The NCAA runs perhaps the most exciting, concentrated single-knockout tournament in sports.  If you enjoy US college basketball, OddsJet compares NCAA basketball betting odds from several licensed and reputable Australian betting sites that all offer AUD accounts.  This allows OddsJet to display the best NCAA basketball odds for every game on the schedule, which helps Australian bettors maximize their potential returns.  OddsJet also displays the different handicap values from each sportsbook for both Point Spreads and Totals to find the optimal wagering opportunity for any opinion on any given game. 

As we approach the tournament in March, you may be interested in the odds for a particular school to win the NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship.  If this is the case, OddsJet also displays the best NCAA Men’s Basketball outright winner odds.    

NCAA Basketball Odds explained

Money Line

When one is betting on the Money Line, one is betting on the winner of an NCAA basketball game - there is no handicap.  Favorites and underdogs are determined solely by the odds pricing.  When one just wants to bet on a winner, OddsJet displays the sportsbooks that are offering highest prices on the games of interest. 

Point Spread

For NCAA basketball, the Point Spread is the most popular type of handicap betting.  The Point Spread as a betting market is an effort by the odds maker to offer prices that are similar for both potential outcomes.  Simply, the Point Spread means the game does not start at 0-0.  The Point Spread can be viewed as a point handicap which the favorite must overcome in order to be declared the winner.  From the perspective of the underdog, the Point Spread may be viewed as a head start on points toward winning the game.  For example if the spread is 9.5 points, the favorite will need to win by 10 points for a wager on the favorite to be a winner.  The underdog can lose the game by as many as 9 points and still be considered the winner for betting purposes. 

Oftentimes, one will see Point Spreads that end in 0.5.  In this case, there will always be a winning bet.  However, if the Point Spread is a whole number like 7 points and the game ends with the favorite winning by exactly 7 points, all stakes should be returned as if no bet occurred.

OddsJet helps to analyse the Point Spread as well as the best odds price.  The ‘+’ button associated with each game on the events schedule opens up a window that displays all the different Point Spreads from all our sportsbook sources.  This helps to identify if any sportsbook is offering a Point Spread that is particularly attractive for a given opinion in relation to the potential NCAA game outcome.

For example, if one prefers the favorite and the consensus Point Spread is around -6.5 points, the OddsJet ‘+’ button and handicap analysis could show that one or two sportsbooks have set their spread at -5.5 points.  For those that like the favorite, this is clearly a better proposition as the favorite needs only to win by 6 points to win the bet.  Conversely, the same window could display a sportsbook with a spread of -7.5 points which is a superior handicap if one prefers the underdog.  Whether you like the favorite or the underdog, OddsJet helps to find your ideal handicap. 

Total or Over/Under

For NCAA basketball, the Total or Over/Under refers to a figure for the total number of points to be scored by both teams over the course of a game.  The sportsbook sets this point total figure and sets odds pricing for the respective ‘Over’ and ‘Under’ outcomes.  Given the point figure handicap, the ‘Over’ and ‘Under’ prices tend to be close in value.

The OddsJet ‘+’ buttons also help with Totals in the same way they help with Point Spreads.  The window that pops up will display all the different Total lines for the associated game from our online sportsbooks.  If you like the ‘Under’ for a given NCAA game, you might look for the highest Total line available in order to have more room to stay ‘Under.’  If you like the ‘Over’, one could look for the lowest ‘Total’ so that the teams might overcome the ‘Total’ line more easily.  If there are several sportsbooks offering a particularly attractive ‘Total’ line, OddsJet also shows you the offered odds prices so you may get the best odds price for your ideal Total figure.  

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NCAA Basketball Odds expressed in American, Decimal and Fractional Formats

For American odds format, keep in mind the difference between positive and negative expressions.  When the odds are below even-money, a negative number is used.   A negative odds price expresses how much one needs to wager in order to return a profit of $100.  For example, if Duke is favoured heavily on a Money Line, one might see a figure of -310.  This means that one would need to wager $310 in order to return $100 in profit for a total potential return of $410.  When one sees a positive odds price in American format, the odds are above even-money. The positive odds price expresses how much profit one might gain with a wager of $100.  At +125 on UCONN, a winning bet of $100 would return the stake plus $125 for a total return of $225.  Note that although the American odds format centres on the figure of $100, this is only for the purposes of expression.  It is not a restriction in any way on the amount that may be staked. 

For the Decimal odds format on NCAA hoops, simply multiply the stake amount by the decimal odds price to see the full amount that would be returned on a win including the stake amount.  For example, if one wagered $100 at a price of 1.91 on Kansas to cover the spread, the potential return would be $191, a profit of $91. 

For Fractional odds format, the figures express the potential profit return that could be received over and above the stake amount.  For example, if one bet $100 on a team like Syracuse that is a heavy favorite on the Money Line at an odds price of 1/3 (said one-to-three), a win would see the $100 stake returned plus a profit of $33.33 (1 divided by 3, multiplied by $100) or a total return of $133.33.

Odds comparisons for other top basketball competitions

NBA Odds

NCAA Basketball Odds (US College Hoops)

Euroleague Odds

Liga ACB Odds (Spain)

BSL Odds (Turkish Super League)

United League Odds (Russian Tier 1)

BBL Odds (German Basketball Bundesliga)

LBA Odds (Italy Lega Basket Serie A)

LNB Pro A Odds (France Tier 1)

ABA Odds (Adriatic League)

LKL Odds (Lithuanian League)

CBA Odds (Chinese Basketball Association)