Best College Basketball Betting Sites Ranked by Gambling.com

Q: What is NCAA Basketball?

The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) is the primary governing body of college basketball in the United States. Hundreds of colleges participate in separate conferences across three divisions (I, II, and III). Division I comprises the biggest schools with large support programs for athletes.

Q: How does time work in college basketball?

The men play two 20-minute halves, and the women play four 10-minute quarters. In both the men’s and women’s games, each overtime lasts five minutes.

Q: Does overtime count in college basketball betting?

Generally, the answer is yes. Unless the bet terms and conditions express otherwise, overtime is part of the wager.

Q: What is the 8-second rule in college basketball?

After gaining possession of the ball, teams have eight seconds to advance the ball past the half-court line. If they fail to do so, the opposing team gets the ball.

Above, we’ve designed a quick comparison tool to help you find the best college basketball betting site.

You can select up to three sites from the list above and click Add to Compare to compare their offers, features, payment methods, and more side-by-side.

If you’re unsure which online site suits you, this tool can help you quickly spot the right fit. Give it a try and see how the options stack up.

Note that betting offers vary based on your location.

How We Test and Rate NCAAB Betting Sites

We at Gambling.com have decades of combined experience testing and reviewing sports betting sites. After years of analyzing sites and reviewing feedback from real bettors, we’ve seen firsthand what makes or breaks a great betting site. Our goal is to connect you with books that aren’t just safe but offer great odds and a smooth experience from sign-up to payout.

Our team of industry-leading experts grades each of the betting sites they review on a scale of one to 10 across 10 different categories that we deem to be most important to sports bettors. To determine these scores, we don’t just sit behind a screen and rate sites—we test them, compare them, and really dig into the user experience to see how they stack up. Our process ensures we only recommend betting sites that meet our high standards.

In addition to identifying the best sports betting sites, we are committed to promoting responsible gambling. That’s why we only review fully licensed operators and offer tools and resources that address responsible betting practices.

Types of NCAAB Bets

Before you start, you’ll need to understand NCAAB odds and markets. There are a lot of potential markets to bet on in college basketball, most of which are linked to individual games.

You’ll also have the chance to back potential championship winners months in advance.

The Basics: Moneyline, Spread, Total

A moneyline bet is the simplest wager in NCAA college basketball. It’s a straight bet on the winner of a game.

Point spread betting is also popular in college basketball. In this format, the favorite is given a points handicap, while the underdog receives the same amount of points as a head start before the start of a game.

Totals betting is another common market in college basketball. It involves wagering on the total number of points scored in a game, regardless of which team wins. The total is presented as an Over/Under line. You’re betting on whether the total combined score of both teams will be more or less than the listed number.

Props

Props are markets on specific outcomes during a game. Often, prop bets have little bearing on the game's result. Team prop bets are wagers on particular team totals. Props can include wagers on points for specific quarters or halves. Individual player props are typically over/under bets on markets such as Total Points and Total Rebounds.

Remember that prop betting on college sports is prohibited in certain jurisdictions. If so, a legal betting site will not even allow you to make these bets.

Futures

You can also find betting odds on events further into the season. The most popular college basketball futures market is betting on the winner of the NCAA Tournament, known as March Madness.

The NCAA Tournament comprises 68 teams, 32 conference championship winners, and 36 committee-selected teams. March Madness is a knockout tournament, with each round contested between seeded teams.

March Madness odds are offered on every round of the NCAA Tournament and the outright winner. With so many teams participating in the NCAA Tournament each year, finding value can be difficult. Bet far enough in advance, and you can pick up some value, especially if the matchups haven’t been decided yet.

Live Betting on College Basketball

Some college basketball betting sites allow in-game (live) betting. Live betting is wagering on games as they happen. In-play betting is a great way to secure a profit because you can see how a game plays out.

You can follow the action live on TV or stream the game on some NCAAB betting apps; odds will change in real time before your eyes.

NCAAB Betting Strategy

You need to plan out your college basketball bets before you make them. You may study the form or recent head-to-head. You might look for underdogs being undervalued in the markets.

NCAA basketball offers gamblers many betting options; you must know how to leverage them.

Study Individual Matchups

Most good college basketball betting sites offer in-depth stats and analysis on individual matchups. This free information provides insight into how well teams perform against one another. Statistics also provide records on how star players perform against each other.

You'll find average points, assists, and shooting percentages. This information is essential for evaluating moneyline bets and prop wagers effectively.

Look for Home-Court Advantage

Home-court advantage is often overlooked when making college basketball bets. Players typically perform better on their home court and benefit from being surrounded by a full house of their fans.

NCAAB teams have a higher home winning percentage than their professional NBA counterparts. Historically, some teams have enjoyed a home win percentage of 66% to 67%, while others have had 80% or greater winning percentages.

Bet Against the Spread

There is little value in NCAA basketball moneyline bets because the matchups can often be quite lopsided. That’s why it can pay to find decent prices in the point spreads. Betting against the spread (ATS) can reap rewards if you know where to look.

You will get much more profitable college basketball odds on hot favorites who have a heavy point handicap before the start of the game. This is where you can cash in if you can spot value.

Similarly, an NCAA basketball underdog may have a better chance of providing a payout if it starts with a healthy points advantage. You may not like the look of Syracuse at +200 (3.00 decimal, 2/1 fractional) on the moneyline, but with a +6.5 point head start, the odds-on price becomes more appealing.

Analyze Public Betting

Knowing how the public bets can help you make clever college basketball picks. Statistics websites track the public's betting on NCAAB markets, showing the consensus and betting percentages.

College basketball odds and trends help you decide whether to bet with the public or against them. You may agree with the public money and want to follow it. However, the odds usually don’t align with public funds because the primary goal of betting sites is to balance action and minimize liability.

Fade the Public

You may want to "fade the public" and deliberately bet against the college basketball consensus. This "contrarian" method is common among professional gamblers. They look for value in markets where most of the money has gone to the home side, or a hot favorite—picks are more about sentiment than stats. In this case, the smart cash, the pro gambler often feels, should go on the other team.

Oddsmakers regularly adjust their NCAAB odds to protect their position. For this reason, a heavily backed home team may push the odds in their favor, creating value on the road team. This is the ideal time for a savvy gambler to bet the other way.

Responsible Gambling at College Basketball Betting Sites

We at Gambling.com take responsible gambling very seriously. Our main goals are to connect you with reliable betting operators while maintaining a safe gambling environment for all users.

Sports betting sites, especially those that offer college sports, must follow strict protocols to spot, prevent, and reduce gambling-related harm. These measures aren't optional; they're legal requirements and essential safeguards that protect vulnerable players from developing problematic habits.

We always keep these requirements in mind whenever we review and rate a betting site, and we only partner with licensed operators that adhere to legal standards. Moreover, all betting sites we review here have responsible gambling tools and resources to help you stay in control of your betting.

Best College Basketball Betting Sites