The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, better known as March Madness, ranks second only to the Super Bowl as far as popularity and handle. The first weekend of March Madness, which includes the first two rounds of the tournament with games taking place on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, is the second biggest revenue generator in Las Vegas with only the Super Bowl bringing in more action.
Unmatched Excitement and Action!
March Madness, especially in those first round games on Thursday and Friday, is impossible to match for excitement and betting opportunities. Games take place starting in the morning and continue well into late night.
The one and done aspect of the NCAA Tournament is captivating. The pressure is on full blast, especially for the name brand favorites. Should they get upset by a lesser known school, its most often referred to as a “Bracket Buster.” This means that millions of fans that had that school on their March Madness Brackets have had them damaged badly if not blown up completely.
It’s all part of what makes March Madness one of the premier events in all of sports. Let’s now take a look at March Madness betting options and what to consider when betting on the NCAA Tournament.
But before we begin, there is one thing to keep in mind about betting on March Madness. No matter what form of wagering that you take part in, the “Blue Blood” programs are going to have full retail mark up. March Madness brings a lot of casual and or ignorant money to the board. These are millions of fans wanting a good time betting March Madness games. Since they don’t follow college basketball closely, they don’t have a lot of knowledge about most of the teams and coaches. As a result, they flock to the power brands which serves to drive the prices up on those teams. But that also creates potential value on the other side.
Futures Betting
Many casual bettors love to bet on the March Madness futures because it’s so simple and direct. With the March Madness futures, you simply make a wager on the team that you believe will win the national championship. This is done by laying or taking odds. Marquee brands such as Villanova, Duke, Kansas, and Kentucky will not offer much in the way bang for your buck because the public flocks to them. But other good teams that don’t quite carry the same cache as those teams can make for an interesting bet. Also keep in mind that futures prices will fluctuate and change after every game. Sharper gamblers like to make various moves in reaction to that.
Pointspread Betting
This is the most common form of betting where you will lay points betting favorite or take points betting the dog. Again, be aware of pricing for the most popular teams. Try to find quality teams that are being ignored by the masses. This is where you can get enhanced value and prices that exceed what they actually should be.
Over Unders AKA Totals Betting
This is another common form of wagering on the NCAA Tournament. You simply bet on whether the combined score of the game between the two teams will go over or under a posted number. Be sure to know what the reputation of the various teams is. For example, Virginia is a very low scoring and defensive oriented team. But the oddsmakers know that and will post their totals accordingly. Which means its very possible that a low scoring game could still clear the total.
Moneyline Betting
For players that don’t like the pointspread and simply want to pick the straight up winner, the moneyline is an attractive option. Especially if you want to bet on a pointspread favorite without sweating out whether or not that team will cover the spread. Instead with the moneyline you lay odds instead of points. As long as the team you bet on wins the game straight up, you visit the payout window!
Halves and Live Betting
You can wager on just the first or second half of a game as well as make bets at various times during the game with live betting. This is becoming a more popular option for players that like to play the half time and live betting odds off the original line for potentially greater overall value.
