How To Bet On College Basketball

Picking A Conference Winner

A quick look at the conference odds shows some familiar names leading the way, with Blue Blood programs eyeing more conference championships. UConn is at +230 in the odds of winning the Big East title. According to the college basketball odds, Duke is the clear favorite at -180 to win the ACC, followed by North Carolina at +600. There is more reason to go with North Carolina to take the title since there is little reward for going with Duke to be the last team standing unless it is part of a parlay. Things are tighter in the Big East. Michigan leads the way at +350, followed by UCLA (+500), Purdue (+550), and Michigan State (+650). Auburn has the shortest SEC championship odds, at +185, with Tennessee (+300) and Alabama (+350) also in the running. Kentucky is at +800, even with longtime head coach John Calipari leaving for Arkansas, and Florida is at +950.

Betting on March Madness

Many of the usual suspects are favored to make noise when March Madness rolls around. That is something to remember when making NCAA basketball picks. When the season began, two-time defending national champion UConn and Duke were both at +900 in the odds of winning March Madness, followed by Alabama and Kansas at +1000. Houston (+1400), Gonzaga (+1800), Baylor (+2000), Iowa State (+2000), and North Carolina (+2000) were both contenders. Since the start of the season, Auburn's odds have moved from +2500 to +800. Duke's odds have stayed the same, while Gonzaga (+1200), Houston (+1400), Kansas (+1500), UConn (+1600), and Alabama (+1600) are teams worth monitoring. Some prefer to see the bracket before making college basketball futures bets. In the meantime, there is time to watch how the teams look and fare in high-profile matchups.

Checking Out the Individual Futures Odds

Plenty of candidates are featured in the odds of winning the Wooden Award as the top men's college basketball player. RJ Davis of North Carolina was the front-runner when the season began with +600 odds, followed by Hunter Dickinson of Kansas at +650, and Alabama's high-scoring guard Mark Sears was not far behind at +700. New players will emerge as the season goes along. Freshmen Cooper Flagg of Duke, VJ Edgecombe of Baylor, and Liam McNeeley were among the candidates heading into the season. Dickinson began his career in Michigan and is in his second season in Kansas. He and Davis are tied for the odds of being the National Player of the Year at +800. Duke freshman Cooper Flagg is at +1200, followed by Alabama guard Mark Sears at +1400.

Former UConn Star Topping NBA Rookie of the Year Odds

Some of the current college stars could be in the running for the NBA Rookie of the Year, with Duke's Cooper Flagg likely leading the way. Flagg sits atop almost every 2025 NBA mock draft, followed by Rutgers freshmen Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey. Baylor's VJ Edgecombe is another college basketball player who could land in the top five. In the current NBA Rookie of the Year odds, former UConn star Stephon Castle has the shortest odds (+140) to be the Rookie of the Year, followed by Yves Missi (+300) and reigning national Player of the Year Zach Edey at +400.

Take A Look At The Women's Futures Odds

Watching how the women's version of March Madness plays out will be interesting. Defending national champion South Carolina has +250 odds of cutting the nets down again, followed by UConn at +300, Notre Dame at +400, USC at +500, and Texas at +700. Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo, UConn's Paige Bueckers, and USC's JuJu Watkins are among the players to watch in the national player of the year odds. Bueckers is favored to be the top pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft. One of the best parts of the women’s game is that most top contenders play each other, which helps them make smart decisions during March Madness.

Single-Game Betting

While using the college basketball futures odds can make for some fun bets and some that may take a while to pay out; others love knowing that they won a few hours after placing a bet using college basketball odds. NCAA basketball lines are set for every game across the country throughout the season until the national champion is crowned. During the regular season, the lines might not be posted until the day of the game. However, that is not the case during March Madness.

Prop Betting on College Basketball

While betting on a game’s outcome or point total is fun, there are other options for making NCAAB picks. By March Madness's arrival, there could be a pretty good feeling about which college basketball player prop bets are worth considering. Check out the players who stepped up in the biggest games and when the lights were the brightest. There could also be some betting options in the NIT for players and teams that don’t make it into the NCAA tournament. Unlike in college football, in college basketball, players won’t opt out of postseason games to enter the transfer portal or prepare for the upcoming draft. BetUS Sportsbook provides insight and previews of many games throughout the season, helping you make informed bet choices. However, you can review previous results to feel confident about your wagers.