NCAA Finals 2024: Betting guide strategy and tips

The men’s NCAA Tournament will start on March 19 and conclude on April 8.

It is one of the most exhilarating times for online sports betting, with 64 teams competing for national prominence. 

With that, there’s plenty to discuss regarding betting on this event, including where to bet, understanding odds, betting markets, how to bet, and overall tips and tricks. 

Below, we’ll cover all that so you’re ready to bet confidently throughout March and the beginning of April.

Best promos for NCAA finals

Where to bet on NCAA Finals online

When setting out on your NCAA Tournament betting journey, there are plenty of excellent places to consider depositing your money and making wagers.

Some of our top recommended basketball sportsbooks include BetMGM, DraftKings, BetRivers and Betway. 

Of course, some or all of these sites may or may not be available in your state, so be sure to check to see which sites are available. 

Understanding NCAA betting odds

While there are numerous ways to bet on the NCAA Tournament, the most common are point spread, over/under, and moneyline wagers.

Below, we’ll discuss these wagers and how to interpret the associated odds. 

Point spread

The point spread is a number used to illustrate the gap in power between two teams. 

When looking at two teams, the team with a “-” is considered the favorite, while the “+” is the underdog. 

Let’s look at an example:

• UNC: -10 (-110)
• NC State: +10 (-110)

Starting with the point spread, in that example, UNC would need to win by 11 or more to cover the spread.

They’d fail to cover if they won by nine or less, which would be a losing wager. If they won by exactly ten, the wager would be considered a “push,” and you’d receive your original wager back.

As for the odds, with point spreads, the goal is to make the teams as even as possible, as the point spread number is there to account for the superiority and inferiority of each team. 

Thus, the standard point spread odds number is -110. This could vary based on betting action.

We’ll discuss odds and how to read those in the moneylines section below.

Over/under

Over/under betting, or totals, is wagering on the combined number of points scored in a game. 

For example:

• Over 136.5: (-110)
• Under 136.5: (-110)

Like point spread betting, the odds you’ll most often see here are -110. 

So, if UNC and NC State’s final score were 80-76, their combined point total would be 156. If you bet the over, you’d win your wager. 

Moneyline

The moneyline is the easiest-to-understand betting market in sports betting. With this, you’re simply picking who will win the game.

This bet doesn’t account for any point spreads, but the odds could be less valuable as a trade-off. 

For example: 

• UNC Moneyline: -600
• NC State Moneyline: +550

UNC is a -600 favorite here, whereas NC State is a +550 underdog. 

Here’s how to best think of “-” and “+” odds through the lens of a $100 wager or winnings:

• With “-” odds, you must bet the associated number to win $100. For example, at -600, you must bet $600 to win $100. 
• With “+” odds, you’ll win the amount associated with the odds with a successful $100 wager. For example, at +550, you’d win $550 if you bet $100 and won. 

This also applies to point spread and over/under odds. At -110, you must bet $110 to win $100. 

NCAA Finals betting types

While moneyline, point spread, and over/under betting are also available markets, some go beyond that. Below, we’ll investigate parlays, futures, props, and First to 15 markets. 

Parlays

Parlays are a betting market that combines multiple wagers into one betting slip. The benefit is that the odds and potential payout grow as more contests are added. 

However, with parlays, all wagers need to be successful for it to be a winning ticket. 

So, if you add three things, all must win. 

For example: 

• UNI Moneyline: +100
• Elon Moneyline: -175
• Mercer Moneyline: -185
• Parlay Odds: +384

So, if you bet $100 on this parlay and UNI, Elon, and Mercer all won, you’d win $384. 

Futures

Futures betting markets are trendy for the NCAA Tournament, as the headline wager is who will win the national championship. With these wagers, the most value comes from betting further and being correct. This is because, as the tournament goes along and the field of teams becomes smaller, the odds of who will win have less competition. 

For example, as of March 8, UConn is the odds-on favorite to win the tournament at DraftKings Sportsbook at +500. If you bet $100 on them now and they win, you’d win $500. 

Props

Props come in many forms, as this is a market that has wagers that may not necessarily impact the final outcome of the game. The most popular types of props are single-player props, which allow you to wager on the personal performance of one player. 

For example, you could bet on the total points UNC Tar Heels center Armando Bacot scored. There will be a line like over/under betting, and you’ll select whether you think he exceeds or falls short of that mark. Both sides of the bet will have their odds. 

First to 15

The “First to 15” is another example of a prop bet. With this wager, you’re betting on who you think will reach 15 points first.

This is available for both the first and second half. Each team will be given odds, and you’ll wager on who you think will accomplish this feat.

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NCAA Finals betting strategies

While we can never guarantee a win when betting on the NCAA Tournament, we've found some tips and tricks that may assist you through it and potentially add more money to your wallet. 

Keep up with trends

Keeping up with trends can manifest itself in numerous ways. For example, teams could fail to consistently advance past a certain round, or for the sake of the NCAA Tournament, which seeds often win the whole thing. 

For example, 24 champions were the No. 1 seed, with a 63% win rate. There’s never been a team to win the 64-team tournament below the No. 8 seed. 

Watch out for underdogs

Whether you’re betting on the point spread or moneyline, underdogs are something to look out for in the NCAA Tournament. Every year, a crop of underdogs steal the show and triumph.

The most recent example was No. 1 Purdue losing to No. 16 Fairleigh-Dickinson in the 2023 tournament. 

Experienced coaches can make or break a team

The adage “been there, done that” does help in the NCAA Tournament. Experienced coaches with a winning past are ready for any situation and prepared to adjust. Examining the coaching staff could be a key tiebreaker to determine who to wager on. 

Watch out for live betting opportunities

Live betting is another betting market we didn’t discuss above, but it is wildly popular during the NCAA Tournament.

This market allows you to wager on a game while it’s actively in progress. It can also be used to hedge a pre-game wager to ensure you minimize losses or come away with some profit. 

Take advantage of free bracket contests

As the NCAA Tournament nears, you’ll begin to see plenty of free bracket contests become available.

These can include cash prizes and only require you to create an account and fill out the bracket. 

How to bet on the NCAA Finals

1. Decide which online betting site(s) you’d like to play at. 
2. Click our links to head there and create an account.
3. Navigate to the cashier page and make a deposit. 
4. Go to the NCAA Basketball page. 
5. Find a bet on which you want to place a wager, add it to your betslip, and wait for the results. 

NCAA 2024 schedule

Below you'll find the game schedule and our betting tips for 2024 NCAA games for the round of 64.

About the author

Richard Janvrin

Richard Janvrin brings nearly a decade of experience covering sports, and other betting-related content. Richard received his bachelor's degree in Journalism/English from the University of New Hampshire. Throughout his career, Richard has written for sites like Bleacher Report, Forbes, The Game Day, WSN, and many more.

Find him on Twitter: @RichardJanvrin

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