Get $150 when you bet with DraftKings
If you haven’t heard of DraftKings, you must be new to the world of sports betting. They are a household name in the industry and for great reason. They are one of the best in the business.
During March Madness season they are giving out $150 in free bets to you fine folk. Here is how you can claim it: (new bettors only, sorry veterans).
- Click the link here to join DraftKings
- Deposit and place a $5 bet on March Madness 2024
- Get $150 in bonus bets as soon as the bet is settled
Bet $5, Get $150 If Your Bet Wins
That’s quite literally it. You can pick a player from this list and whack five bucks on them and win or lose, you get $150 in bonuses. It’s a great offer. Here are the important details.
| DraftKings March Madness Promo T&C |
| Valid 1 per new customer |
| Min. $5 deposit. Min. $5 bet |
| $150 issued as six (6) $25 bonus bets |
| Bonus Bets are single-use, non-cashable, non-withdrawable, must be wagered 1x before any resulting cash winnings can be withdrawn, and stake is not included in winnings |
| Bonus Bets expire 7 days (168 hours) after being awarded |
| Must be physically located in AZ, CO, CT, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA (select parishes), MA, MD, ME, MI, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, VT, WY or WV |
| Promotional offer period ends 4/14/24 at 11:59 PM ET |
| See terms at sportsbook.draftkings.com |
Good luck if you’re getting involved.
Check our
how to bet on march madness
section out if you need more information on how to bet on March Madness.
What is a March Madness MVP
You may be used to hearing the abbreviation ‘MVP’ for most valuable player, they have this in a number of different sports and competitions. Whether it be a Super Bowl MVP, NBA All-Star MVP or NHL MVP.
Well the guys at the NCAAB refer to it as something else for March Madness. Instead of ‘most valuable player’ we have ‘most outstanding player’. Which is exactly the same thing. The award is given to the player who is deemed to have been the best of the tournament.
This award has been going since all the way back in 1939 with Jimmy Hull from Ohio State being the first recorded winner. The award usually goes to a player on the winning team, which mostly makes sense but can cause controversy.
Do you think a player should be able to win the award for ‘most outstanding player’ if they failed to win the entire tournament? It’s definitely up for debate.
March Madness MVP Odds
The odds for this award fluctuate throughout the tournament as teams are eliminated, but there are a few players that stand out as clear favorites now.
We’re gonna take you through some of the players who are tipped to win it as well as a few rogue outside picks that could still happen under the right circumstances…
Please note that these odds are subject to change and are as of April 3rd.
| Player |
Team |
Odds |
| Donovan Clingan |
UConn Huskies |
+200 |
| Zach Edey |
Purdue Boilermakers |
+200 |
| Tristen Newton |
UConn Huskies |
+550 |
| Cam Spencer |
UConn Huskies |
+700 |
| Stephon Castle |
UConn Huskies |
+2000 |
| Braden Smith |
Purdue Boilermakers |
+2200 |
| Mark Sears |
Alabama Crimson Tide |
+2500 |
| DJ Burns Jr. |
NC State Wolfpack |
+3000 |
| DJ Horne |
NC State Wolfpack |
+3500 |
March Madness MVP Favorites
Zach Edey - Purdue Boilermakers
Odds:
+200
Zach Edey is the joint favorite to win the award with another fella who’s name we will share next. He has been part of a Purdue team that has been striving to rewrite the wrongs of their awful 2023 March Madness campaign.
He’s a 7ft 4 center who has been making the game look easy so far this tournament. He has put up some insane numbers, hitting 25+ points in three games. Including a whopping 40 points and 16 rebounds in the Elite 8. He has left nothing to be desired and should Purdue go all the way, he is more than likely to win the award.
Make sure to check our
elite 8 betting
page to learn more.
Donovan Clingan - UConn Huskies
Odds:
+200
The UConn Huskies are the other number 1 seed that remain in March Madness at the Final Four stage and thanks to their dazzling performance in the tournament, they have a number of players that could sweep the award.
The first of which is Clingan, UConn’s answer to Edey. The sophomore center has been an animal in both offense and defense which is exactly what a basketball player should be doing.
He has been one of the key instruments in the Huskies success. If both UConn and Purdue end up reaching the National Championship game, it will likely be between Cilingan and Edey for the game and MVP award. It’ll be a great battle.
Tristen Newton - UConn Huskies
Odds: +550
Tristen Newton is another player from the Huskies who has been crucial in their offensive dominance. He has well and truly followed in the footsteps of last year’s MVP winner Adama Sanogo who was also a Husky.
He’s simply phenomenal in all aspects of attack. He can be a relentless scorer or a more team oriented playmaker. Or sometimes, even both.
He is more of an outside pick for the MVP award, he hasn’t been as consistently great as his teammates Cilngan, but a big Final Four and National Champ game could push him over the line.
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March Madness MVP Longshots
There are a few players with much higher odds with some outside potential of coming in. There hasn’t been an MVP winner from a losing team since Hakeem back in 1983 so it’s likely that the winner will come from the winning team.
Since we have two underdogs remaining in the tournament that could go on to win, it’s worth looking at their players for the award as well. You can’t write them off and if the improbable does happen, there is some serious money to be made.
These are definitely more fun punts to go for, it gives you another reason to root for the underdog as well (not that you need one!).
Mark Sears - Alabama Crimson Tide
Odds: +2500
Alabama have beaten some great teams to reach the Final Four. Most impressively they beat 1 seed UNC in a straight shootout back in the Sweet 16 round. Mark Sears was involved strongly in this game as he has been with every game.
He actually scored the lowest in that one with 18 points. You know it’s a solid March Madness when scoring 18 points is the weakest performance from the first four rounds.
If Alabama does the unexpected and defeat last year’s champs UConn then Sears is a very likely candidate to take home the award. He has been top scorer in ¾ games and will most likely keep up this record in the Final Four and National Championship if the Crimson Tide are to win.
DJ Burns JR and DJ Horne - NC State Wolfpack
Odds: +3000 & +3500
NC State has been the underdog story to watch of this year’s March Madness. If they manage to get past Purdue they would make history by becoming the first 11 seed to make the National Championship game.
You get a feeling that if they get to the final that they’ll take it all the way and win it. It’s one of those stories where it’s so crazy that it just might happen. We have been stunned in sports so many times over the years and NC State could quite easily be the latest on the list.
If they do go all the way and win, we could see one of their players scoop the MVP award and there are two players that have a stronger chance than the rest. They share a name, DJ Burns and DJ Horne.
The two may sound like a double act you’d see on a Coachella lineup but they are actually two very exciting young players.
DJ Burns Jr and DJ Horne are a contrasting duo. Burns Jr is a massive PF/C who weighs in at 124 kg at 6 ft 9 inches, whilst his teammate is a smaller 6ft 1, 79kg guard. The two have both been absolutely phenomenal and will be eyeing NBA futures.
Although there have been rumors that Burns Jr could make a switch to Football! He publicly denied these rumors to say that he’s focused on hoops but he did add that he’s ‘not a close-minded person’.
If you’re backing NC State to win it all and complete statistically the greatest underdog tale in
March Madness betting
history then both are worth a punt. It really comes down to who has a better Final Four and NC Final should they make it.
Most Famous March Madness MVPs
As you can imagine, the March Madness MVPs usually go on to have careers in professional basketball. Of course some achieve more than others. In this next section we will take you through some of the most recognizable and successful March Madness MVPs.
First, let’s look at the winners from this millennium:
| Year |
MVP |
School |
| 2023 |
Adama Sanogo |
UConn |
| 2022 |
Ochai Agbaji |
Kansas |
| 2021 |
Jared Butler |
Baylor |
| 2020 |
No tournament |
NA |
| 2019 |
Kyle Guy |
Virginia |
| 2018 |
Donte DiVincenzo |
Villanova |
| 2017 |
Joel Berry |
North Carolina |
| 2016 |
Ryan Arcidiacono |
Villanova |
| 2015 |
Tyus Jones |
Duke |
| 2014 |
Shabazz Napier |
UConn |
| 2013 |
Luke Hancock |
Louisville |
| 2012 |
Anthony Davis |
Kentucky |
| 2011 |
Kemba Walker |
UConn |
| 2010 |
Kyle Singler |
Duke |
| 2009 |
Wayne Ellington |
North Carolina |
| 2008 |
Mario Chalmers |
Kansas |
| 2007 |
Corey Brewer |
Florida |
| 2006 |
Joakim Noah |
Florida |
| 2005 |
Sean May |
North Carolina |
| 2004 |
Emeka Okafor |
UConn |
| 2003 |
Carmelo Anthony |
Syracuse |
| 2002 |
Juan Dixon |
Maryland |
| 2001 |
Shane Battier |
Duke |
| 2000 |
Mateen Cleaves |
Michigan St |
Anthony Davis was one of the most exciting college players of all time. He played just one season of basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats but boy did he leave behind a legacy. Here are some of the accolades he won in that season:
- USBWA Freshman of the Year
- NABC Defensive Player of the Year
- Most Outstanding Player - March Madness
He followed this up by being the first overall draft pick for the NBA and is currently playing for the LA Lakers where he has been an NBA champion. He has a number of accolades from the NBA that would take too long to list.
Hakeem Olajuwon, one of the all-time greats in basketball. If you don’t know who he is then you’re gonna have some fun watching clips later. He was a colossus. Standing at 7 ft tall and playing the center position with some insane speed and beauty.
He was the polar opposite to Shaq who relied on his power and strength to dominate. The two have been likened to fire and ice.
Hakeem was the most recent case of a player who didn’t win the National Championship, winning the MVP award and it’s fair to say he deserved it. He followed it up by being the no.1 overall draft pick for the Rockets, a draft that also featured Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley and John Stockton.
Fun fact: He had his number 34 retired at both Houston University and the Houston Rockets.
Jerry West is an absolute icon of basketball and even at the age of 85 is continuing to have an impact on the sport as an Executive board member at the Clippers. Jerry won the MVP award. He was another who failed to win the National Championship but still won the Most Outstanding Player award.
Jerry was one of the players who truly put the Lakers on the map. He joined the team as they famously relocated to L.A back in 1960.
He has won everything there is to win in the NBA and like Hakeem, has also had his number retired from both his college and professional team.
It’s always interesting to see where some of the MVPs ended up. I wonder what’s in store for our 2024 winner…
Where to bet on March Madness MVP
There are many sportsbooks that are covering this market, for reference we have used odds from bet365 today but they are not the only place offering odds.
Here are some sportsbooks we’d recommend checking out if you’re unsure:
- DraftKings
- FanDuel
- Bet365
- Caesars Sportsbook
All of these sportsbooks will welcome you with open arms and some free bets. Head to our sportsbook page to see exactly what benefits you’ll get for signing up to each sportsbook.
It goes without saying that being current and quick is essential for catching the finest bets and odds, so be sure to peruse our comprehensive
betting apps
section.
Pros and Cons of March Madness MVP Betting
Just like any type of bet there are of course pros and cons that come with betting on the Most Outstanding Player at March Madness.
| Pros |
Cons |
| Small pool of players to choose from at Final Four stage |
Relies on team performance as well as player |
| Potential for high odds winners if underdog prevail |
March Madness is very unpredictable |
| Opportunities for strategic betting |
|
| Adds extra excitement to Final Four |
|
Are you gonna have a bet on the MVP of March Madness? If the answer is yes, feel free to fire your picks over to us on our twitter and we’ll get some conversations started.
Always remember to be responsible when betting, when the fun stops, you stop as well. There is always help available.
FAQ
What is March Madness MVP?
March Madness MVP refers to the Most Outstanding Player of the college basketball tournament known as March Madness
Who is the best March Madness MVP winner?
This is subjective but Hakeem Olajuwon and Jerry West are definitely high on the list.
Who is favorite to win the March Madness MVP?
The favorites as of now are Donovan Clingan and Zach Edey
