How to bet on March Madness

March Madness is an annual tournament that determines that year’s champions in NCAA Division I college basketball. It normally runs for three weeks from mid-March to the first week of April, and is so named for the buzz it generates among fans, teams, and the media alike. The tournament is the most watched and bet on event in college sports, and of special interest to bettors who attempt the arduous task of predicting a perfect bracket every year.

After the final spots are decided in the First Four round, the main March Madness bracket begins, which seeds 64 teams into four groups of 16 by region. The bracket is a single-elimination tournament, meaning it often produces exciting games and big shocks, including early exits from outright favorites and unexpected runs into the latter rounds by supposed underdogs.

Sportsbooks offer a large range of markets on March Madness every year, including numerous lines on every single game of the tournament and live betting. For those who enjoy college sports or high-stakes basketball action, March Madness is undoubtedly a highlight of the sporting calendar.

The markets and odds available for March Madness will be familiar to anyone who has previously bet on other basketball competitions such as the NBA. The most popular March Madness markets offered by sportsbooks include:

• Moneyline: This is a simple market on which team will win a March Madness game.

• Point spread: This is a type of bet on whether a team will win or lose a March Madness game by a specific margin.

• Total or over/under: This involves betting on if the total number of points in a March Madness game will be over or under a number set by the sportsbook.

• Parlays: You can place parlay bets featuring multiple selections on March Madness. These can be same-game parlays (several selections on the same game) or multi-game parlays (multiple selections on different games).

• Prop bets: Props allow you to bet on anything that can happen in a March Madness game not directly linked to the final result, e.g. which team or player will score more three pointers or get more rebounds.

• Futures: March Madness futures are available for markets including the outright winner and whether a team will reach the Final Four.

The Kansas Jayhawks won March Madness in 2022 for the fourth time in their history, narrowly defeating the North Carolina Tar Heels 72-69 in the Championship Game at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. They entered the main bracket as the top Midwestern seed courtesy of their 28-6 regular season record, reaching the Final Four with an impressive 76-50 win over No. 10 seed the Miami Hurricanes.

In the Final Four, they beat the Villanova Wildcats 81-65, before producing a stunning comeback to clinch the championship, having trailed North Carolina by 15 points after the first half. Jalen Wilson and David McCormack were their offensive heroes on the day with 15 points each, while Christian Braun claimed 12 rebounds. The title was Kansas’ first March Madness victory since 2008 and their first appearance in the Championship Game since they lost to the Kentucky Wildcats in 2012.