The best March Madness betting sites are Caesars Sportsbook, BetMGM, BetRivers, and FanDuel. The college basketball betting experts at TheLines will review those sportsbooks and many more. Check out a list of the top March Madness betting sites below and see all of the different ways you can wager on the NCAA basketball tournament.
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Top March Madness betting apps
Here are the top March Madness betting apps available.
| Sportsbook | Bonus Offer | Promo Code |
|---|---|---|
| Caesars Sportsbook | Bet $1, double your winnings on next 10 wagers | THELINESDYW |
| BetMGM Sportsbook | Welcome Bonus up to $1,500 (most states) Get up to $250 in Bonus Bets if your first bet doesn’t win. (NV only) | THELINES |
| FanDuel Sportsbook | Bet $5, Get $200 in Bonus Bets if Your Bet Wins | Click to claim promo |
| Fanatics Sportsbook | Bet and Get up to $1,000 in No Sweat Bets (most states) OR Receive a 300% Profit Boost Token to use on a wager of $50 max (NY only) | Click to claim promo |
| DraftKings Sportsbook | Up To A $1,250 promo + King of the Court Profit Boost | Click to claim promo |
| BetRivers Sportsbook | $500 promo | LINESRIV |
| Bet365 Sportsbook | $1,000 Bonus PA only: Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets + 50 free spins | THELINES |
Best March Madness Betting Sites & apps
Here is a list of best betting sites and betting apps that feature March Madness and our rating for each sportsbook.
- Caesars 4.8/5
- BetMGM 4.8/5
- BetRivers 4.6/5
- FanDuel 4.6/5
- DraftKings 4.6/5
- Bet365 4.3/5
- Fanatics 4.7/5
1. Caesars Sportsbook
Caesars Sportsbook is our top-ranked March Madness betting site. It has everything you need to bet on the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, including game lines and tournament futures. The book will also has a $500,000 Parlay Madness promo in which Bonus Bets will be awarded each week of the tournament.
Another feature that separates Caesars from the pack is its expansive rewards program. By betting on college basketball at Caesars Sportsbook, you will unlock offers at Caesars Rewards destinations like Caesars Palace Las Vegas, Caesars Virginia, and Caesars New Orleans. These offers include discounted or free room stays, restaurant visits, and entertainment.
| Caesars Sportsbook Promo Code | THELINESDYW |
|---|---|
| Welcome Bonus | Bet $1, double your winnings on next 10 wagers |
| Best For | Profit boosts, CFB Props, and Caesars Rewards |
| States Available | AZ, CO, DC, IN, IL, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, NC, NJ, NY, NV, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, & WY |
| MM betting options | Game lines, win totals MM odds, and national championship futures |
| Apple Store Rating | 4.6 |
| Google Store Rating | 4.4 |
| Our Rating | 4.8 |
2. BetMGM Sportsbook
BetMGM Sportsbook gained a reputation for awesome offers during the last NCAA basketball tournament, making it a top betting site. BetMGM is bringing back its $10 million Bracket Challenge promotion. The contest is free to new and existing customers and has a $10 million grand prize for a perfect bracket. No one won the big one last year, but BetMGM still paid out $100,000 to the person who got the most correct picks.
21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER| BetMGM Sportbook Promo Code | THELINES |
|---|---|
| Welcome Bonus | Welcome Bonus up to $1,500 Get up to $250 in Bonus Bets if your first bet doesn’t win. (NV only) |
| Best For | All March Madness bettors |
| States Available | AZ, CO, DC, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MS, NJ, NV, NY, NC, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV & WY - Note: Offer not available in NY |
| MM betting options | Game lines, win totals MM odds, and national championship futures |
| Apple Store Rating | 4.8 |
| Google Store Rating | 4.5 |
| Our Rating | 4.8 |
3. BetRivers Sportsbook
BetRivers Sportsbook is another top-notch March Madness betting site. You can easily find all of the standard college basketball betting offerings, such as game lines, Final Four odds, and NCAA National Title odds. BetRivers has fun March Madness sportsbook promos in 2025, like a Madness Parlay profit boost and house specials. The sportsbook is running a “squares” contest for the tournament with payouts of up to $10,000 in bonus money.
| BetRivers Sportsbook Promo Code | LINESRIV |
|---|---|
| Welcome Bonus | $500 promo |
| Best For | House specials, SGP and Rush Rewards |
| States Available | AZ, CO, IL, IN, IA, LA, MD, MI, OH, NJ, NY, PA, VA & WV |
| MM betting options | Game lines, win totals, MM odds, and national championship futures |
| Apple Store Rating | 4.5 |
| Google Store Rating | 4.4 |
| Our Rating | 4.6 |
4. FanDuel Sportsbook
FanDuel Sportsbook is the best March Madness betting site for betting on props. There are several promos available for games taking place through Sunday, March 23. They include:
- College Basketball Bet Back Token
- Free Tourney Shuffle’EM
- Dog of the Day
| FanDuel Sportsbook Promo Code | No Code Necessary |
|---|---|
| Welcome Bonus | Bet $5, Get $200 in Bonus Bets if Your Bet Wins |
| Best For | Boosts and promos |
| States Available | AZ, CO, DC, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, TN, VT, VA, WV & WY |
| MM betting options | SGP, conference/MM/national championship futures, game lines |
| Apple Store Rating | 4.8 |
| Google Store Rating | 4.7 |
| Our Rating | 4.6 |
5. DraftKings Sportsbook
DraftKings Sportsbook has some of the best NCAA tournament pools with big-money payouts annually. DK is running its $1 Million+ Men’s College Basketball Tournament Bracket with $200K to the first-place winner. The entry fee is $100, and it has a total prize pool of $1 million+ that will grow as more users enter.
DraftKings is running several free entry pools for the 2025 Big Dance.
| DraftKings Sportsbook Promo Code | No Code Necessary |
|---|---|
| Welcome Bonus | Up To A $1,250 promo + King of the Court Profit Boost |
| Best For | Live betting |
| States Available | AZ, CO, CT, DC, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, TN, VT, VA, WV & WY |
| MM betting options | MM game lines, national championship futures, odds boosts |
| Apple Store Rating | 4.9 |
| Google Store Rating | 4.8 |
| Our Rating | 4.6 |
6. Bet365 Sportsbook
Bet365 Sportsbook is the new kid on the block in many states with Illinois and Tennessee coming next. The book is offering users the chance to enter a perfect bracket challenge that will pay out $10 million. It’s pretty much mathematically impossible to get a perfect bracket. However, Bet365 will still have big money payouts to its top performers with the winner receiving $100,000 and second-place finisher receiving $25,000. Additional prizes will be awarded as well.
| Bet365 Sportsbook Promo Code | THELINES |
|---|---|
| Welcome Bonus | $1,000 Bonus PA only: Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets + 50 free spins |
| Best For | Generous welcome offer for new customers |
| States Available | AZ, CO, IL, IN, IA, KY, LA, NJ, NC, OH, PA, TN & VA |
| MM betting options | Bet boost, 30% profit boost |
| Apple Store Rating | 4.7 |
| Google Store Rating | 4.6 |
| Our Rating | 4.3 |
7. Fanatics Sportsbook
Fanatics Sportsbook is another newcomer to the US sports betting scene, replacing the PointsBet brand in several markets. The book is where to find a strong NCAA Tournament popular parlay menu along with the March Million contest that includes the chance to win $1M if a user gets every pick correct.
Plus, all Fanatics bettors can earn FanCash Rewards, which can be used to purchase men’s CBB team sports merchandise.
| Fanatics Sportsbook Promo Code | No Code Necessary |
|---|---|
| Welcome Bonus | Up to $1,000 Bonus (most states) Receive a 300% Profit Boost Token to use on a wager of $50 max (NY only) |
| Best For | Sports apparel deals |
| States Available | AZ, CO, CT, DC, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WV, & WY |
| MM betting options | SGP, NCAA Tournament futures, game lines |
| Apple Store Rating | 4.8 |
| Google Store Rating | 3.7 |
| Our Rating | 4.0 |
How we rank the best March Madness betting sites & Apps
TheLines always encourages college basketball bettors to shop around for the best odds. You can find all sorts of odds comparison tools on our website, including college basketball odds for every daily game and NCAA National Title odds.
Not all sportsbooks are created equally, and our rankings of sportsbooks go above the best college hoops lines. TheLines staff ranks the books above in the order they are placed by the following criteria:
- The Best March Madness Odds
- Fastest Payout Speeds
- Best Promos
- Deposit Options
- User Interface
- Customer Service Access
Is betting on March Madness legal in my state?
College basketball betting is approved in every state that offers legal sports betting, but the specific rules vary. North Carolina sports betting launched last year just in time for March Madness. Kentucky sportsbooks allows legal wagers on the Kentucky Wildcats and Louisville Cardinals without leaving the state. More established markets like New Jersey and New York do not allow wagering on in-state teams. With this year’s East Region final taking place in the Garden State, NJ sportsbooks will not be permitted to take bets on any of the three games no matter which teams are playing. Arizona, Colorado, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania do not allow college prop bets on players.
How to bet on March Madness
Pick a college basketball betting site
The majority of legal sports betting states have several March Madness betting sites to choose between. Use the above tables to see which ones are available in your market. Then it comes down to deciding which one you want to go with. Welcome offers, college basketball promos, and betting menus are factors to consider before deciding. The upside is there is no rule against creating multiple sportsbook accounts simultaneously.
Get your bonus and deposit
Once you’ve selected a sportsbook, you’ll need to register for an account. There will be a spot to enter one of the above promo codes so you can get your welcome bonus. Others do not require a code to receive Bonus Bets or offers. You will also need to provide your name, email, address, date of birth, and the last four of your SSN for verification purposes. Once you register and deposit funds into your sportsbook account, the NCAA Tournament betting can begin. Many March Madness betting sites have a minimum deposit of $10.
Place an NCAA basketball bet
There will be plenty of markets to choose between, such as a futures bet on the Duke Blue Devils winning the 2025 NCAA Tournament or taking the moneyline on a 12-seed to upset a 5-seed in the first round. Others might like taking St. John’s to make the Final Four. The bottom line is, including the First Four, the NCAA Tournament consists of 67 games over three weeks, so there will be no shortage of betting options.
March Madness bet types
Point spread
Betting the point spread on a March Madness game is one of the most common ways to wager. For example, St. John’s is a 2-seed and is playing Omaha, a 15-seed. High seeds like the Red Storm will be heavily favored, usually in the double digits.
For this example, St. John’s is an -18.5 favorite over Omaha (+18.5). If you bet on Omaha to cover the point spread, you would need them to either win outright or lose by 18 points or less.
Let’s say you bet St. John’s to cover the big 18.5-point spread. You would need the Red Storm to win the game by 19 points or more to win the bet.
Moneyline
A moneyline bet on a March Madness game is also extremely common. There are so many college basketball upsets during the tournament that betting the moneyline on an underdog can be quite lucrative – even if you bet a small amount.
An extreme example is from the 2023 NCAA tournament. Sixteen-seed Fairleigh Dickinson had +2000 moneyline odds to upset one-seeded Purdue. Fairleigh Dickinson pulled off the miracle, and those who had Fairleigh Dickinson winning tickets were in the money. A $10 bet on Fairleigh Dickinson to win would have garnered most bettors a $200 profit.
Totals
Totals markets, or over unders, are another common way to bet on NCAA basketball. Let’s use the first-round game between No. 8 Gonzaga and No. 9 Georgia that has a total of 151.5 points.
Bettors must decide which side of the total they like. If you like the over, the final score needs to add up to 152 or higher for a winning ticket. Under bettors need a final score of 151 points or less.
Futures
Big-picture bettors love futures bets. Various futures bets are available during March Madness, most notably National Title odds.
It is difficult to pin down the winner at the start of the Big Dance just because there are so many teams and major upsets. So more conservative college hoops bettors will entertain markets like “Odds to make the Sweet 16,” “Odds to make the Elite 8,” and “Odds to make the Final Four.”
Props
Prop betting on March Madness can be tricky as states have different laws regarding betting on games played by student-athletes. Team props are more common as they don’t involve an individual. You will often see college basketball team props like “Over Under 3-pointers made by Auburn,” and “First basket made: Colorado State or Memphis?”
Player props, like over under player totals, are not always available but be sure to check with your state and sportsbook rules before wagering. Popular player props, if they are available, will include markets like “Mark Sears Over Under 18.5 points” or “Aden Holloway Over Under 3.5 3-pointers made.”
College basketball & March Madness betting restrictions
Here is a list of college basketball betting restrictions by state.
| State | Restrictions | Legal Betting Age |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | College prop bets | 21 |
| Colorado | College prop bets | 21 |
| Connecticut | Wagering on in-state teams (rule does not apply to tournaments) | 21 |
| Illinois | Betting on Illinois college teams is only allowed with pregame, in-person bets | 21 |
| Indiana | Prop betting is limited to pregame only | 21 |
| Iowa | Prop bets on individual college athletes is not allowed | 21 |
| Kansas | None | 21 |
| Kentucky | None | 18 |
| Louisiana | None | 21 |
| Maryland | None | 21 |
| Massachusetts | Betting on Massachusetts college teams is only permitted if they are playing in a tournament | 21 |
| Michigan | None | 21 |
| Montana | None | 18 |
| Nevada | None | 21 |
| New Hampshire | No betting on New Hampshire college teams or events | 18 |
| New Jersey | Bets on NJ based college teams or in-state games | 21 |
| New York | No betting on NY college teams | 21 |
| North Carolina | None | 21 |
| Ohio | None | 21 |
| Oregon | College bets must be placed at retail sportsbooks | 21 |
| Pennsylvania | Prop bets on college athletes are not allowed | 21 |
| Rhode Island | Wagers on in-state college teams and events are not allowed | 18 |
| Tennessee | No prop bets on college athletes or in-game props | 21 |
| Vermont | Wagers on in-state college teams and events are not allowed | 21 |
| Virginia | Prop bets and wagers on Virginia college teams are prohibited | 21 |
| Washington D.C. | Betting on games taking place in D.C. or college teams based in D.C. area prohibited | 18 |
| West Virginia | None | 21 |
| Wyoming | None | 18 |
Benefits Of Betting On March Madness Online
Legal, Regulated Sportsbooks
It’s important to make sure the March Madness betting site you’re using is legal and regulated. There are many illegal offshore sportsbooks operating in regulated markets that are not safe. Look for an RG logo on any legal March March Madness betting site. It means there are responsible gambling tools built into the platform. They will include setting deposit limits, cooling off periods, and reality check time limits. Adding your name to a temporary/permanent self-exclusion list is available as well at top March Madness betting sites. All betting sites recommended on TheLines are legal, safe, and regulated.
Fast Deposits and Withdrawals
Having access to fast deposits and withdrawals are important when March Madness betting season rolls around. Many March Madness betting sites now offer Venmo betting, PayPal betting, and Apple Pay betting as banking options. These transactions can be completed in a quicker timespan versus ACH or cash at the casino cage.
Live Betting Options
Live betting markets are a big part of the NCAA Tournament betting experience. It can bring an added level of excitement, especially when a top seed like the Kansas Jayhawks or Duke Blue Devils is mounting a big comeback versus an underdog trying to pull off an upset. During the game, top online sportsbooks like the ones mentioned above will add their desired edge to the algorithm’s probability. New odds will be computed and offered to bettors. Scoring runs and lead changes are a couple of factors causing the moneyline or point spread odds to change several times during a game.
Bonuses and Promotions
Bonuses and promotions help give March Madness betting sites an edge over the retail sports betting experience at a land-based casino, racetrack, or stadium. You might enjoy an amazing viewing experience at your favorite Atlantic City and Pennsylvania sportsbook, but you will likely not receive Bonus Bets or promos such as odds boosts or profit boosts when walking up to the betting window or kiosk. Come NCAA Tournament time, the offers available to new and existing customers tend to be stronger.
FAQs
The best college basketball betting sites are Caesars, BetMGM, BetRivers and Bet365. All of those sites have tremendous welcome bonuses.
It is legal to bet on college basketball props in many states. Some states don’t allow it, however. Betting on college basketball props is allowed in Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, Ohio, New York, Washington DC, and Wyoming.
Many states allow for betting on college basketball except for teams that play in-state. For example, if you are a UConn fan in Connecticut or a Syracuse fan in New York, you are out of luck when it comes to betting on your team in-state.
There are dozens of college basketball betting sites available, including Caesars, BetMGM, and Bet365.