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US Gambling Sites / Betting on College Basketball: How To Bet on NCAA Basketball

Betting on College Basketball: How To Bet on NCAA Basketball

Last Updated on 11/03/2024
Fact checked by: Mark Lewis

Even though collegiate sports aren’t wagered on in much of the rest of the world, it’s very common to wager on sports activities by college players in the United States, and basketball is right at the top of that list. With major tournaments like March Madness occurring each year, there are countless prop bets, and exciting moneyline wagers to be made. Interested gamblers need to get familiar with betting on college basketball, and all the different ways that it can be done. There are many different types of betting lines to choose from, giving gamblers the chance to wager on every aspect of the game that they like. Even live betting is supported at most online sportsbooks today that offer college basketball - take a look at our BetMGM sportsbook review to see what's on offer.

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Placing a Sports Bet Tips

  • Avoid parlay bets without bonuses
  • Make use of bonus offers when possible
  • Rely on moneyline wagers
  • Place prop bets during March Madness

Betting on college basketball is simple for players that understand how to choose between the different wager options and how to make use of the odds as well. There are countless opportunities throughout the season to place wagers and to unlock some profit, but those possibilities can be costly if used improperly. Get familiar with the different wagering options and the best way to make use of college basketball, and enjoy the betting opportunities as they arise. It’s an exciting time to be a sports bettor.

Stick with the Big Three Wagers Initially: Moneylines Spreads and Totals

There are so many different types of wagers that can be placed for college basketball that it can be overwhelming trying to decide what to do. Gamblers looking for a guide about how to win betting college basketball should start off wagering on the most common types of bets first. That means wagering on moneylines, point spreads and point totals before something more complicated like a pleaser or a parlay.

Moneyline bets are the simplest way to start wagering and the type of wager that most people associate with sports betting. Placing a moneyline wager on a specific team matchup just means choosing one team to win over the other. The less-likely team to win is worth more to wager on, while the favorite offers a lower payout. Gamblers that place a moneyline wager will enjoy a payout as long as they guess the correct winning team.

Point spread wagers are a bit more complicated, but still simple enough to understand. When wagering on a point spread, gamblers bet how many points the two teams will be apart while also predicting which of the two teams will win. It’s like a moneyline wager with an additional condition to worry about. Point spread bets are more difficult to win, but when done right can be worth a whole lot of money for the winner.

Finally, there are total point bets. These wagers don’t care which of the two teams wins. Instead, they try to predict how many points the two teams will have together. They are simple to understand but can be difficult to predict even for seasoned sports bettors. It’s important to carefully analyze how many points the two teams are likely to score before placing a total wager. When placing these wagers bettors can choose between an over the total bet and an under total bet.

When betting on college basketball as a new gambler its’ helpful to start with these simpler wagers first, and only to move on to the more advanced concepts later on with enough practice. The advanced wagers offer more opportunities to profit, but they are more difficult to pull off effectively which is why gamblers should take the time to get used to the simple wagers before moving to the more difficult options.

Advanced Wagering Strategies: Parlays, Teasers and Pleasers

The standard three wagers described up above are good enough to get a sports bettor started, but they’re often not enough to make up the full betting college basketball strategy that an experienced gambler will use. There are times when it makes sense to use more advanced wagers like parlays, teasers and pleasers. Each of these different options manipulates more standard wagers in some way, raising or lowering the potential payout while also adjusting the odds.

Teasers are used in college basketball wagers to make spreads and total bets more favorable. They will be easier to win, but come with significantly lower payouts as well. Pleasers are the opposite and make the wagers more difficult to win but significantly raise the total payout that can be won from the wager. These two wager types are good in situations where a gambler is more or less confident than they need to be to use standard spreads and total bets.

Parlays are something different entirely though. They combine several different wagers together into one group wager. In order for this wager to work out every piece of the wager must result in a correct selection. If a parlay does work out it results in a very large prize payout, which is why some gamblers go for these difficult-to-win bets. Parlays are good with bonuses or when wagering bonus funds, but usually a poor choice for gamblers looking to win consistently.

Each of these advanced wagering opportunities are options that gamblers should take the time to get familiar with before placing college basketball wagers. To learn more about options like the pleaser bet, look at our pleaser betting strategy here. Bettors that get used to more advanced wagering strategies can make the most of exciting wagering opportunities that come up as you look through the different betting lines.

Take Advantage of Prop Bets

Prop bets are more interesting wagers that include most wagers that aren’t one of the three described above. Often prop bets for college basketball are focused on how many three pointers, or how many total points a specific player is going to score during a game. These more specific, and more unique wagering opportunities show up with dozens of options to choose from during major matchups and tournaments. College basketball bettors should look very closely at prop bets during March Madness to try and find sportsbooks that list the options more favorably than others. These are sometimes big opportunities that should be taken advantage of for improved odds and improved potential prize payouts as well.

Enjoy Live Betting Fun: Wager During Matches

For many sports bettors watching the game is an exciting experience on its own, and even better with a moneyline or point spread wager in place before the match begins. For some gamblers looking for even more excitement it’s worth it to place some live wagers as well. Live wagers are wagers that are placed while a match is occurring. At many online sportsbooks there is a feature that supports gambling throughout much of a game as it takes place. These special live betting opportunities show up on the gambling platform and the odds for these wagers change all throughout the match. These opportunities give seasoned gamblers something to do while they watch the game and can help add to the excitement of the experience as well. Serious bettors can use live wagering opportunities to cash in even more during big matches. During college games the odds change constantly and at times they become very attractive. Taking advantage of these more attractive odds is a good way to end up winning big. Live wagering is also a way to hedge some bets if the odds shift in a big way compared to one of your earlier wagers.

Make the Most of College Basketball: Start Wagering Today

College basketball is one of the most widely watched and wagered on collegiate sport throughout the United States. It has a long list of devoted fans and is an excellent wagering opportunity for those committed to learning about the teams and the different wagering opportunities. We’ve put together comparisons of different sportsbooks that offer college basketball wagering. Take the time to look through our comparisons and choose the one that you like the best for yourself. Once you join you can unlock exciting bonus offers and start practicing your college basketball bets. Who knows, you could end up becoming a profitable sports bettor with time.

Conclusion: Placing Effective College Basketball Wagers is Simple

College basketball is a common college sport to wager on and an exciting opportunity for basketball fans that want to start sports betting. There are many different types of wagers to be aware of, so new players should take some time to learn about things like moneylines, totals, point spreads, teasers, pleasers, parlays, props and more. With this information they can place more informed wagers and begin making better wagering decisions overall. Which should be part of a wining betting college basketball strategy.

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