What is March Madness?
March Madness, also known as the NCAA tournament or championship is a men’s college basketball tournament. It happens every year, starting in March and running into the first week of April. Many people learn
how to be on March Madness
each year.
The name “March Madness” is just what it is, because this tournament takes the US nation by a storm each year mainly within March (although this year’s Final Four knockout is on April 6, with this final on April 8). Basketball fans, sports bettors and many of the public in general, gear up for this huge tournament and to see which team will be crowned the champions for the year.
The tournament kicks off with 64 teams spread over four regions. Teams are eliminated game by game until we reach the Sweet 16. This is the last four teams left standing in each region. These 16 teams will go head to head, losers will be eliminated and we are left with the Elite 8.
The Elite 8 are the last two teams in each region that will play each other. The winners will go through to the Final Four, the semi-finals of the national tournament. From there, the two final teams will play the final match of the tournament in hopes that they will be crowned the NCAA champions for 2024.
What is a March Madness Betting Bracket?
A March Madness bracket is simply all the teams involved in the NCAA tournament and the path or journey they follow to get to the final. Filling out your March Madness bracket bets is simple, but can be rather daunting if you have never done it before.
The odds that you are going to fill out a bracket with all the predictions correct up to the March Madness finals predictions are not very good. There will be upsets along the way that will throw things completely off.
There are many different ways to bet on March Madness along with some of the best strategies for March Madness bracket betting.
What is a March Madness Betting Strategy?
When you bet on March Madness it is best to have strategy to follow. This will help guide you to making the most informed predictions and bets. There are many different March Madness betting strategies which fans and sports bettors use when placing their bets.
You need to follow a strategy that best suits you, your betting style as well as your betting experience. Bettors form different pools to make their predictions. These can be office pools, friendship pools or family pools. You need to make sure you are still standing at the end of the tournament in the survivor pool and use a survivor pool strategy March Madness. We’ve mentioned a few strategies later in this article.
Where Do I Bet on March Madness?
Most licensed and reputable online sportsbooks will offer March Madness betting. It is your job to do your research and find a sportsbook which best suits you. There are a few things you need to consider before jumping in and joining any sportsbook.
- Am I in a state where online sports betting is legal?
- Make sure the sportsbook is fully licensed and trusted.
- Check the different bonuses and promotions available for March Madness.
- Does the sportsbook offer your preferred payment method?
- Are there good, competitive odds available?
- Does the sportsbook offer March Madness betting?
Once you have done all the research and you are happy you have chosen the best sportsbook, you can then get started by following these quick few steps:
- Head to the homepage of the sportsbook and click on the sign up button.
- Register for an account by filling in all the details they require from you. This will include your name, email address, residential address, mobile number and a password.
- Read the terms and conditions and claim the welcome bonus you are offered. You may receive a deposit match or some
free bets.
- Make your first deposit into your account via the banking method of your choice.
- Look for the basketball tab and the NCAA tournament.
- Have a look at the odds and betting markets available and use your
March Madness strategy
to start placing your bets.
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Which Teams are Left in The NCAA Tournament?
We are now down to the final rounds of the tournament, the Sweet 16, Elite 8 and Final 4 before we head to the final championship game where the winners will be crowned. These are the final 16 teams in 2024:
- UConn
- San Diego State
- Iowa
- Illinois
- UNC
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Clemson
- Houston
- Duke
- North Carolina State
- Marquette
- Gonzaga
- Purdue
- Tennessee
- Creighton
What is The Best March Madness Betting Strategy?
The best March Madness strategy comes down to many factors. Betting experience plays a huge factor when deciding which strategy is best for you. We have made it easier for you and have mentioned a few betting strategies for the different types of bettors.
Betting Strategies for Beginner Bettors
As a person just starting their March Madness betting journey, this is the strategy and types of bets you will want to follow.
The best bets for beginner bettors to make are futures. Here you will predict the tournament winner. It does not matter who the team are in the final with or how many points are involved, if the team you predict wins, then you will win your bet.
This is one of the best strategy for March Madness brackets. The best odds for this type of bet occur before the tournament starts, so this is when you want to make this bet.
Here you are betting on a team that will the match overall, regardless of what the score will be. March Madness is filled with unpredictability and betting on the underdogs can lead to massive payouts for you.
The sportsbook will predict a total for the two teams combined scores. You will either be betting over or under. If you think the combined scores will be more than what the sportsbook has set then you will make an ‘over’ bet and if you think it will be less, then you will make an ‘under’ bet.
If you have done March Madness betting before and know what it is all about, but aren’t quite at the advanced stage, then you will want to follow this March Madness betting strategy and make these informed bets.
With these bets the sportsbook will give the underdog team an advantage and the favorite team a handicap to even things out. If you bet on the favorite team, they will need to win by a certain number of points. If you bet on the underdog team, they need to win overall or lose within a certain number of points.
This is a great bet to make when you want to bet on the underdogs. They can still lose the game as long as it is only by a certain number of points, but still win the bet.
Here you are focusing on a certain player’s performance. It has nothing to do with the score or the outcome of the game. There are many different player prop bets that you can make, e.g. How many goals a player will score in a match, how many meters they will run etc.
March Madness Betting Strategy for Advanced Bettors
Experienced sports bettors who have placed bets on March Madness before and know all the ropes will want to follow this strategy and place these types of bets.
Individual Totals, Spreads and Moneyline
You can place bets on the first and second half of the games separately. Pick a team who you think will be in the lead after the first half. These bets are essentially the same as the full game bets, except they are for shorter periods and therefore will have different odds.
These can become difficult because there is less time on the clock for things to even out. If a team has a trend of coming back strong in the second half, or playing well in the first half and then fading out, then these are the bets you want to try make.
This is where many different bets are made into one wager. These are a lot more complex bets, as you will need to win all of the predictions to win the bet overall. If you get just one incorrect, unlucky – you will not win the bet.
You can bet on same-game parlays, where all your predictions will be in the one game, and multi-game parlays where you combine wagers from separate games into one bet.
Tips and Tricks for March Madness Betting
Although, we know that the March Madness tournament is unpredictable, there are still a few little things that you can do that may help increase your odds.
- Don’t rule out the underdogs
– Cinderella teams in March Madness cause a lot of excitement and make the tournament popular.
- Consider the location
– home ground advantage is real. Look for teams that are playing close to their campuses.
- Look for experience
– experienced teams and coaches can be a key for success.
- There are bound to be upsets
– if your favorite for the
Sweet 16 predictions
does not make it, do not be discouraged.
- Don’t only bet at one sportsbook
– choose 2 or 3 sportsbooks to place your bets.
- Look for live betting options
– placing bets as the action is taking place.
- Have fun
– remember it is all done for fun. Do not get too serious and try to make huge amounts of money. Only bet with what you can afford.
March Madness Winners Over the Years
Every year the March Madness tournament leaves many waiting in anticipation to see who the champions will be. Here is a table showing the winners over the last 14 years. It is quite varied, but we see Connecticut, Duke and Villanova have won the tournament a couple of times.
| Year |
Team |
| 2023 |
UConn |
| 2022 |
Kansas |
| 2021 |
Baylor |
| 2020 |
Cancelled – Covid 19 |
| 2019 |
Virginia |
| 2018 |
Villanova |
| 2017 |
North Carolina |
| 2016 |
Villanova |
| 2015 |
Duke |
| 2014 |
Connecticut |
| 2013 |
Louisville |
| 2012 |
Kentucky |
| 2011 |
Connecticut |
| 2010 |
Duke |
March Madness Betting Strategy Conclusion
After reading this guide, you should have a better understanding on the NCAA tournament and which March Madness betting strategy is best for you to incorporate into your predictions and bets.
Use the information to join a reputable sportsbook, check the odds available and use the best March Madness strategy to help you get closer to the wins you are looking for.
FAQs
What is March Madness?
The NCAA men’s college basketball tournament is also known as March Madness. It is a tournament held every year in March where we see who will be crowned the tournament champions.
What is a March Madness Betting Strategy?
A March Madness betting strategy is a strategy that you use when placing your bets and making your predictions on the tournament.
What is the best strategy for beginners?
As a beginner you want to make simple bets. These include futures, moneyline and over/under totals.
Intermediate bettors can look to place point spread and player prop bets.
What is the best strategy for advanced and experienced bettors?
Experienced bettors can bet how they please, but can opt for more complicated bet types such as Individual totals, moneyline and spreads as well as parlay bets.
Who are the top teams for this season?
As we head into the final rounds of March Madness we have the top 16 teams remaining, these teams include, UConn, San Diego State, Iowa, Illinois, UNC, Alabama, Arizona, Clemson, Houston, Duke, North Carolina State, Marquette, Gonzaga, Purdue, Tennessee and Creighton.
