NCAAB Odds at Prime Sportsbook: Get the Best College Basketball Betting Lines and Live Odds

College basketball betting offers something that no other sport can deliver: 351 Division 1 college basketball teams, far more than college football or the major professional leagues. Thus, college basketball can be both a blessing and a curse, depending on the gambler.

Sharps love college hoops because they can find advantageous betting lines, with so many games on the board. On the other hand, the casual sector betting sticks to the most familiar name brands in the sport, often altering the betting odds as a result.

How NCAAB Betting Odds Work

There are many ways to wager on college basketball. The most common way to bet is with the point spread, where you can lay points with the favorite or take points on the underdog.

The moneyline is also popular because all a gambler must do is pick the straight-up winner by laying odds with the favorite or taking odds with the underdog. Totals, also known as over/unders, are betting on whether the combined score of a game will go over or under a number set by the oddsmakers.

Futures betting is for laying odds on who will win the NCAA championship, total team wins, and more. The NCAA championship odds are similar to futures; gamblers take odds on which teams will win the title. College basketball parlays combine multiple bets into one for a higher payout rate.

Player props betting is for player achievements during a game, such as over or under how many points or rebounds a player will compile.

College Basketball Moneyline Example:

A great NCAAB betting example of the moneyline is the Duke Blue Devils vs. the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. If Duke is a 20.5-point spread favorite, many gamblers will not want to lay that substantial number, despite their belief that Duke will win.

The moneyline provides an alternative option. Instead of laying the points, a gambler could lay -4000 on the moneyline to win $100. It is indeed a massive amount of money to bet on a meager $100 return, but many gamblers don’t care. On the other hand, if a gambler smells a potential upset, he can bet $100 on Wake Forest to win a $1600 profit.

College Basketball Spread Example:

In our Duke vs. Wake Forest example, if Duke is a 20.5-point home favorite, it must win the game straight up by 21 or more points to cover and beat the college basketball odds. On the other hand, if Wake Forest is a 20.5-point road dog, the Demon Deacons will cover the bet if they win the game straight up or lose by no more than 20 points.

Thus, if Duke wins the game 100-75, the Blue Devils cover the bet because their 25-point margin of victory was more than the point spread of 20.5 points. On the other hand, if Duke wins the game 100-80, Wake Forest would cover the bet by a half-point.

From moneylines to player props, our basketball betting guide breaks it all down.

Most Popular NCAA Basketball Betting Types

College Basketball Moneylines: Gamblers are attracted to the simplicity of only picking the winner of a game, without sweating out a point spread; however, a loss on a big moneyline favorite can bust a bankroll.

College Basketball Point Spreads: Point spreads are based on the ability of the teams and the public perception of those teams. Thus, point spreads are like stocks on the market.

College Basketball Totals (Over/Under): An example is Wake Forest vs. Duke, with a total of 145.5. Gamblers will bet on whether the final combined score is over or under 145.5.

College Basketball First Half & First Quarter Betting: Bet on the first or second half of a college basketball game. This method offers hedge possibilities.

College Basketball Team Totals: The most popular team total is the number of wins a team has in a season. You can also study their over/under total numbers online.

College Basketball Player Props: An example of a player prop is Duke’s Cooper Flagg to score over or under 21 points in a game. If Flagg scores 25 points, his player pro goes over the total.

College Basketball Parlays:  When a gambler makes two or more wagers and ties them to the same bet. If all the wagers win, the parlay wins, but if just one wager loses, even if the other wagers win, the parlay is a loser.

College Basketball Futures (March Madness, Conference Championships, Player Awards): An example of the NCAAB futures is Duke +190 for a $100 bet. If Duke wins the championship, gamblers get $290 (stakes and winnings) in return.

College Basketball Live Betting: Live betting, also called in-game betting, involves wagers made throughout the game. This method is fast-paced and involves continuous changes of odds and prices.

How to Bet on College Basketball Throughout the Season

College basketball is a sport with seasons within seasons, as each team has national rankings and also plays in a conference.

For example, Duke plays in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Thus, teams multitask with an initial goal of winning their league championship, postseason conference championship, and finally the out-of-conference national championship.

The best practice for gamblers is to monitor the national and conference rankings. Also, it's smart to look for power teams, such as Duke, if they are in the rare role of an underdog.

Bet on Major College Basketball Events at Prime Sportsbook

College basketball betting takes place from October through April, with futures action all year at Prime Sportsbook and all the other wagering options we've covered.

Prime Sportsbook offers the best college basketball betting promotions and the most thorough lines. Our interface is logical, making for easy college hoops wagering.

College Basketball Regular Season

The regular season runs from October through March, with 351 teams playing in 31 conferences. Teams will play over 30 regular-season games, which leads to plenty of good value betting opportunities.

Yet, it is important not to take on too much, as even professional gamblers can’t realistically keep up with the volume of teams and games.

College Basketball Conference Tournaments

An exciting time for college basketball betting is the conference tournaments. These events serve as a second bite at the apple for teams who had disappointing regular seasons while wanting to get into the NCAA Tournament.

Another factor to consider is that regular-season champions of the major conferences often do not have to exert themselves in a conference tournament.

March Madness – NCAA Tournament

The NCAA Tournament is what college basketball is all about. Also known as March Madness and the Big Dance, the tournament runs for three weeks, from mid-March through the first week of April.

Betting action on the first two rounds is amongst the highest in any sport.

College Basketball Final Four

The Final Four is the climax of the college basketball betting season. It is composed of the Final Four teams remaining in the NCAA Tournament.

Semifinal games are played on the first Saturday in April, and the national championship game is played on Monday night.