March Madness is a sports bettor’s dream. There are so many games going on each day, with some overlapping in time, so there is always action. From crazy buzzer-beaters to surprising upsets, the tournament is sure to have you on the edge of your seat.
While prop betting has exploded in popularity in recent years, it’s not as popular with college basketball.
Most bettors still gravitate towards traditional markets like moneylines, totals, and point spreads. This means that you can get an edge with prop betting, since the market may not be as sharp. It’s also fun to watch your player go Over or Under his total.
I’ll go through how to maximize your chances to win when placing March Madness props.
How March Madness Prop Betting Works
Prop bets are wagers that are made without the game outcome, spread or total in mind. Typically props involve players, where bettors can wager on an individual’s total number of points, rebounds, assists or any combination of those stats. There are also team props, like placing a bet on a team’s total points.
Prop betting is one of the most popular ways to bet pro sports, and although college prop betting isn’t quite as ubiquitous — due in part to laws against wagering on player props in certain states — there are options for bettors who are interested in cheering on their alma mater or favorite team without worrying about if they’ll win or cover.
Best March Madness Prop Betting Sites
March Madness is a marquee event for sports gamblers, and there are no shortage of betting apps that offer boosts and promos aimed at luring in new users. But here are some of the best online sportsbooks for all of your prop-betting needs.
FanDuel Sportsbook
FanDuel Sportsbook invented the Same-Game Parlay, which enables bettors to combine multiple markets from the same game, so you’d better believe it has elite options for all of your March Madness prop betting needs.
With FanDuel, you’ll inevitably have the widest selection of player props to choose from for each NCAA tournament game. Plus, with FanDuel you’ll get the best odds and can parlay multiple props from multiple games as part of the sportsbook’s Same-Game Parlay+, FanDuel’s newest invention.
DraftKings Sportsbook
DraftKings Sportsbook also has exceptional options in terms of player props and game props for each NCAA tournament game. The site also makes turning multiple prop bets into a Same-Game Parlay a cinch, just by toggling an icon at the top of each game
The DraftKings app also provides prospective March Madness bettors with data, info and stats so they can make the most educated decision possible and feel good about putting down their money on their preferred prop bet.
BetRivers Sportsbook
BetRivers Sportsbook is a terrific option for sports bettors, offering about 100 available markets for every NCAA basketball game. BetRivers is perfect for novice and new gamblers particularly since it offers an explainer section that breaks down odds, what each number means and how bettors can win by betting.
There are also easy-to-find stats and facts for bettors on the BetRivers website, and the sportsbook even curates a best bet for each game that pops up without even leaving the website or app.
Caesars Sportsbook
Caesar Sportsbook is one of the best online sportsbooks in the United States, with props for each game. Caesars provides bettors with props like first-half and second-half spreads as well as totals and double results — meaning the opportunity to wager on the outcome of each half.
The Caesars app and website do not have the same robust tips and stat info but they do provide boosted props and even prop parlays for marquee games to give bettors better odds for their prop betting.
BetMGM Sportsbook
BetMGM Sportsbook is another marquee sportsbook for gambling on NCAA tournament basketball. The BetMGM website and app offer an assortment of game props and even a livestream option for certain high-profile games.
What’s great about BetMGM too is you’ll earn rewards just by placing bets, which can be redeemed for hotel stays, restaurant credits, and even more at various MGM properties nationwide.
How To Pick the Best March Madness Prop Betting Sites
Choosing a betting app to use for your March Madness prop betting is a science, and it all comes down to preference. But there are some ways to determine which betting site is right for you:
- Odds: Odds clearly are the most important factor when considering which sportsbook to choose for prop betting. The best odds mean the largest profit, which is the most important factor when placing a bet.
- Markets: Some sportsbooks offer a wide assortment of props. Others provide fewer options. If your heart is set on betting a college basketball prop then you’ll want to find the bet you love.
- Boosts: If Gonzaga’s first-half spread is boosted from -6.5 to -3.5 that’ll make your bet more likely to hit. If a player prop odds are boosted from -110 to +105 that’ll make your profit larger. Each book has different boosts each day, which means it’s important to shop for the best odds.
March Madness Prop Betting Promotions
There are a lot of different sportsbook promos to consider before placing your March Madness prop bet online. For instance, sportsbooks typically will boost odds ahead of marquee events which makes the prop bet you love more enticing.
Plus if you’re a new or novice bettor you can dedicate your new signup bonus, which is added when you sign up with any online sportsbook, to putting money down on your preferred prop.
What CBB Props Can I Bet in My State?
Legal props vary from state to state. For instance, in New Jersey and New York, you can’t bet on in-state teams or props in games featuring in-state. In New York, Indiana, and Pennsylvania player props are not allowed for any game.
Player props are widely available for major-conference regular season games and every NCAA tournament game, except for those with teams in-state in New Jersey. However, game props are fine betting markets in every state.
If you’re looking for a particular market and are in a state that either bans player props or betting on games featuring in-state teams that is likely why it’s unavailable.
Best March Madness Prop Bets
The best bets are the ones we love, so make sure you love the bet you’re putting in before you place it. But there are other ways to gain an advantage while putting in prop bets.
For instance, if you love an upstart or underdog to keep things interesting against a better-seeded team, you can bet on that team to cover the first-half spread under the game props section in each sportsbook. You can dig into the data on each sportsbook, or do your research, to zero in on matchups that others may not have the time to take advantage of.
March Madness Player Props
Player props are a huge part of gambling on March Madness since the tournament features the best players in the nation, and they’re all easy to find on television. Still, player prop betting isn’t legal in every state, since states are concerned about the integrity of each game, so be sure to consult our handy section below that spells out where you can bet on college basketball player props.
But if you are in a state that enables player prop betting it is one of the most fun ways to wager on March Madness, particularly since it mitigates some of the anxiety about upsets. A star player could go over his points or points/rebounds/assists prop even if his team loses, thus making you a winner without having to root against Cinderella.
March Madness Prop Betting Strategy
There are various strategies to hitting a successful prop during the NCAA tournament. For instance, if you see or believe in a matchup that looks close on paper, but are uncertain about an underdog’s ability to hang with its prestigious first-round opponent for 40 minutes, you can wager on the first-half spread or that team’s point total.
If you are in a state that allows player props and love the idea of a star player from a mid-major conference going off then you can bet that player’s over for points. Or if you think he’ll be held in check, you can bet his under total for points.
A good way to check this is to look at a player’s season averages in comparison with the projected game environment. For example, let’s say that you were looking at the Over 15.5 on Chet Holmgren‘s points prop.
You can check to see that he averaged 14.2 points per game. You can also look at the point spread and game total. In this hypothetical example, let’s say Gonzaga is favored by 11.5 points with a 150.5-point total. This means that they are projected to score a lot of points, which would bode well for the Over on Holmgren’s points.
Benefits of NCAAB Prop Betting Online
Betting March Madness props online is way less intimidating than searching for a preferred prop at an in-person sportsbook. It’s easy to search for the prop you love, and most apps have an assortment of advice and data that brick-and-mortar sportsbooks don’t.
Plus, online sportsbooks offer an assortment of odds-boosted prop bets that enable bettors to win bigger profits for more likely outcomes.
Finally, when you win your online prop bet, you get paid instantaneously, meaning the money is in your virtual account within seconds of the event ending. That means your winnings will be in your account quickly, and you can use those funds to place another March Madness prop bet later in the tournament.
How to Place a March Madness Prop Bet Online
Placing a prop bet on March Madness is as easy as determining which game, market, and sportsbook to pursue. Here’s a list of steps to betting on props during the NCAA tournament.
- Log into your preferred sportsbook. If you don’t have signup info for an online sportsbook, register at one of them listed above. Use the promo code GAMEDAY to unlock any new signup offer or bonus
- Peruse the assortment of prop bets on various NCAA basketball games. Choose one you like and add it to your betslip
- Add the amount you are willing to wager
- Place your bet!
Where Can I Legally NCAAB Prop Bet Online?
Betting on college sports props is legal in every state online sports betting is legal. However there are restrictions about where player props are allowed — Pennsylvania, New York and Indiana have banned betting on those markets — and in New York and New Jersey betting on in-state college games is also not allowed.
Here’s a list of states where you can bet on game props:
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Illinois
- Indiana (No player props)
- Iowa
- Louisiana
- Michigan
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey (No in-state games)
- New York (No player props or in-state games)
- Pennsylvania (No player props)
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- Washington, D.C.
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
Choose More Than One March Madness Prop Betting Site
If you’re interested in prop betting on March Madness games, having money in more than one online sportsbook is essential. Some sportsbooks might have a more limited collection of props to gamble on. Others may offer much better NCAA basketball odds or even odds boosts on props or prop parlays.
Shopping around multiple sportsbooks will guarantee you get the best odds for your March Madness prop bet, and that will guarantee the largest profit.
