March Madness gets underway this week. For the first time, North Carolina residents can get in on the action as legal online sports betting officially launched in the state on March 11. The tournament begins with the First Four matchups on Tuesday and Wednesday and continues with the first round on Thursday.
All told, it’s three weeks of hoops action to look forward to, with local favorites UNC, Duke, and NC State among the 68 qualifiers. First-round March Madness odds are available, as well as the winner of the national championship. Read on for complete details on how to bet on March Madness in North Carolina.
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Can you bet on March Madness in North Carolina?
Yes, March Madness is available for online sports betting in North Carolina. The official launch of online betting in the state happened on March 11 following the passage of a bill in 2023.
There are no restrictions on betting on college basketball or on local teams. People who are 21 or older can sign up and wager at college basketball betting sites in the state. To place real money wagers, you’ll be geolocated to verify that you are within state lines.
Which NC teams are playing in March Madness?
North Carolina, Duke, and NC State have all qualified for this year’s edition of March Madness. The table below has the key details, including the latest odds for their opening round matchups.
| Team | Region/Seed | Opponent | Game Time | Spread | Over/under |
| North Carolina | West #1 | #16 Howard OR #16 Wagner | March 21, 2:45 p.m. ET | TBD | TBD |
| Duke | South #4 | #13 Vermont | March 22, 7:10 p.m. ET | ||
| NC State | South #11 | #6 Texas Tech | March 21, 9:40 p.m. ET |
North Carolina is the top seed in the West region. The club is 27-7 and 17-3 in conference play, which was good for first in the ACC. It came up short in the conference tournament, losing in the finale to NC State by a score of 84-76. The Tar Heels will square off with the winner of the First Four game between Howard and Wagner in the opening round.
Duke is 24-8 and finished second in the ACC during the regular season with a conference mark of 15-5. It also fell victim to NC State in the conference tourney, dropping a 74-69 decision in the quarterfinals. The Blue Devils will be in action on Friday with a first-round matchup versus Vermont.
NC State officially punched its ticket to the dance with a thrilling victory over North Carolina in the ACC Tournament final. The club was just 9-11 in conference play this season and has an overall record of 22-14. The Wolfpack are riding a five-game winning streak as they get set to square off with Texas Tech on Thursday.
How to sign up at NC sportsbooks for March Madness
- Choose the sportsbooks that you want to try from the table above.
- Click the links and enter any necessary promo codes to claim any available bonuses.
- Follow the prompts, enter your information, and complete the sign-up process.
- Verify that everything is correct and click to create your account.
- Make a deposit via your preferred banking method.
- Locate the college basketball section and browse the available options.
- Click the odds for what you want to bet on to add it to your betting slip.
- Add in the amount that you want to wager and click to place your bet.
- Follow the progress of your wager in the open bets section of your account.
