Payouts with Odds Boosts
3. MyBookie – Exciting NCAAB Contests with Low-Entry Fees
4. BetUS – Betting Predictions and Picks for Newbies
5. BetWhale – Top Sportsbook for NCAAB Live Betting
6. BetNow – Best Spot for Player and Team Props
7. XBet  – Parlay Multiple Picks from the Same Game
8. Sportsbetting.ag – Early NCAAB lines and Re-Bet Functionality
9. BUSR – Find Useful Resources on NCAAB Betting
10. Jazz – Stack Your NCAAB Props with the Bet Builder Tool

Reviews of the Top 5 College Basketball Sportsbooks

What makes these online sportsbooks a favorite among the basketball bettors on our staff? Let’s find out.

1. BetOnline – Best Overall NCAAB Betting Site in 2024

BetOnline is our top pick for betting on college basketball. The Panama-licensed sportsbook has been operational for over two decades and has established itself as a reliable platform for college football and basketball wagering. It offers numerous NCAAB basketball betting lines on the NCAAM and NCAAW, ranging from player and team props to parlays, if-bets, and teasers.

You can place future bets on the coming Championship winner during the off-season. The lines are released well before the season starts, too, and you can place the same wager multiple times using the platform’s re-bet functionality.

BetOnline also has competitive odds on the NBA Draft. In this market, you can find betting lines on the 1st round and Draft position. We also took an interest in its Specials, where you can find betting markets like Total Trades in Top 10 Picks, Total Trades in Top 5 Picks, and Will the Number 1 Overall Pick be Traded?

What about its contest offerings? This sportsbook scores high on contests. You can find Sweet 16 Bracket, Player Prop Pick’Em, and Bracket Madness contests. Not every sportsbook offers this many contests in one sporting category. Finally, it has an excellent live betting suite where you can back your favorite collegiate teams in play. It is the complete package.

2. Bovada – Get Potentially Bigger Payouts with Odds Boost

Bovada is a tough sportsbook to beat as far as betting on the NCAA is concerned. It holds licenses from two well-recognized betting jurisdictions, Anjouan and Curacao, and has been in operation since 2011. It’s basketball betting odds rival the best on offer online, and there are several welcome promotions for newcomers to claim.

The platform stands out when it comes to outright betting. It has betting odds on the 2024/25 NCAA D1 Men and NCAA D1 Women National Champion. You can also bet on the NBA Draft Picks and Draft Positions. Want an even bigger payout? No problem: Bovada offers boosted odds on selected parlays. You even qualify for a draw to win Rewards Points when you bet boosted parlay odds weekly.

One of our favorite things about Bovada is the fact that you can request straight lines and parlays on games you are interested in. You can do this by making a betting line request in the Dominic_Bovada community or by simply using #WhatsYaWager on X.com.

3. MyBookie – Exciting NCAAB Contests with Low-Entry Fees

MyBookie is another top platform to place bets on the NCAAB. This is thanks to the contests on offer and the low barrier to entry. It regularly features contests on the NCAAB, one of which is the March Madness $150k Bracket Contest. Each entry to the contest costs $20, $5 shy of BetOnline’s Sweet 16 Bracket Contest Requirement. You may also win free entries. We thought that the winning prize was quite generous ($25,000 BTC) compared to what many sportsbooks offer.

This college basketball sportsbook is also popular for its same-game parlay (SGP) function. You can parlay multiple picks from the same game for a bigger payout. What makes this even more exciting is how many betting options you can find per game. It is quite common to see up to 20+ betting lines on a game. This combination increases your chances of winning if you really understand the teams playing.

Finally, MyBookie provides a highly rewarding VIP program that gives you access to unique promotions, prizes, and perks. Betting limits and deposit options increase as you move up the ladder.

4. BetUS – Betting Predictions and Picks for Newbies

The oldest sportsbook on this list, BetUS holds a valid license from the Autonomous Island of Mwali, Comoros Union, and is, perhaps, the best NCAAB betting spot for beginners.

Under the betting lines of every betting market, you find a blog/guide explaining in detail important points to note about the market. For instance, under the basketball futures market, you can find a blog on what NCAA basketball futures are all about, the different bet types, and how to get the most out of your picks.

BetUS also has a Locker Room suite where betting picks are discussed. In addition, there is lots of insightful content to digest and expert picks and tips at BetUS TV. Betting experts TJ Rives, Jeff Nadu, Corbie Craig, Matt Cos, and Kyle Hunter discuss predictions and the best betting odds on the NCAAB Show.

It has a great lineup of contests as well, including Mania Bracket, Sharpshooter, and $25,000 Court King. We enjoyed the Sharpshooter contest, which involves placing bets every week with prizes at the end of the season for the top 3 people with the most winning picks.

5. BetWhale – Top Sportsbook for NCAAB Live Betting

BetWhale is a newer entry to the sports betting scene, but it managed to catch our eye regardless. Its welcome bonus is one for the taking. Users are given a welcome bonus of 125% up to $1,250, which can be claimed using the “WHALECOME” BetWhale promo code.

You will find college basketball betting lines for many games here. Want to get in on some live-action? No problem: BetWhale has a live betting suite, which can be easily accessed from the homepage. Here, you can study the game’s dynamics and place your wagers at favorable odds before betting lines are adjusted in real-time.

Finally, this platform has more international basketball betting markets than most sportsbooks you will find. In addition to the NCAA, you will find betting lines on leagues in Argentina, Brazil, Lithuania, New Zealand, Spain, Slovenia, etc., as well as NBA2K betting lines listed in the esports section.

Best Online NCAAB Betting Sites Compared

Let’s look at our ranked NCAAB betting sites and compare their features and offerings.

How We Select the Best NCAA Basketball Betting Apps & Sites

Our sports betting experts evaluated tens of betting sites against certain key criteria to arrive at our top 10. These selection criteria are discussed below:

Range of Bets

We handpicked sportsbooks with a wide range of betting options and markets to give you a rich gambling experience. Our recommended NCAAB betting apps offer odds on everything from basic – moneyline, spreads, and totals – to more exotic wagers like futures, parlays, teasers, and props.

Bonus and Promotions

Most betting sites almost always offer welcome bonuses. But what happens when you are no longer a first-timer? Many sites reel customers in with juicy welcome offers, only to leave them high and dry later. We selected sportsbooks that offer ongoing promotions and contests and reward loyal and returning customers with bonuses.

Safety and Security

A 72% increase in data breaches between 2021 and 2023 underscores how vulnerable many websites we visit are to leakages, phishing attacks, and cyber threats. To protect bettors from these threats, we have ranked only sportsbooks with industry-standard security features like HTTPS protocol, 2FA for payment processing, email/phone number verification, etc. They also have licenses from reputed jurisdictions.

Payment Methods

While debit and credit cards have long been popular among many bettors, there is a growing preference for digital wallets and cryptocurrencies. For this reason, we have picked out college basketball sportsbooks with these options and more like gift cards and bank transfers. Many of them even have crypto promos to get you started.

Live Betting and Live Streaming

Our ranked sportsbooks have a live betting suite where players can bet on live action. They offer real-time odds on these games and a match tracker that provides live insights into a game’s dynamic. Some sites, like BetOnline and MyBookie, even support live streaming, so you can bet and follow games from the same tab.

Customer Support

Sometimes, you may need to reach customer support to help with technical glitches like login, withdrawal, or deposit problems, even during off hours. High marks were given to betting sites with 24/7 customer service and more customer service options (emails, live chat, FAQs, phone, etc). The more options, the better, in fact.

Is NCAAB Betting Legal in the US?

Yes, it is, depending on what state you reside in. The 2018 Supreme Court’s overturn of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) gave each state the autonomy to make its sports betting legislation.

Opinions have been divided on whether sports betting should be allowed. While some states have given sports betting the nod, others still sit on the sidelines. As things stand in July, 2024, over 30 states have legalized sports betting, with more likely to follow suit. The table below summarizes the legal gambling age and status of NCAAB in each state in the US.

Types of Bonuses Available for College Basketball Betting

The best NCAAB sportsbooks have bonuses and promotions to attract new customers and keep old customers returning. These bonuses can increase your bankroll and provide ample cushion to take some betting risks. These are some of the most common bonuses you can find at the top NCAAB betting sites.

Welcome Bonus

Welcome bonuses are a fun part of the onboarding process. They can be described as start-up funds given to new customers upon signing up or making their first deposit to kickstart their betting journey at the sportsbook. They are usually expressed in percentages. An example is BetUS’ enticing welcome bonus of 125% of your first three deposits up to $2,625.

Reload Bonus

A reload bonus is an incentive used by a sportsbook to earn the loyalty of old customers. This involves a sportsbook matching subsequent deposits of a returning player up to a certain amount. BUSR’s reload bonus of 50% up to $1,250 is an example.

No-Sweat Bet

Also known as a risk-free bet, a no-sweat bet is an insurance offered by sportsbooks on a bet if it loses under specific conditions. Typically, these free bets are a fixed amount or a percentage of the bettor’s wager. For example, Sportsbetting.ag’s no-sweat bet of up to $100 on live wagers.

Odds Boosts

In NCAAB betting, odds boosts are promotions where sportsbooks enhance the NCAA basketball betting odds to encourage more action from bettors. Higher odds mean higher payouts if the bet wins. Bovada is an example of a sportsbook that offers odds boosts on certain parlays.

Cash Rebates

Cash rebates, designed with returning bettors in mind, are given to regular customers as a percentage of their losses over time. BetNow’s cash rebate is one many bettors like. It is 2% of your net loss minus the bonus earned that week.

Crypto Promos

Top NCAAB sportsbooks concerned about giving customers a cutting-edge user experience offer some type of crypto promo. They are bonuses offered to customers for making deposits using cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and LiteCoin. BetWhale’s 250% on your first crypto deposit bonus is one for the books.

NCAAB Specials

NCAAB specials are enhanced odds, exclusive bonuses, contests, enhanced odds, and exciting betting market promotions designed especially for NCAAB bettors. Examples of some spicy NCAAB specials are:

• $200,000 Bracket Madness – BetOnline
• My Bracket – MyBookie
• MM $10,000 Bracket Content – BUSR
• $50,000 Sweet 16 Bracket – Sportsbetting.ag
• Mania Bracket; Sharpshooter – BetUS

Bonus Comparison at the Best NCAAB Betting Sportsbooks

The table below shows the bonuses, promotions, and NCAAB specials available on our top 10 college basketball betting sites.

Payment Methods at the Best NCAA Basketball Betting Sites

One thing we can agree on about the best college basketball sportsbooks is that they have an extensive range of payment methods. The table below summarizes the payment methods available at our recommended sportsbooks and a few facts about them.

Deposit Options

Find out the most popular deposit options at our ranked college basketball sportsbooks.

Withdrawal Options

One advantage of online sports betting is the number of withdrawal options it offers players. These are the available withdrawal options at our recommended NCAAB betting sites.

NCAA Basketball Betting Apps & Mobile Wagering

With the growing number of states legalizing gambling, sports betting has become quite popular. According to a Forbes report, some form of sports betting is now allowed in 38 states. Of this number, 30+ states permit wagering online. The effect is an annual growth rate (11.45%) of online sports betting in the US between 2024 and 2029.

The growth of the online sports betting market has prompted gambling brands to develop dedicated sports betting apps to cater to their users’ needs. These apps offer exclusive bonuses, promotions, live streaming and betting suites, social media contests, etc.

Although our recommended offshore sportsbooks do not offer downloadable apps, they are all optimized for mobile and promise the same convenience as mobile apps. As with the latter, you can get push notifications on your bets. They also have a user-friendly interface and a fast response time.

How to Read NCAA Basketball Betting Odds

Reading NCAAB betting odds is as easy as pie, but only if you understand the basics. It is commonplace to find teams with positive and minus odds when betting on the NCAAB. This isn’t by chance. The minus odds are often assigned to the favorites and the positive to the underdogs. Sometimes, both teams may have minus betting odds. In this case, the team with the higher negative odds is the favorite. Take a look at this example.

In a game between the North Carolina Tar Heels and Gonzaga Bulldogs above, the former, going by the positive sign associated with their moneyline odds, are considered the underdogs. Wagers in the NCAAB are commonly expressed based on a $100 format. Therefore, you would be earning $165 if you placed $100 on the Tar Heels, and they went on to win the game.

The Bulldogs, on the other hand, are game favorites. You will need to wager up to $120 to earn a $100 profit. That is, get a total payout of $220

Popular NCAA Basketball Betting Lines

Here are some of the most popular betting lines you can find on the NCAA when placing bets on your favorite sportsbook.

Moneyline

This simple bet type involves choosing the outright winner of a game. Minus and positive odds are assigned to each team: minus for the favorite and positive for the underdog. The bet wins if the selection is correct.

Spread

Spread betting involves predicting the margin of victory by a team. The oddsmaker sets a line for the game (+6.5/-6.5, for example), and the bettor predicts whether a team will win by more than the line (favorite) or lose by the same number/simply win the game against the odds (underdog).

Total Points

Here, the sportsbook sets a line for a game’s total combined score, and you can wager whether the eventual score will be over or under that line. It is also called the over/under bet.

Futures

It may also be known as outright betting. It is a wager on a season-long outcome. Examples of NCAAB futures bets are bets on what teams make it to the Final Four, March Madness winner, Conference winners, MOP winner, etc.

Propositions

These are wagers on specific events in a game rather than the final outcome. It may be a bet on a player’s performance, a team’s accomplishments, or different stats as the game progresses. More specific examples of prop bets include:

• Number of points scored by a player
• Number of three-pointers made by a player
• Team to score first
• Total rebounds

Parlays

A parlay combines multiple bets into one wager. All individual bets making up the parlay must win as well for the parlay to pay out. These individual bets may be selected from the same or different games. They offer bigger payouts compared to bets on individual games.

NCAA Live Betting

NCAA basketball live betting involves placing wagers on an ongoing game. The betting lines are usually adjusted to reflect the game’s dynamics, including team performances, points scored, assists made, three points made, free throws awarded, etc.

What are NCAAB Betting Splits?

NCAAB betting splits, expressed in percentages, show the number of bets (bet percentages) or how much of the total handle was wagered on a particular team (money percentages) by the betting public. Smart bettors want to know where all of this money is going before choosing to follow or fade the crowd.

For example, in the final game of the 2023/24 regular season clash between the UConn Huskies and Providence, a sportsbook favors UConn to win by -3.5 points on the spread. However, despite being dubbed underdogs, 65% of the public’s money is wagered on Providence. This typically happens when the sportsbook’s favorite has nothing to play for.

In this example, UConn is already qualified for the March Madness and may not field their best team. This example shows little correlation between the sportsbook odds and public betting trends. If your sentiment leans more towards the public’s thinking, this might be an excellent opportunity to find value odds.

Sportsbooks sometimes adjust their betting lines if the public betting percentages are too one-sided. But before they do, pro bettors know well to trust their instincts and go with the public if they find value there.

Important Dates on the NCAA Basketball Betting Calendar

The table below shows highly anticipated betting events in NCAAB to be mindful of over the coming 12 months.

Expert NCAAB Basketball Betting Picks for 2024/25

Do you want to place a future bet on the 2024/25 season? These picks are a good place to start

UConn to Win the NCAA 2024/25

As per many bettors and sportsbooks, the Huskies are the favored team to win the National Title for a third consecutive time. Their post-season show was incredible, with 10+ wins in every game on the road to the title. MyBookie offers the best title-winning odds for UConn at +1075.

Duke Blue Devils to Make Elite Eight

We tip the Duke Blue Devils to make the Elite Eight for a 25th time, the third most Elite Eight appearance by any team. They have advanced to this stage in four of their last five NCAA tournaments and could make it once again with the nation’s number 1 recruit, Cooper Flagg, on their team.

Alabama Totals Over 80.5

Alabama has a terrifying scoring offense, averaging 90.1PPG, the best in the league for 2023/24. They also made the third most three-pointers in the league. With a guard like Mark Sears in their ranks, they could have a repeat of the last season on offense.

Best NCAAB Betting Strategies

Here, we discuss what works and doesn’t when betting on the NCAAB. The following system approach can help boost your potential payout and profitability in the long term.

Hedge Your Bet

Hedging your bet is simply wagering against an initial bet to minimize potential losses or lock in your profit. This may sound counterintuitive off the bat, but it works. Let’s make an example from the 2024 Sweet 16 matchup between Duke and Houston, where the former came out tops in a keenly contested 54-51 win.

If you bet on Duke to win, you may have been scared out of your wits when they managed only a point win over Houston in the first half. If your reaction is to bet on Houston just in case the game goes the other way around, you just hedged your bet.

Understand Home Court Advantage

Home court advantage counts in the NCAAB debatably more than it does in any other sport. This is why the March Madness tournament is played on neutral grounds. When playing on home court, the energy in the arena ups the players’ morale and can even induce some bias in officiating. The latter is obviously frowned upon, but it does happen!

In the 2023-24 season, 12 NCAAB teams, including  Purdue, Iowa State, Houston, Dayton, etc, had a 100% winning record on home grounds. Therefore, we recommend being double-sure before betting against a home team.

Bet On Underdogs

A safe but somewhat lazy approach is always betting on the favorites. What’s to lose, right? They are the favorites and should probably win. However, this isn’t always the case. Sometimes, it is more profitable to bet on the underdogs. You may find more value in this.

Upsets occur occasionally due to factors like injuries to important players, a demanding schedule, etc. We recommend conducting your research and making informed choices based on this research rather than choosing the favorites each time.

College Basketball Betting Odds: 2024/25 NCAA Finals Winner

UConn is now the first men’s basketball team since Florida in 2006 and 2007 to win back-to-back NCAA titles. We live for storied wins, and the Huskies’ was one. They had no peers and, as they had for most of the postseason, bullied their final opponents, Purdue, into oblivion. Debatably the best program in modern NCAAB, many bettors are backing the Huskies to do a three-peat. Can they? Or are there teams with more public backing?

These are the title-winning odds for the 20-top-ranked teams at our top four college basketball sportsbooks.

College Basketball Betting Terminology

If you’ve been placing bets on the NBA, you may assume betting on college basketball isn’t all that different. However, this isn’t exactly the case. There are specific terminologies unique to college basketball, and it is only smart to get familiar with them before committing your wager. Some of them are:

• Big Dance: This is just another name for the NCAA tournament, a single-elimination bracket competition comprising 68 teams competing for glory.
• Defensive efficiency: A statistic or metric that shows how many points a team allows per 100 defensive possessions.
• Downtown: A shot made from a long way from the hoop.
• Final four: The penultimate part of the tournament, where regional winners contest for a place in the championship game.
• Glue guy: As the name suggests, this term is used in NCAAB discussions to describe the player who holds the team together, whether through leadership qualities or style of play.
• Karl Malone Award: An award given to the best power forward in the NCAAB.
• Lay-up: A close-range shot made by a player using the backboard.
• Loose-ball foul: When contact is made with a player when the ball isn’t in the team’s control.
• Most Outstanding Player: It is an award given to the best player in the Final Four tournament.
• Offensive efficiency: A statistic showing the number of points a team scores for every 100 offensive possessions they have.
• Rebound: When a player gains possession of the ball after a missed shot.
• RPI: An acronym for Rating Percentage Index comprises a team’s Division 1, its opponents, and its opponents’ opponents winning percentages.
• Seed: Each of the 68 teams making up the NCAA tournament receives a seed, which dictates where they will be placed in the elimination bracket.
• Selection Sunday: The day, usually a Sunday, when the NCAA tournament bracket is revealed.
• Team sheet: It records the team’s game schedule, win record, schedule strength, and other metrics used in the seeding process.

The Best NCAAB Betting Site Overall for 2024

Our betting picks are a good place to start if you want to place bets immediately. But perhaps you are still unsettled about where to place these bets. We have simplified your search by providing a list of the top 10 college basketball sportsbooks to shop for betting odds.

Of these 10, BetOnline is our top pick. Its solid reputation and wide range of NCAAB betting markets, including props and futures, contests, bonuses, promotions, and live betting, among many other features, make it the pick of the crop.

NCAAB Betting FAQs

Problem Gambling Resources

• National Council on Problem Gambling
• GamTalk
• GamAnon
• Gamblers Anonymous
• BeGambleAware

Page Resources

• Statista
• Wikipedia
• NBA.com
• NCAA.com