March Madness Odds for 2026: NCAA's Lines & Spreads
Find the best March Madness odds for 2026. Florida and Houston will duel to cut down the nets at online sportsbooks and Las Vegas odds.
March Madness 2026 odds today
Find March Madness odds for 2026 available below.
- Duke: +300
- Michigan: +360
- Arizona: +390
- Florida: +750
- Houston: +1000
- Iowa State: +1500
- Illinois: +1900
- UConn: +2500
- Purdue: +2500
- Michigan State: +4000
- Gonzaga: +4000
- Arkansas: +6000
- Kansas: +6000
- St. Johns: +6000
- Virginia: +7500
- Vanderbilt: +7500
- Wisconsin: +8000
- Nebraska: +10000
- Louisville: +11000
- Tennessee: +12000
- Texas Tech: +13000
- UCLA: +15000
- Alabama: +18000
- Kentucky: +20000
- Clemson: +25000
- BYU: +25000
- Villanova: +25000
- Ohio State: +25000
- North Carolina: +25000
Odds via FanDuel on March 15, 2026.
How to read 2026 March Madness odds
Want to bet on a team to simply win the game? Select that team along the moneyline ticket. That's just a straight-up win prediction.
Avoiding betting on winners and losers directly? Consider markets on teams covering NCAA Tournament spreads. This way, you can bet either (1) by how much the favorite wins or (2) that the underdog loses by a certain amount. For example, a side might say Duke is favored by 6.5 points (-6.5) over North Carolina (who would be listed at +6.5), saying Duke will either win by seven or more points or UNC will lose by 6 points or fewer. Depending on your game analysis, you can bet either end of that total.
Don't care about NCAA Tournament game results? Bet the game's total points, or Over/Under: Will the two teams combine to score more or fewer points than the sportsbook's given total?
In states where it's legal to bet player props on college athletes, we can find markets like Over/Under points scored, rebounds collected, or assists dished out. More CBB props include a team winning in the first or second half of the game only, race to 20 total points, and more offshoot betting opportunities for tourney action.
March Madness betting sites
Find out what are the best March Madness betting sites and what to they offer:
Up To $1500 in Bonus Bets Paid Back if your First Bet Does Not Win - Wide coverage of US and international sports
- Linked to MGM Rewards loyalty program
- Regular odds boosts and promos
New DraftKings Customers: Bet $5+ Get $100 in Bonus Bets Instantly! - Wide coverage of US and international sports
- High-quality iOS and Android apps
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Deposit first $5+ cash bet, get $150 in Bonus Bets - Only sportsbook legal in Florida
- Hot Bets feature
- Live NFL streaming
New Users – Bet $5 Get $150 If Your Bet Wins! - Offers one of the best same-game parlays
- Highly rated mobile app
- Impressive sports coverage
10 x $100 bet match - Unique FanCash loyalty program
- Variety of bonuses and ongoing promos
- Fast, reliable app with live betting and streaming
DraftKings Sportsbook
DraftKings Sportsbook offers one of the biggest and best menus of bets on 2026 March Madness odds. Consistently rated as one of the best betting apps no matter where you look, DraftKings Sportsbook has one of the leading live-betting interfaces, which is key in a fast-moving sport like March Madness.
Bet365 Sportsbook
Bet365 Sportsbook is fast becoming a player in the U.S. market after building a sizable customer base overseas. Look for plenty of March Madness odds come tournament time, and keep bet365 in mind when looking to bet on more minor sports that may not be as popular here as in Europe.
BetMGM Sportsbook
The self-proclaimed king of sportsbooks, BetMGM Sportsbook’s generous boosts, and bonuses can be paired with March Madness odds for tons of added value. Look for a competitive college basketball offering from BetMGM that includes props, game odds, and futures, and try to find applicable boosts from its promos menu.
FanDuel Sportsbook
FanDuel Sportsbook also has more than its share of March Madness odds available. It didn't become the national market leader by chance. The app looks great, has a robust selection of markets, and always offers a wide selection of March Madness bets, including early futures odds. Look for one of the best same-game parlay menus involving any NCAA tournament game.
Here is how the FanDuel website looked ahead of March Madness this past season.
Where can I bet legally on March Madness?
Bettors located within the following states will be able to place a legal sports wager on March Madness odds and games:
| State | Online Sports Betting? | Retail Sports Betting? |
| Arizona | Yes | Yes |
| Arkansas | Yes | Yes |
| Colorado | Yes | Yes |
| Connecticut | Yes | Yes |
| Delaware | Yes | Yes |
| Florida | Yes | Yes |
| Illinois | Yes | Yes |
| Indiana | Yes | Yes |
| Iowa | Yes | Yes |
| Kansas | Yes | Yes |
| Kentucky | Yes | Yes |
| Louisiana | Yes | Yes |
| Maine | Yes | No |
| Maryland | Yes | Yes |
| Massachusetts | Yes | Yes |
| Michigan | Yes | Yes |
| Mississippi | No | Yes |
| Montana | No | Yes |
| Nevada | Yes | Yes |
| New Hampshire | Yes | Yes |
| New Jersey | Yes | Yes |
| New Mexico | No | Yes |
| New York | Yes | Yes |
| North Carolina | Yes | Yes |
| Ohio | Yes | Yes |
| Oregon | Yes (but not on college sports) | Yes |
| Pennsylvania | Yes | Yes |
| Rhode Island | Yes | Yes |
| South Dakota | No | Yes |
| Tennessee | Yes | No |
| Vermont | Yes | No |
| Virginia | Yes | Yes |
| Washington, D.C. | Yes | Yes |
| West Virginia | Yes | Yes |
| Wisconsin | No | Yes |
| Wyoming | Yes | No |
March Madness Locations
First Four Lines & Host
Dayton, Ohio, UD Arena (March 17-18). Be sure to get familirized with First Four odds.
West Lines & Regionals Host
San Jose, California at SAP Center (March 26 & 28). Check out our West Region odds.
South Lines & Regionals Host
Houston, Texas at Toyota Center (March 26 & 28). Find out mroe about South Region odds.
East Lines & Regionals Host
Washington, D.C. at Capital One Arena (March 27 & 29). Lear more about East Region odds.
Midwest Lines & Regionals Host
Chicago, Illinois at United Center (March 27 & 29). Check out Midwest Region odds.
Final Four Lines & Host
Indianapolis, Indiana, at Lucas Oil Stadium (April 4 and 6). Make sure to read more about Final Four odds.
March Madness betting Odds history: Point Spreads, Moneylines & Totals
The first NCAA basketball tournament took place in 1939 in Evanston, Illinois. Since then, 37 teams have won it all. Five teams have won the tournament at least five times (Indiana, Duke, UNC, Kentucky, UCLA). Since seeding began in 1979, No. 1 seeds have won the tournament 25 times, accounting for almost 49% of all championship appearances. Just three times has a team that's been lower than a four seed won the title. No team seeded below eighth has won, nor has such a team made a championship appearance.
Since betting lines were released for NCAA tournament games in 1985, underdogs in March Madness odds have covered 44% of the time, winning outright 29% of the time. Games have gone under the total 56% of the time. Since 2010, 70% of games have gone under the total, and favorites have covered in seven out of 10 games. Three teams have won more than one championship since 2010 (Duke, UConn, Villanova). None have won back-to-back titles (despite Butler and UNC appearing in back-to-back title games).
Since 2000, the top overall seed has made the championship game just four times, but it won the game three of those times (75%). The top overall seeds in the tournament have comprised just 8% of the total Final Four teams (missed 13 out of 20 years). Besides No. 1 seeds, No. 2 seeds have the most championship appearances since 2000 (seven times), followed by three seeds (six times), and five and eight seeds (two).
Just 8% (52/640) of all Sweet 16 teams have been seeded 11 or lower. Only 2.8% of teams in the Elite Eight were seeded 11 or lower. Four 11 seeds advanced to the Final Four (Loyola Chicago, 2018; VCU, 2011; George Mason, 2006; LSU, 1986). UMBC and Fairleigh Dickinson are the only No. 16 seeds to upset No. 1 seeds in the tournament’s history (2018 and 2023), and just eight 15 seeds have prevailed (5%). In 2015, two 15 seeds upset two seeds (25% of all such upsets), and two 14s upset threes.
Exercise caution with historical data when filling out brackets and betting on March Madness. Stats should be used in the long run. But when choosing individual games, study matchup statistics. The most important thing to remember, though, is this is March Madness. Anything can (and will) happen.
Tournament betting strategies
The historical ATS data for each team in tournament play is just one of countless data points that can constitute March Madness odds betting research. Here are some other factors that can hold considerable relevance:
- A team's late-season performances, including in its conference tournament
- Key Injuries
- A team's defensive proficiency typically has more carryover into tournament play than a high-powered offense
- "Fading the public" when the line appears to be significantly affected by a team's popularity, as opposed to actual recent performance
Examine tournament-specific historical trends, such as how high-seeded mid-majors have done in each round regarding straight-up wins and losses.
Another overarching data set that could prove highly valuable is the performance of each seed in each round versus the spread.
How the NCAA Tournament works
March Madness is a 68-team, single-elimination tournament annually crowns the NCAA Division I men's college basketball national champion.
The event is aptly named, considering it features 67 frenetic games over a 19-day period. The NCAA reveals participating schools, seeding, and brackets on "Selection Sunday."
The annual college basketball rite of spring is sports betting's most prolific multi-day event. Below, you'll find the current betting odds for the favorites to win the NCAA tournament, along with key tournament details and betting strategy to help you during the month-long madness.
The first 32 teams to gain entry into the tournament do so automatically by winning their conferences. All remaining 36 slots are filled by "at-large" teams. A 10-member selection committee consisting of athletic directors and conference commissioners undergoes an arduous and multi-layered process to determine the 36 at-large teams and finalize seeding and brackets.
The committee will again employ the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) as its primary sorting method for determining at-large entrants. NET replaces the RPI (Rating Percentage Index) utilized since 1981.
The NET takes into account the following metrics:
- Game results
- Strength of schedule
- Game location
- Scoring margin
- Offensive and defensive efficiency
- Quality of wins and losses
The NCAA has a detailed, step-by-step breakdown of seeding and bracket protocol on this page of its website.
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