Brackets have been revealed for the 2023 NCAA men’s basketball tournament, and online sportsbooks have released odds for the upcoming games.
March Madness officially begins on Tuesday, March 14, with the First Four games set for Dayton, Ohio. First-round play begins on Thursday, March 16, with a full bracket of 64 college basketball teams vying for the national championship. The single-elimination tournament will continue all the way up to the Final Four on April 1, followed by the NCAA championship game on April 3.
Below, you’ll find the most current odds on every upcoming game in the NCAA March Madness tournament, with the best lines taken from legal US sportsbooks and updated regularly as information becomes available.
Jump to Region: East | West | Midwest | South
Best NCAA Tournament Odds — First Round
East Region Odds
| Game | Favorite | Underdog | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| (1) Purdue vs. (16) Fairleigh Dickinson | Purdue () | Fairleigh Dickinson () | |
| (8) Memphis vs. (9) Florida Atlantic | Memphis () | Florida Atlantic () | |
| (5) Duke vs. (12) Oral Roberts | Duke () | Oral Roberts () | |
| (4) Tennessee vs. (13) Louisiana | Tennessee () | Louisiana () | |
| (6) Kentucky vs. (11) Providence | Kentucky () | Providence () | |
| (3) Kansas State vs. (14) Montana State | Kansas State () | Montana State () | |
| (7) Michigan State vs. (10) USC | Michigan State | USC () | |
| (2) Marquette vs. (15) Vermont | Marquette () | Vermont () |
West Region Odds
| Game | Favorite | Underdog | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| (1) Kansas vs. (16) Howard | Kansas () | Howard () | |
| (8) Arkansas vs. (9) Illinois | Arkansas () | Illinois () | |
| (5) St. Mary’s vs. (12) VCU | St. Mary’s () | VCU () | |
| (4) UConn vs. (13) Iona | Connecticut () | Iona () | |
| (6) TCU vs. (11) Arizona State | TCU () | Arizona State () | |
| (3) Gonzaga vs. (14) Grand Canyon | Gonzaga () | Grand Canyon () | |
| (7) Northwestern vs (10) Boise State | Northwestern () | Boise State () | |
| (2) UCLA vs. (15) UNC Asheville | UCLA () | UNC Asheville () |
Midwest Region Odds
| Game | Favorite | Underdog | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| (1) Houston vs. (16) No. Kentucky | Houston () | Northern Kentucky () | |
| (8) Iowa vs. (9) Auburn | Auburn () | Iowa () | |
| (5) Miami vs. (12) Drake | Miami () | Drake () | |
| (4) Indiana vs. (13) Kent State | Indiana () | Kent State () | |
| (6) Iowa State vs. (11) Pittsburgh | Iowa State () | Pittsburgh () | |
| (3) Xavier vs. (14) Kennesaw State | Xavier () | Kennesaw State () | |
| (7) Texas A&M vs. (10) Penn State | Texas A&M () | Penn State () | |
| (2) Texas vs. (15) Colgate | Texas () | Colgate ( ) |
South Region Odds
| Game | Favorite | Underdog | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| (1) Alabama vs. (16) Texas A&M-CC | Alabama () | Texas A&M-CC () | |
| (8) Maryland vs. (9) West Virginia | West Virginina () | Maryland () | |
| (5) San Diego State vs. (12) Charleston | San Diego State () | Charleston () | |
| (4) Virginia vs. (13) Furman | Virginia () | Furman () | |
| (6) Creighton vs. (11) NC State | Creighton () | NC State () | |
| (3) Baylor vs. (14) UC Santa Barbara | Baylor () | UC Stana Barbara () | |
| (7) Missouri vs. (10) Utah State | Utah State () | Missouri () | |
| (2) Arizona vs. (15) Princeton | Arizona () | Princeton () |
Types Of NCAA March Madness Bets
Point Spread: For each game, sportsbooks will offer a point spread, which appears as a plus (+) or minus (-) number next to each team. This refers to the margin of victory in the game. For instance, if the point spread on a team is -6.5, that makes a bet on that team would only be successful if the team wins by seven or more points. If the spread is +6.5, a bet on that team would be successful if the team either loses by six points or fewer, or wins the game by any margin.
Moneyline: This is a straight bet on the outcome of the game. The points and margin of victory don’t matter. Winning this bet is entirely dependent on picking the correct team to win the game. The odds on these bets will vary, and it is the odds that determine your payout. Plus (+) money odds indicate an underdog, while minus (-) indicates a favorite.
Total: This refers to the total number of points scored by both teams in the game. For instance, if the total is set at 134.5 points, the “over” bet would only cash if the two teams combine to score 135 points or more. The “under” bet would hit if the two teams combine to score 134 points or fewer.
Halves: Many sportsbooks will also offer odds on things like point total or point spread, but divided up into the two halves of each game. This allows you to bet the game one half at a time rather than only by the end result.
Futures: This bet allows you to pick the team that will go on to win the entire NCAA tournament. This can be a way to get good odds on a favored team by picking them before the tournament begins or early on in the tournament. If your team is eliminated, obviously, the bet automatically loses at that point. But for bettors who have one favored team, and don’t want to bet by each individual game, it can be a way to capitalize on more favorable odds by picking the eventual tournament winner.
View futures for every March Madness team here.
How March Madness Odds Work
The most important thing to know about how betting odds work is the meaning of the plus (+) and minus (-) before each number. Plus odds indicate an underdog. For instance, if the odds on a team to win are +200, that means you would win $200 on a bet of $100, in addition to the return of your initial stake. If the odds are -200, that means you would need to bet $200 in order to win $100, plus the return of your additional stake.
Teams that are heavy underdogs – for instance, odds of +700 – are typically thought to have a minimal chance of winning. But the potential payout if that team wins – in this case, $700 on a $100 bet – is so great that it’s meant to entice bettors who want to take a chance in the hopes of significant returns.
Conversely, heavy favorites are thought to have a very good chance of winning, but the odds make it so that bettors have to risk more money for a much smaller payout.
How To Bet On NCAA March Madness
- Use the tables above to find the bet and the odds that you like best.
- Click the odds to go to the specific sportsbook that’s offering those odds on that bet.
- If you don’t already have an account with that sportsbook, sign up and create one.
- Select a deposit method and add money to your account.
- You can now place your wager.
