Bet on College Basketball Spreads Online
When Texas legalizes online sports betting, NCAAB point spreads will be one of the top options.
A point spread helps balance the odds for both teams, and you’ll find that the spread odds for college basketball games can vary widely. Check out current NCAA basketball spreads below plus more about college basketball point spread betting.
Today’s odds for college basketball spreads
Find the latest odds for upcoming college basketball games below. Click any odds to go directly to the sportsbook, create an account and start betting. New customers qualify for an online sports betting bonus.
Best sportsbook apps for NCAA basketball spreads
On the surface, the most popular sportsbooks look similar. They have roughly the same interface with a rail of sports on the left side of your screen and an easy one-click method for placing the bet you want.
But each has a distinct style that may fit what you are looking for when it comes to point spreads for college basketball. Here are some of the top college basketball betting apps that could launch in Texas post-legalization:
DraftKings Sportsbook app
The depth of offerings is excellent at DraftKings Sportsbook during college basketball season. It’ll also have point spreads for every Division I Texas college team, with options for player props. Check out the daily fantasy contests page to see how you can compete for prizes each day. It even has “beginner” contests if you’re just starting out.
The DraftKings betting site has offered a 20% deposit bonus of up to $1,000 for new players. It has also offered a $200 credit to bettors who get a $5 moneyline bet correct during March Madness.
Where DraftKings really excels is in the abundance of information it provides on each game. You can quickly get a read on where teams stand heading into a game by looking over the stories and stats that DraftKings provides.
FanDuel Sportsbook app
During March Madness, FanDuel Sportsbook offered new users a $150 credit when they placed a $5 bet. FanDuel and DraftKings will always be associated with each other, given their daily fantasy sports roots. That doesn’t carry over as much in college basketball, but FanDuel has a deep list of odds and lines and even free-to-play games for bettors to try.
FanDuel online sportsbook gives bettors a lot of information, including a look at the percentage of money coming in on both sides of a point spread.
BetMGM Sportsbook app
If parlays are your jam, then BetMGM Sportsbook is your peanut butter. BetMGM goes big on parlays, putting a giant “one game parlay” button under each game. From there, the possibilities are nearly endless. You can mix in point spread bets with props like the first team to 30 points or the team leading at halftime.
BetMGM Sportsbook online also has a slew of futures bets you can make on the college basketball season, like the overall NCAA Tournament winner. BetMGM also offers new users a bonus bet up to $1,000. You can also refer people to join BetMGM, and both you and your referral can get a $50 bonus provided the person signs up and begins using the site.
Caesars Sportsbook app
Caesars Sports has become one of the best-known American sportsbooks with its over-the-top commercials featuring famous sports stars. The Caesars Sportsbook app itself isn’t as flashy as a two-hand jam, but it’s clear, concise, and easy to navigate.
Caesars has a variety of college basketball action, from futures bets on the outcome of the season to easy-to-create parlays. New users can sign up for a chance to receive $1,250 in first-bet insurance, meaning those who lose their first bet will receive an equal bonus bet up to that maximum.
How to sign up to bet on college basketball spreads
Signing up at an online sportsbook is simple as a bounce pass. If Texas eventually legalizes online sports betting, sportsbooks will become available to use on your tablet, PC, and phone. For the most part, sportsbook apps are available to download via links on a sportsbook’s website. You will then need to create an account and provide details like the following:
- Name
- Address
- Username
- Password
- Last four digits of your Social Security number
Once you have that all set up, you can make your first deposit and then navigate over to the betting screen and choose the college basketball bet you’d like to make.
Will I be allowed to bet on Texas college basketball teams?
Some states (including Virginia and New Jersey) do not permit betting by state residents on college teams representing schools from within that state, meaning New Jersey residents couldn’t bet on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, for example.
We’ll have to wait to see how Texas handles this issue when it moves forward with legal TX online sports betting. If betting on in-state teams is allowed, you’ll see current odds right here:
- Tonight’s Baylor basketball odds
- Tonight’s Houston Cougars basketball odds
- Tonight’s Texas Longhorns basketball odds
How college basketball spreads work
Sportsbooks aim to set point spreads that encourage betting on both sides of a game. The sportsbooks designate one team as the favorite and the other as the underdog. The point spread is the margin that the favorite must win by for bets on that side to win. Otherwise, bets on the underdog win. Let’s use the example of a Texas Tech basketball game against TCU.
We will say Texas Tech is a 7.5-point favorite. This means Texas Tech will be -7.5 on the spread, and TCU will be +7.5. The half-point is so the book doesn’t have to worry about the spread landing exactly on the number, resulting in a push. Point spread odds will generally be at or around -110 on both sides. This means that a bet of $110 would pay you $100 in profit if your selection wins.
In the case of our example, if Texas Tech wins 80-68, it covered the spread, and bets on that side would pay off. If Texas Tech wins 88-82, that’s enough to win the game, but not enough to cover the spread, so bets on that side won’t pay off, and bets on TCU will.
Live NCAA basketball spread betting
Even after a game begins, sportsbooks will be updating the lines online. You may have forgotten to bet on that Texas/Texas Tech game and remembered right at tipoff. No big deal, just log into the sportsbook, check out the updated line and make a bet if you wish.
Note, however, that some states implement additional rules when it comes to live betting on college contests. We’ll have to wait to see if that’s part of any potential future Texas sports betting law.
Alternate college basketball spread lines
Many online books also provide options to set your own point spreads, aka alternate lines. Let’s refer back to our example of Texas Tech and TCU with the spread at 7.5. If you think Texas Tech is going to win, but the game will be closer than that, you could potentially set the line at 4.5 points.
That change to the line will also cause the odds to shift, so keep that in mind. In the case of this example, the potential payout would be smaller since you are moving the line in your favor. If, however, you are confident in Texas Tech, you could move the line in the other direction for a better potential payout.
College basketball parlays with spread bets
One of the simplest single-game parlays is to combine a bet on the point spread with the over/under for that game. The over/under is a bet on the combined total score of the game. You would need to win both legs of this parlay to win your bet.
And you don’t need to stop at two bets on a single game to create a parlay. You can combine multiple spread bets from multiple games, with the potential payout increasing as you do. Keep in mind, though, that additional legs also increase the risk.
Who sets NCAA basketball point spreads?
Sportsbooks will set their sports odds and betting lines via data, algorithms, and analysis. It’s a complex process that involves a lot of factors. Data can indicate how big a favorite should be, and it could be a significant margin. Don’t be surprised to see point spreads as large as 30 when it’s an obvious mismatch.
Remember, the oddsmakers want an even amount of betting on either side. If they aren’t making you think a little bit about your bet, they aren’t doing their jobs.
What does betting against the spread mean?
When you bet against the spread, it means that you are betting on the point spread and not the moneyline. If the spread on the game is Texas Tech -5, and you put money down on Texas Tech, you are betting on not just Texas Tech, but its ability to beat its opponent by more than five points. So you’re up against the other team and the spread.
College basketball spread betting vs. moneyline bets
A moneyline bet is a bit simpler than spread betting. There are two teams involved in a game. You pick which team you think is going to win, without any consideration of the point spread. Moneyline bets are quick and fun, but the odds vary much more widely, so if you bet on a big favorite, your potential payoff will be small, and you may not think it’s truly worth it.
Vegas college basketball spread odds vs. legal online sportsbooks
Las Vegas will forever be associated with gambling in America. For many years, Nevada was the only state in the US where you could legally bet on sports. This granted Vegas odds a particular cachet. However, with legal sports betting expanding to many other states at this point, that no longer holds anymore, including for Vegas college basketball spreads.
If you are in a state where online sports betting is legal, the odds at the online sportsbooks in that state will generally be comparable to what you’d find in Vegas. And that will also be true for online sportsbooks in Texas, should the state ever legalize them.
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