NCAAB Lines, Odds, and Betting Trends

How to Use the Odds Comparison Tool

Compare college basketball odds across legal US sportsbooks at ScoreandOdds.com to help you profit all the way through March Madness. Find out how to use the odds comparison tool, along with other college basketball & March Madness betting tips below.

Are you in a state or traveling to a state with legal sports betting during March Madness, such as Indiana, Pennsylvania or New Jersey? Our college basketball odds comparison tool, which can be used on desktop or mobile, is perfect for anyone trying to win money. You can also look at NCAA Tournament odds to find the best sportsbook for your national championship picks.

The college basketball odds comparison tool highlights the best spreads, totals and moneylines from premier legal US sportsbooks in the country. We know shopping lines from one sportsbook to the next can take a lot of time, and it’s especially difficult during the early rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

SAO’s odds comparison tool ensures you find the best line, as quickly as possible. Simply select spreads, totals or moneylines where it says Bet Type. The odds tool will outline the best college basketball odds in red, directing you to a specific sportsbook.

To sweeten the deal, every sportsbook featured in our college basketball odds comparison tool will have a welcome promotion, which includes free bets or deposit bonuses for all new users.

Of course, if you are new to college basketball betting, or sports betting in general, you need to understand exactly what you are looking at in terms of college basketball odds, moneylines and point totals before you start cashing bets.

College Basketball Betting Glossary

Spread – Betting on the game spread (against the spread or ATS) is the most popular way to bet on the college basketball games. Learn how to read lines first. You can bet on either the favorite or the underdog to cover the spread. The favorite is the team giving or laying points (ex: Duke Blue Devils -8). The underdog is the team getting points (ex: North Carolina Tar Heels +8).

By betting on the favorite, the team doesn’t merely need to win the game for you to win the bet — the winning margin needs to exceed to the spread. In the example above (Duke -8), the Blue Devils need to win by 9 points or more if you bet on them. If they win by 7 points or fewer, the bet is graded as a loss. An 8-point win will count as a push, where the bettor neither loses or wins money.

College Basketball Betting Tip: There is more value on larger underdogs in games with smaller point totals than higher point totals. For example, Texas Tech opened +7 versus Louisville, O/U 131, during the 2019 season. The total moved down to 125 after a key Texas Tech player was ruled out, but the spread stayed the same. A +7 underdog in a game with a total of 125 is worth way more than a +7 of 131.

Moneyline – By betting on the moneyline, you are simply betting on who you think will win the game. If you bet on the favorite, you’ll have to risk more than you win. Example: Duke -250, North Carolina +220. To win $10 on the Duke, a bettor must risk $25. A bettor risking $10 on North Carolina will profit $22 if the Tar Heels pull off the upset.

College Basketball Betting Tip: If you’re an avid moneyline bettor, by far the most important thing you can do is line shop, which is precisely what our college basketball odds comparison tool is for. One sportsbooks might offer +125 on the bet you’re looking for while another sportsbook offers +110. You always want to bet the best number.

Total (Over/Under) – An Over/Under bet on college basketball point totals is a bet on the combined number of points scored by both teams, overtime included. If you bet Over on a game total of 127, you want the combined score of both teams to be greater than 127 (ex: 68-60).

College Basketball Betting Tip: Specialize in a specific conference or team, preferably a mid-major. There are hundreds of college basketball games in a given week, and with so much going on, sportsbooks will often miss something important. Most of their action is on major conferences and teams, so their lines will be more efficient for those games.

Vigorish (vig) or Juice – The vig or juice is how sportsbooks profit, taking a cut from sports bettors when they place their bets. Sportsbooks typically have a vig of -110 on both sides of a bet, meaning you have to risk $11 for every $10 you want to win. Taking into account the vigorish, you need to win not half of your bets but at least 52.4% just to break even.

College Basketball Betting Tip: One way to beat the virogish, juice or “rake” is by taking advantage of promos and offers, such as the ones in our odds comparison tool. With legal US sportsbooks competing for customers, many are giving away free bets and deposit bonuses. The offers won’t last forever, so take advantage of all of them while you can.

Other College Basketball Betting Terms

Parlay – College basketball parlays involve two or more betting picks, all of which must win or else the entire bet loses. However, with more risk comes increased reward. Two-team parlays usually pay 2.6-to-1, three-team parlays pay 6-to-1, four-team parlays pay 10-to-1, etc. Though we refer to these as “two-team parlays,” parlays can consist of picks on the point totals and sometimes even props. Use our parlay calculator for your convenience.

College Basketball Betting Tip: While big payouts are exciting, making a habit out of betting parlays will lead to volatile fluctuations of your bankroll.

Teasers – Like a parlay, teasers require more than one pick, and all picks in your teaser must hit. Bettors like teasers because it is a way to move multiple point spreads (or totals) to their advantage. Since the points are adjusted in the bettor’s favor, teasers do not have as large of payouts as parlays

College Basketball Betting Tip: Don’t tease point totals. There is too much variance when it comes to point totals. Stick to teasing college basketball spreads, and don’t tease more than 2-3 teams at a time.

Live Betting (in-game) – Live betting, or in-game wagering, occurs after a game starts. Did you stay at work late and forget to place your bet before tip-off? Most US sportsbooks will have live lines available for you to bet on while the game is still in progress.

College Basketball Betting Tip: Take advantage of live lines to find hedge, arbitrage and middle opportunities.