Types of NCAA Basketball Bets – A Beginner’s Guide (2024)

In the NCAA basketball leagues, you can watch the home-grown stars of tomorrow. Unlike the NBA, where we are talking about 30 franchises, at the college level there are hundreds of teams that you can watch. Spread across the country, there are plenty of Conferences and leagues, but the tournament that takes centre stage is the NCAA Division I. The competition is held in a mere three weeks and features the youthful teams of 64 different colleges. If you have an interest in grassroots basketball and watching young talents breaking onto the scene, this is the competition to watch. It is highly televised and therefore you can watch all the action, and of course, make some teasing bets.

What Competitions to Bet On

Division I is the main competition to follow, as it is a clash between the best of the best. 32 of the teams in the league receive an automatic berth to the league, but the other 32 have to fight for their places. It is highly competitive and the best place to watch skilled youth players. But it is not the only competition that you may take an interest in. There are Conferences such as the Big 12, SEC, Big Ten, Mountain West, Big East, ACC, CUSA, PAC-12, and many more. These are regional leagues which feature big college teams but also smaller, and more local, ones. As basketball is among the most popular sports in the US, there is quite a lot of media coverage on these leagues too.

Types of NCAA Basketball Bets

Now to delve into some of the intriguing betting options. You can find virtually all the following betting markets in any good sportsbook. However, most sportsbooks will only offer extensive betting options on the NCAA Division I games. This is not to say that you cannot find a similar offering of bets on any of the Conference games. You may need to find basketball or NCAA-specialised betting sites though.

1. Futures
2. Moneyline
3. Point Spreads
4. Over/Under Totals
5. Quarters and Halves
6. Game Props
7. Player Bets
8. Parlays
9. Live Betting

Futures

You can bet on the outright winner of Division I or any of the other Conferences in the futures betting markets. These bets relate to the competition as a whole and are called futures because they can be placed well ahead of time. You may even find some bookmakers offer futures bets on the next season as soon as the current season concludes.

Futures do not only include outright winner bets either. There are also bets on which Conference will win Division I, which teams will make the Final Four, and many more. Be sure to look out for player futures too, such as which player will be the MVP of the competition.

The odds on futures bets change constantly throughout each tournament or league, so you also need to pick the right time to make your bet. To perfect your strategy, flick through our guide to futures bets.

Moneyline

Moneylines are the most commonly placed bets. These are simply wagers on which team will win a game. For example, in a game between Kansas and San Diego State, you can bet on Kansas to win or on San Diego State to win. Picking a winner is not easy though, especially when the two teams are more evenly matched. Make sure you read our guide on moneylines to learn more about how to use this bet to your advantage.

Point Spreads

If you want to bet on an underdog to win, but they are too much of a longshot to win a moneyline bet, you can use a point spread bet. It also works with betting on favourites, when you want to ramp up the odds. Point spreads using betting lines, which is the number of points that would level the playing field. The line will be subtracted from the favourite team’s score and added to the underdog’s. This closes the gap between the two teams and makes the game completely balanced. The odds on either team are generally 1.9 (-110) or thereabouts.

However, if you are not satisfied with the spread, you can open the alternative spreads market. Here, the bookmaker will offer a multitude of betting lines, so you can find exactly what you want. Greater odds come with larger risk, so pick your bets with caution. If you check out our guide to point spreads, you can find different ways to use these bets.

Over/Under Totals

Totals are bets on the number of points that will be scored during a game. Basketball is a high scoring sport, and games can finish with over 200 points. With over/under bets you do not need to predict the exact number of points with which the game will finish. Instead, you can define a range in which the number of points will fall, and this uses a betting line.

To place a bet, you pick a betting line and then predict whether the game will end with over or under that number of points. There are many betting lines to select, and this gives you the freedom to define your range as large or as small as you like.

Quarters and Halves

Betting on a game becomes even more exciting when you divide it into halves and quarters. Instead of betting on the winner of the whole game, you can pick your winner for the first quarter. Or, try betting on how many points will be scored in the second half. There are masses of options, and what these let you do is bet on each period as if it were a separate event. For example, if you bet on the second half, then it does not matter how many points were scored or who won the first half. You are only betting on that period in the game.

Using quarters and halves markets, you can place even more wagers on a single game.

Game Props

If you want to spice up your betting action or simply test your knowledge of college basketball teams, then game props are the way to go. You can bet on practically anything that may or may not happen in a game. Prop markets can include totals for free throws, 3-point field goals, fouls and more. Then, there can be bets such as which quarter will be the highest scoring, which team will reach 20 points first, and will the game go to overtime. Betting on the winning margin is also an option. Instead of assigning a spread, this is a bet in which you need to predict the range of points that one of the teams will win by. There is no shortage of bets, and to get a better idea of what to expect, head over to our game props guide.

Player Bets

Instead of betting on game or team props, maybe player bets are your thing. These are bets on the individual performance of a player during a game. You can find some excellent picks such as total points, rebounds, blocks and other player stats. Sometimes, bookmakers will offer bets in which two players are pitched against each other. Using these, you can bet on which player will score more rebounds, register more points, or win in any other statistic.

Player bets are especially exciting when there are hyped players in a team. Look out for any player who’s just burst onto the scene and is having an outstanding year. The bookmakers are also following these players, and offering more bets on them.

Parlays

Parlays, also called accumulators, are bets in which numerous selections are merged into one. Rather than betting on multiple single bets, you can form one big bet, with highly generous odds. The odds of each single bet are multiplied against each other, making parlay bets very popular. The only risk is that all the single bets must be fulfilled for your parlay to win. Whether you want to go big or small with your parlay is completely up to you. There is no guaranteed way of winning, but in our guide to parlay betting, you can learn some useful tips.

Live Betting

In-play betting is a highly interactive experience which is massively popular amongst bettors. Practically all the bets you can find in the pregame betting markets are offered as live bets. The only exceptions are bets that have already been fulfilled, such as which team will win the first quarter after the first quarter has passed. Live bets come with live odds, which are updated in real-time. If you see a bet that you like, then you have to act fast as the odds can change in the blink of an eye. There are lots of different ways to approach live betting. Some punters need to see some of the action before committing to a bet. Others may want to take advantage of the live odds and try to look for a favourable change in the odds. Live betting is also a popular tool for live bettors.

It is not all just placing bets either. Most sportsbooks offer a cashout feature with which you can lock in your winnings or cut your losses. Find out more about live betting in our guide.

Where to Bet

NCAA basketball is not nearly as popular as the NBA, but it has a considerable following in the US and Canada. Fans may find a handful of bets offered on the NCAA Division I at most sportsbooks, but these will only cover the basics. If you want more extensive betting markets, then it is better to head over to any of the following betting sites.

USA NCAA Basketball Betting Sites

Canadian NCAA Basketball Betting Sites

These sites stand out for their broad coverage of NCAA basketball, offering you all the bets you can possibly need.

Conclusion

The best place to start betting on NCAA basketball is with Division I. This is the most covered event, and so it will have the most extensive betting markets. You should also find out which Conference your local college plays for. Talent can come from anywhere, and you never know when you are looking at the next Kobe Bryant or Magic Johnson.

Keep your eyes peeled and there are some great betting possibilities ahead. Especially if you know what to look for and can spot young talent quickly. This can lead to a lot of winning predictions and you may rack up quite the fortune. You should always play responsibly though, and never spend more money that you can afford to lose.