How to Bet on March Madness: Ultimate Betting Strategy

Can you feel it in the air? March Madness is back for its 2026 installment, and it’s just a matter of time until a 68-team field is cut down to one national champion.

• March Madness 2026 runs from March 17 to April 6

• “Selection Sunday” on March 15 sets the bracket

• First seeds won March Madness more than 60% of the time since seeding began in 1979

The widely loved NCAA Tournament is one of the best times of the year to be a sports fan. But beyond that, it’s also one of the best times to get involved in sports betting because of the bevy of betting lines involving players, teams, and future champions. We are keeping track of the latest NCAA Tournament odds and favorites on our dedicated page, but it's time to dive in more details and get you ready.

Our goal is to arm you with as much knowledge as possible ahead of March Madness 2026, whether it be teams to watch for, betting strategies, past trends and precedents, best March Madness betting sites, and everything in between. So stick with us and let’s talk about how to make your March Madness betting experience a resounding success.

Sports betting is legal in 39 states and Washington D.C. This year’s tournament will be the first with legal sports wagering for Missouri, which launched its market at the start of December 2025.

Every state has different rules when it comes to online sports betting in the US. Our state pages will show what is and is not allowed in different jurisdictions, whether that be betting on in-state teams, player props, or anything else.

Once you’ve done that, use our March Madness promos and bonuses to unlock thousands of dollars worth of prizes to create the most exciting March Madness betting experience.

Every reputable sportsbook is going to be stuffed with March Madness odds. After all, the tournament generates more bets than any other event in America, including the Super Bowl.

Market leaders such as FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars, and BetRivers will be available to the most customers, while a newcomer such as Fanatics is offering exciting promos. 

There are also plenty of opportunities at competing sportsbooks, which is why we always encourage bettors to check odds and special deals at multiple sportsbooks before choosing their preferred platform.

States Where Gamblers Can Bet on the NCAA Tournament

78 percent of states have already legalized sports betting. That includes market leaders New York, New Jersey, Ohio, and, of course, Nevada, among others.

Despite the national trend, the two most populous states, California and Texas, have not passed sports betting legislation. The deep south, including Alabama and Georgia, is also forbidden to sports bettors.  

All of the states that allow sports betting in at least one form are as follows:

• Arizona

• Arkansas

• Colorado

• Connecticut

• Delaware

• Florida

• Illinois

• Indiana

• Iowa

• Kansas

• Kentucky

• Louisiana

• Maine

• Maryland

• Massachusetts

• Michigan

• Mississippi

• Missouri

• Montana

• Nebraska

• Nevada

• New Hampshire

• New Jersey

• New Mexico

• New York

• North Carolina

• North Dakota

• Ohio

• Oregon

• Pennsylvania

• Rhode Island

• South Dakota

• Tennessee

• Vermont

• Virginia

• Washington

• Washington D.C.

• West Virginia

• Wisconsin

• Wyoming

States with In-Person-Only March Madness Betting 

While placing bets from the comfort of your couch, or while you’re out grabbing wings with a few friends, is both simple and convenient, there are several states that require bettors to place their wagers in-person at retail facilities.

Those states include:

• Mississippi

• Montana

• Nebraska

• New Mexico

• North Dakota

• South Dakota

• Washington

• Wisconsin

States Where March Madness Betting is Illegal

Anyone who lives in the following states can only watch, not bet, on March Madness.

• Alabama

• Alaska

• California

• Georgia

• Hawaii

• Idaho

• Minnesota

• Oklahoma

• South Carolina

• Texas

• Utah

How to Bet on March Madness Brackets

The March Madness viewership experience just isn’t the same without a bracket.

Don’t worry if yours busts early - there’s a 1 in 9,223,372,036,854,775,808 chance of your bracket finishing unblemished. But that only adds to the excitement as you attempt to defy the odds and make friends and rivals with your biggest successes and disappointments.

College basketball fans frequently join bracket groups where they can track each other’s progress and compete to see who can accumulate the most points for each correct game prediction. These brackets can be free or paid, resulting in prize payouts for the top finisher(s).

You can apply the logic from your bracket to a variety of bets at legal sports betting sites. For example, if you’re extremely confident in your projected national champion, then you can navigate to the futures section of a sportsbook and slap down a wager on the team you picked to win it all.

Another example of a way to translate your bracket to betting is by picking a matchup and a team you like and assigning a stake to the outcome. But be careful - they don’t call it March Normality!

Now, let’s talk about how to get your March Madness betting experience started by detailing how to fill out a bracket.

How to Fill Out a March Madness Betting Bracket

60 teams are locked into the bracket, while eight others compete for the final four spots by playing a one-and-done matchup on either the first or second day of the tournament. Some brackets do not lock until the start of the third day’s games, meaning that bettors still have time to adjust their submissions depending on the result of the play-in games, while others count all games.

Every bracket is broken into four regions, each with 16 seeds. Every team in each region will receive a seed ranging from 1-16, and they will compete against each other in inverse order. For example, No. 1 will face No. 16 in the first round, while No. 2 will face No. 15, No. 3 will take on No. 14, and so on.

What makes March Madness brackets so difficult is predicting not just the first-round games but which teams will win matchups later in the bracket. For example, to correctly predict an Elite Eight matchup, you must have already correctly predicted six game results (both teams’ results in the Round of 64, Round of 32, and Sweet 16).

Be very wary of potential upsets, which are plentiful in the tournament.

One bettor risked $100 on the underdog moneyline in every game during the 2023 NCAA Tournament. They finished 24-43 but profited $1,900 by the end of the tournament. However, underdogs did historically bad in 2025, and anyone who followed that strategy would’ve lost a solid chunk of money.

What Do You Need to Know to Fill Out a March Madness Bracket?

It doesn’t matter if you’re a die-hard college basketball fan or a novice just looking to see what all of the hype is about. Filling out a bracket is like a rite of passage, and nobody will judge you if yours doesn’t perform well.

Bracket-making apps will allow you to view key stats and results from both teams with ease, making it easy to compare them head-to-head. However, we have a few tips that you won’t find on those apps.

One of our favorites is to watch out for streaky teams. Teams play their Round of 64 and Round of 32 matchups on the same weekend and then repeat the process for the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, so if an underdog pulls an upset in one of them, there’s a strong chance they’ll carry that momentum into the next game.

This is especially apparent during the first week of games. So if you’re backing a lesser-heralded team in the Round of 64, consider bumping them through the Round of 32 as well.

It’s also important to be aware of which teams, players, and coaches have the most experience in the tournament.

However, the scheduling component is important. There’s only one day of rest between the Round of 64 and the Round of 32, but then there are a few days of rest, during which teams could lose their rhythm, or their opponents could create a better scout than the teams they previously beat did. Pay attention to when teams are playing and whether or not momentum is a real factor.

Give a moment to consider the storyline dynamics that are at play. The University of Virginia, for example, became the first No. 1 seed ever to lose in the Round of 64 in 2018, only to come right back and win the whole shebang the next year.

Purdue joined UVA and became the second No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed last year, falling to Fairleigh Dickinson University. We aren’t promising anything, but keep an eye on them.

Has Anyone Predicted a Perfect March Madness Bracket?

No one has ever filled out a perfect March Madness bracket - but maybe you could break the streak this year!

Look, to call a perfect bracket a long shot would be an understatement. With one in 9.2 quintillion odds (boosted to 1 in 120.2 billion for regular fans, per the NCAA), it’s going to take quite the draw to reach perfection.

In 2014, billionaire Warren Buffet offered $1 billion to anyone who could successfully predict every game. Needless to say, he stayed a rich man.

Gregg Nigl of Columbus, Ohio has the record for the longest (confirmed) steak of perfection. He correctly predicted the first 49 games in 2019 before falling apart on the 50th, beating the previous record (39) set in 2017.

Who Will Win the March Madness in 2026?

Part of the draw of March Madness is the mystery behind who will win. With so many strong teams playing, anybody can win it all.

Let’s take a look at some of the teams that we think have the best shot at winning the National Championship!

1. Michigan Wolverines

The Wolverines only lost two times all year: an unexpected three-point defeat against Wisconsin, and a five-point loss to Duke, another top contender. Senior Yaxel Lendeborg leads them with 14.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, but head coach Dusty May has his team firing on all cylinders.

The Wolverines play with pace, destroy mismatches, make 51 percent of their shots, dominate the glass, and share the ball, giving them all of the makings of a future national champion.

2. Duke Blue Devils

Duke is the number-one team in KenPom’s net rating and has another excellent squad under 38-year-old coach Jon Scheyer. Cameron Boozer is a strong contender to win National Player of the Year, having averaged 22.6 points, 10.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.6 steals, while Duke’s only losses came by a combined four points.

The Blue Devils always play at their pace, and they don’t make many mistakes.

3. Arizona Wildcats

Arizona is third in KenPom’s net rankings thanks to the third-ranked defense and eighth-ranked offense. They’re willing to run with other teams, and their only losses came in back-to-back contests in a five-day span.

They have three players averaging more than 13 points per game, are one of the few teams that made more than 50 percent of their shots, and they aren’t overly reliant on any one player.

4. Houston Cougars

Kelvin Sampson’s usual defensive identity isn’t gone, but it isn’t quite the same as it was in years past. The Cougars are sixth in KenPom’s defensive rankings, which is still excellent, but they swapped some of their defensive ability for more offensive juice.

This team is extremely athletic and perimeter players who are liable to pull up from anywhere, and freshman star Kingston Flemings is an offense in and of himself.

5. Florida Gators

The defending national champions lost most of the production they got from last year’s roster, but they’ve made up for that by being outstanding on the boards, creating efficient looks, and dominating the battle for second-chance points. Thomas Haugh averaged 17.1 points and 6.0 rebounds per night, while center Rueben Chinyelu posted a line of 11.3 points and 11.8 rebounds.

This team has a nice blend of experience and proved last year that it can go on a run.

6. Illinois Fighting Illini

Illinois does the things that win close games—for example, they sank 79.2 percent of their free-throw attempts, and scored 84.5 points per game on the highest efficiency in the nation. Leading scorer Keaton Wagler averaged 18.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game while shooting 42.0 percent from three, meaning he can almost single-handedly win games for his squad.

The Illini didn’t finish the regular season very well, but they also only lost one game by more than four points.

7. Connecticut Huskies

Dan Hurley won back-to-back national championships in 2023 and 2024 before coming up short in 2025. His new team was excellent during the regular season, although their advanced metrics (20th in offense, 12th in defense at KenPom) don’t paint them in the same light as their competitors.

They share the ball and don’t commit tons of turnovers, and they can shoot from range, but they aren’t very commanding on the glass and are disappointing at the charity stripe.

Tips for Betting on March Madness

We’re still trying to figure out how to fill out a perfect bracket, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have a few tips to share with you as you prepare to take on the one-in-9.2 quintillion odds. Here are five tips for betting on March Madness.

1. Pick Upsets

As we mentioned earlier, betting on the underdog can be and has been profitable. Whereas the NBA almost always results in the better team winning because of its best-of-seven series, anything can happen in a one-off game. Teams that are objectively better than their opponent will lose, and you don’t want to get caught with your tail between your legs.

2. Check the Numbers

Research will always be key in sports betting. Look into trends, averages, recent performances, experience, rankings, times, location, injuries, and everything else that can possibly give you the edge. 

3. Review Previous Matchups

Let’s pretend there’s a matchup you aren’t sure about. You’re leaning toward Team A, but Team B beat them by 25 points during the conference tournament. It might be a good idea to lean toward them since they already figured out a way to win the matchup.

At the same time, it can be difficult to beat a time multiple times in a row. If Team A beat Team B three times during the regular season and conference tournament, you’ll have to figure out if that will help or hurt them in their fourth meeting of the year.

4. Looks for Stylistic Differences

Everyone’s heard it before, but styles make fights. If there’s one team that has a prolific offense but plays at a breakneck pace, they could easily run into trouble if they play a physical, defensive-minded team that grinds possessions to a halt and forces lots of turnovers.

Conversely, if one team excels at interior defense but is taking on a squad full of three-point shooters, their best quality doesn’t do much for them. It’s these types of differences that can help separate teams that might look similar on paper.

5. Adjust to the Hot Hands

There is at least one, if not multiple, Cinderella stories nearly every year. You might not be able to predict them from the start, but if you notice a “team of destiny,” don’t be afraid to throw the regular season out the window and ride with them on their journey to a deep tournament run.

Best Team to Bet on in March Madness 2026

Duke and Michigan have been engaged in a back-and-forth battle to lead the March Madness odds board. Their records show they are excellent teams, but they also have the top-end talent and coaching that is needed for teams to survive the gauntlet that is the NCAA Tournament bracket.

Arizona was arguably the most consistent team in the country and would be undefeated if not for a brief five-day slip-up. They also scored 86.6 points per game, good for eighth among Power Conference squads.

Florida proved its mettle last year. Although they swapped out some of their players, their raw physical nature and tenacious effort are translatable, not to mention that they also don’t depend on first-year players.

The other teams we outlined above are also firmly in the mix to win the national championship. However, there’s one team that’s offering strong value in March Madness odds, and that has a solid chance to upset the bracket.

That team is Michigan State, which is ranked eighth in KenPom’s net rating. They have an experienced leader in Jeremy Fears Jr., they shoot the ball efficiently enough from deep, they score points, they control the boards, they share the ball, and they make their free-throws. Tom Izzo hasn’t gone on a run in a while, but this could be his year to change that.

Most Popular March Madness Bets

March Madness Futures

A futures bet is simply a bet that will be decided at a future date. The most common type of March Madness futures bet is the future champion, though bettors can also pick teams to make the Final Four or championship game, among other options.

• Odds are constantly changing 

• Bets can be placed at any time during the regular or postseason all the way until the final game

March Madness Moneylines

This is a straight-up pick on which team will win a single game. Win or go home.

• Consider the risk-reward ratio of betting odds

• Don’t be afraid to back the underdog, especially during March Madness

March Madness Spreads

Spreads “spot” points to the perceived lesser of two teams in a matchup, almost like a handicap in golf.

Think about which team is more likely to cover the spread based on styles of play, who’s hot and who isn’t, and how you believe the game will unfold. Remember that teams will play the foul-and-shoot-free-throws game late in the second half if needed, which could introduce a level of variability depending on which team makes their shots.

• Remember that teams don’t need to win to cover

• Spreads are more realistic ways to bet on underdogs

March Madness Totals

Bet whether the final score will result in more or less than the predicted amount of points. As we mentioned earlier, be wary that there will be lots of late-game free throws in close games, which makes betting on the under even riskier.

March Madness also features lots of buzzer-beating shots and overtime thrillers, which is also worth considering before placing your bets.

• Think about late-game dynamics

• Analyze matchups and styles to predict the final score

March Madness Parlays

State laws will determine how extravagant your parlays can be. While certain states open their doors to college prop betting (more on that in just a moment), others limit bettors to major markets, such as spread, totals, and moneylines.

March Madness parlays are multiple picks combined into one bet that offers a larger potential payout - the only catch is that every pick must hit for the bet to cash.

• Earn larger prizes by adding more picks to your parlay

• Lose the entire bet if one or more picks lose

March Madness Props

Props can be based on teams or players. For example, a bettor could predict that UConn will score more than 45.5 points in the first half, or they could wager money on Tyler Kolek to finish with less than 7.5 assists.

State laws determine whether prop betting is allowed on college sports. Even states that allow college prop betting sometimes prohibit player props or props involving in-state schools and universities, so consult our state pages to see what is available to you.

• Bet on parts of the game not directly related to the final score

• Rules differ depending on the state you are in

March Madness Live Betting

Live betting involves placing wagers on games that are already in progress. This is a great opportunity for “sharp bettors” who can sense how a game will unfold to make a bit of coin even after tip-off 

The American Gaming Association estimated that 35-40% of the total amount of money wagered on March Madness 2024 will be rooted in live bets. Just don’t get caught chasing losses, which is one of the most effective ways to lose your bankroll.

• Place bets on games even after they start

• React to how games are unfolding and bet accordingly