Men’s College Basketball Odds and Lines Betting Guide
BetUS boasts a comprehensive menu of college basketball odds consisting of continuously updated point spreads, moneylines, totals, player and team props, as well as live betting. It’s all right here under one roof, at the finest sports betting site in the industry, BetUS.
There are plenty of betting options offered for college basketball fans across the country, especially during the college basketball season starting in November. Key factors to consider when looking at college basketball betting odds include team performance analytics and situational factors, which can significantly influence the outcomes.
Understanding how NCAAB odds work is easy, and below, we will explore the many facets of how to bet on them and what makes them unique. Not every online sportsbook has the myriad of options that BetUS offers, and it is a major reason why professional and recreational sports bettors use BetUS as their exclusive college basketball sportsbook. BetUS sources odds from top sportsbooks to ensure competitive lines, and a consensus line is often referenced to provide bettors with the sharpest odds available. Line movement affects college basketball odds due to various factors, including injuries and professional bets. A wide range of betting options are offered, and BetUS continues to offer odds on all major college basketball events throughout the season.
Point Spreads
The most common and familiar NCAA basketball odds come in the form of a point spread. The favored team is the one expected to win, and the point spread reflects this expectation by assigning a margin the team must win by for a bet to succeed. Imagine two teams of disparate talent tipping off, and all the bettor has to do is choose which one will win the game. That would be a bargain for the bettors but not so much for the sportsbooks because nearly everyone would wager on the better team, as the logical outcome is that the more talented team would win the game.
Therefore, a point spread is used to even the playing field, or in this case, the basketball court. For example, the spread could be four points, meaning the favored team must win by more than four points for a bet on them to win. BetUS offers point spread betting on all of the college basketball games on its menu, and you can always find our college basketball lines throughout the season. Remember, the odds are dynamic; thus, when enough money is wagered on one side, the line will move, so make sure to make your bet when the number seems right.
The visiting team is always listed on top, and the home team is on the bottom. Let’s use the Pittsburgh vs. West Virginia game as an example. Pittsburgh is listed on top, so they are the visitors, and the +7 means they get seven points added to their final score, while the home team, West Virginia, is -7, which means seven points are deducted from their final score. In this matchup, West Virginia is the team expected to win (the favorite), while Pittsburgh is the opponent.
If the final score is West Virginia 81 – Pittsburgh 69, the difference is 12 points, which means West Virginia would “cover” the seven-point spread, as the winning 12-point margin exceeds the seven-point handicap.
However, if the final score is West Virginia 77 – Pittsburgh 70, this is called a “push” because it landed on the seven-point spread. Sometimes, a half-point is added to the spread (such as -7.5) to avoid a tie outcome. A push occurs when the final score lands exactly on the spread number, resulting in all bets being refunded. Those who bet on West Virginia (-7) and Pittsburgh (+7) would be refunded their wagers but with no profit. It is like the bet never occurred.
Moneylines
The money line is a wager on which team will win outright, with no point spread involved. The money line reflects the probability of each event outcome: favorites are shown with a negative number, while underdogs are represented by a positive number. Betting on the favorite means risking more for a smaller payout, while betting on the underdog means risking less for a potentially higher payout. The greater the point spread, the higher the risk on the favorite and the greater the reward on the underdog.
In the example above, the money line on the Pittsburgh vs. West Virginia event is as follows: West Virginia is -265, while Pittsburgh is +223. Every wager is based on $100, but that doesn’t mean you have to bet $100. It merely means that $100 is the baseline from which all other increments are derived. At odds of -110, a bettor must wager $110 to win $100 in profit. A positive number like +223 indicates the potential payout for an underdog, showing how much a winning bet would pay for every $100 wagered.
In this case, those who want to bet on the favorite, West Virginia, on the money line will have to risk $265 to win $100. Those who believe Pittsburgh will upset West Virginia and win outright will risk $100 to win $223. For example, if you bet on Gonzaga to win outright on the money line, you simply need them to win the event, regardless of the score difference. When your team wins, you can cash your ticket and receive your payout, which is the amount your winning bet will pay. It’s that easy!
Totals
A total in college basketball refers to the total points scored by both teams combined, including overtime if there is one, that the oddsmakers offer on each game. The oddsmakers will have higher totals on teams that have historically scored more points, while those that have scored fewer points will have lower totals assigned to their games.
There are game totals and team totals, but the most common is the former. In the Pittsburgh vs. West Virginia game, the game total is 133 ½, which allows bettors to wager over or under that number. Bettors reference the posted total to decide if the total points scored will go over or under the specified number. The use of a half-point (the “hook”) in totals prevents the possibility of a tie outcome, ensuring there is always a clear win or loss. When the game is finished, the combined total of the two teams will determine whether or not the bet covered, regardless of which team won.
In this case, if the teams combined for 134 points, those who bet over the posted total of 133½ would win, while those who bet under would lose. Bettors can also wager on totals for each half, with options to bet on the first or second half separately. Betting on halves provides additional ways to engage with the game and increases the available betting options.
Team totals work the same way, except the total is assigned to one team, and the total number of points they scored at the end of the game will determine a win or a loss, regardless of how many points the opposition scores.
Player & Team Props
Proposition bets, or more commonly referred to as “props”, can be found on the starters and important backups on each team. The offerings allow bettors to bet over or under a specified number of points, rebounds, assists, as well as other categories. This applies to team totals as well.
By picking specific player or team props, you increase your chance of winning by targeting outcomes you feel confident about. Finding value in prop bets can lead to profitable opportunities, especially when you spot favorable odds or lines that others may overlook.
In essence, props are simply over/under bets on an individual or team’s performance. And it really is as simple as that!
Live Betting
BetUS Sportsbook has an active live betting market that allows bettors to wager while the game is happening. Live odds are presented in real time and continue to change as the game progresses, reflecting the latest action and circumstances. Bettors can access live betting features to take advantage of these shifting odds, whether it’s a bet on which team will make the next basket or an adjusted point spread based on the current score and time remaining.
It is a fast-paced market, so reacting rapidly to the live odds posted is critical because they can vanish as quickly as they appeared. But the good news is there will always be more opportunities.
