NCAA Basketball Betting Odds

Pennsylvania sports bettors now have a variety of choices for legal retail and online sportsbooks for college basketball betting. And, unlike neighboring New Jersey, all college sports are available for wagering.

Opportunity abounds for college basketball betting between now and March when the field for NCAA March Madness is revealed. If you’re ready to get started, here’s how and where to bet on college basketball in Pennsylvania.

Live college basketball odds 2021-22

Check our real-time odds feed below for a snapshot of the current NCAA basketball lines at PA online sportsbooks. Click directly on the odds to go directly to the sportsbook, claim your bonus and register a new account to make your bet. See the full NCAA basketball feed on our odds page (use the drop-down menu to select “NCAAB.”)

National championship futures odds are also posted on multiple sportsbooks and updated continually as the season moves forward. Check our real-time odds feed below for current NCAA championship odds and NCAAB game odds. Click on the odds to go directly to the sportsbook, claim your bonus and register a new account to make your bet.

College Basketball Betting Apps

For betting on college basketball from your phone in PA, DraftKings and FanDuel sportsbooks have the most popular apps, with FOX Bet a new contender on the scene.

1. DraftKings Sportsbook app

DraftKing SPortsbook app in PA offers point spreads, moneylines, and totals for every college basketball game plus alternate point spreads and alternative totals options. You can also partake in live, in-play betting on select games with bets including 1st- and 2nd-half winners.

Futures bets are also available on the app including:

• Which team will win the national championship
• Which teams will make the Final Four
• Which player will win the John R. Wooden Award for College Basketball Player of the Year

The DraftKings app is available on iOS and Android.

• Get the DraftKings app and claim your bonus

2. FanDuel Sportsbook app

FanDuel offers the core wagers for all college hoops games: point spread, moneyline, and total points. Also, there’s individual over/under totals for the home and away team. If you don’t get a chance to place your bet prior to tip-off, FanDuel offers live, in-play betting on select games. Futures bets include:

• Odds on making the Final Four
• Odds on winning the national championship
• Probability of receiving a No. 1 seed
• Picking the conference of the national champion (For example the ACC is at +270, the Big East +950, etc.)

There are also futures wagers on individual conference winners for the Big East, Big Ten, ACC, and four other conferences. FanDuel offers pricing for the individual player to be honored with the Wooden trophy.

• Claim your risk-free bet at FanDuel Sportsbook PA now

When is March Madness 2022?

After the announcement of the field on Selection Sunday (March 13), March Madness begins two days later with the First Four play-in games.

The first and second rounds start on Thursday March 17, and the Sweet 16 begins the following Thursday.

The 2022 Final Four and National Championship game takes place April 2 – April 4 in New Orleans. Here are the key dates for the tournament:

• March 15 – 16 First Four
• March 17 – 20 First and second rounds
• March 24 & 26 South Regional and West Regional
• March 25 & 27 Midwest Regional and East Regional
• April 2 & 4 Final Four

Pennsylvania programs expected to get a high seed in the 2022 NCAA tournament include Villanova and Penn St. Check our full guide to betting on March Madness in PA here:

• 2022 March Madness Betting

March Madness Free Bracket Challenge Contests

While betting on individual March Madness games is typically your best bet for making a profit, the ubiquitous Bracket pool is the usual entry point into March Madness betting.

Beyond filling out a bracket among friends or co-workers for your yearly bracket pool you can also find free and paid bracket challenges at online sportsbooks. A couple of particular note:

DraftKings $1 Million Survivor Pool – The $1 million Survivor is open to all new players across the US. Free to play, you simply need to pick a team each day. If that team wins, you move on to the next round. Opt into the $10K Upset Sweepstakes too!

• Play the free bracket challenge on DraftKings

FanDuel $10,000 Props Pick’em – They pick the props; you pick the winners. If you hit them all you win a share of $10k in daily prizes.

• Play FanDuel Props Pick’em free

NCAA men’s basketball schedule: Key dates

The NCAA selection committee meets to decide which 68 schools to include in the March Madness betting pool every year. Of the 68 schools, 32 qualify automatically by winning their conference tournament. The other 36 spots are awarded based on a complex set of rankings (aka NET rating) incorporating overall performance and schedule strength.

Some key schedule dates for college basketball in 2021-22:

November 9: Start of the regular season
November-December: Thanksgiving and holiday tournaments, non-conference games, and select conference games
January – February: Conference schedules
March 6: End of the regular season
March 8-13: Conference tournaments
March 13: Field of 68 announced
March 15: NCAA basketball tournament begins
April 2: National semifinals
April 4: National championship

NCAA Basketball AP Top 25 poll

Check out the current NCAA Basketball rankings at AP’s Top 25 Poll

College basketball betting beginners’ guide

What types of bets can I make on college basketball?

Much like other team sports, the core bets for college basketball are point spreads, moneylines and totals aka over/unders. However, compared to the NBA, college hoops offer fewer betting options for game props on individual players.

NCAA futures and prop bets

As described above, there are props for the national champion, making the Final Four, garnering a No. 1 seed, and player of the year. FanDuel also has futures bets listed for conference champions and which conference will win the national title.

See the current futures odds on your favorite college team at DraftKings Sportsbook or FanDuel Sportsbook above.

Five basic college basketball betting tips

1. Pick a team, know your stuff: There are 351 Division 1 college basketball teams, and games are on the schedule seven days a week. You can’t possibly collect enough information to make solid betting decisions for every game and team so pick a team or two, watch them carefully and try to make the best bets you can based on the information available.
2. Watch the games, check the box scores: Watch the games and then form an opinion on potential weak spots or betting opportunities. Check the box scores to identify first-half and second-half trends, player minutes, three-point shooting, rebounding advantages, etc.
3. Take advantage of free info: A lot of great resources are available, including ESPN, CBS Sports, FOX Sports, and local sports affiliates, which follow the local teams closely. Check the summary, stat, and trend sheets available from the NCAA website as well.
4. Follow the local media: The school’s Twitter account, local news beat writers, student newspapers, and local TV/radio stations all follow the team closely. You’ll receive dozens of tips and injury news throughout the season that can help you make better betting decisions.
5. Find situational betting opportunities: “Trap” games come up often. If a team has a big game coming up against a long-time rival, they’re always ripe for an upset in the game or two leading up to it. Likewise, if a team has a knockdown, drag-out OT battle and then play again in a day or two, expect a letdown. Check the team’s schedule and results, and you’ll find some distinct spots where a betting advantage will show itself.