How to Bet on 2025 March Madness

This year’s NCAA Men’s College Basketball Tournament is just around the corner. The annual March Madness tourney happens from March 18 through April 7. After the Super Bowl, March Madness is the most significant sports betting event of the year. How do basketball bettors navigate this year’s NCAA Tournament? Check out college basketball odds and ways to profit from 2025 March Madness in this NCAA Men’s College Basketball Tournament betting guide.

2025 NCAA Men’s College Basketball Tournament

• When: March 18 – April 7
• Where: Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas
• TV/Streaming: CBS/Paramount+

2025 March Madness Best Bet: Auburn TigersIn recent seasons, favored Connecticut has cut down the nets in the NCCA Championship game. Auburn should continue the favorite’s dominance. The Tigers have proven to be the best team this season, with just two losses.

The first came against the second-best bet, the Duke Blue Devils. The second was against SEC rival Florida. Alabama had no shot against Auburn, and the Tigers have proven they can outlast a solid team by beating Arkansas in a thriller on February 19. Backing the chalk to win this year’s Tournament makes sense.

Duke isn’t as deep as Auburn, which might be why most future money goes to the Tigers instead of the Blue Devils. But as long as Cooper Flagg stays healthy, the Dookies should be in line for a Final Four berth.

Flagg is the best player in the country. He’s a Mr. Do Everything, the Blue Devils’ unquestioned leader. So far, Flagg hasn’t had any hiccups. So, everything is good to go for now. The odds make the Devils a solid play because Duke has a win over Auburn and is tearing up the ACC. But if you think Flagg might suffer the freshman letdown, which happens because first-time college players aren’t used to the rigors of the NCAA Tournament, think stay away from the Dookies to win it all.

2025 March Madness Top Underdog Bet: St. John’s Red Storm

Rick Pitino is one of the greatest coaches in college basketball history, so it isn’t surprising that in his first season as the St. John’s Red Storm coach, he’s got them playing like NCAA Tournament title contenders.

Heading into February 22, the Red Storm have lost just four games this season. St. John’s is 2.5 games ahead of Marquette and Creighton, and Pitino’s squad is 3.5 games ahead of two-time defending champion Connecticut.

Pitino steps up his coaching game in the Tournament, so we should expect St. John’s to really get going once the Big Dance starts.

2025 March Madness Second Best Underdog Play: Arizona Wildcats

Arizona has eight losses, but 5 of 8 came in Zona’s first nine games. That’s a sign that the Wildcats have gotten much better as the season has progressed.

The Cats also bounced back from back-to-back losses to K-State and 6-Houston this past week by upsetting Baylor on the road. We should take notice when a team faces adversity and comes out ahead like the Wildcats. Tommy Lloyd might finally have his Final Four team, which means Arizona is worth backing at the massive odds.

How to Score Profit on the Big Dance

Bet moneyline upsets in Round 1

The best time to grab moneyline upsets is in Round 1. The way to find those ML upsets is to look for mismatches, such as a 15-seed defensive team versus a 2-seed that likes to run and gun.

Or a 12-seed with a star player against a 5-seed that tailed off at the end of the regular season. Find either mismatches or hot lower-seeded teams taking on higher-seeded squads.

When in doubt, side with the better defensive team ATS

Teams that score many points, run and gun squads, can cover spreads in the NCAA Tournament. But when in doubt, we should side with the defensive squad.The reason is that it’s much tougher to turn it on defensively in the Tournament if you aren’t a defensive-focused team than it is to get the offense going. The offense is easy. It’s something every player on every team in the Tournament grew up learning as a kid. But playing team defense is something that has to be taught. So, side with defensive teams to cover spreads if you have doubts.

Handicap head coaches, as much as you handicap teams

The NCAA Tournament is a coach’s Tournament, meaning the best HCs get it done. Rick Pitino at St. John’s, Nat Oats at Alabama, Bruce Pearl at Auburn, Kelvin Sampson at Houston, and Dan Hurley at UConn, step up their coaching game in the NCAA Tournament.

So, when handicapping a matchup with an HC who has proven to get his team ready for the Big Dance, we must take that fact into consideration. Handicap coaches as much as you handicap teams. This is especially true the further we go in the Tournament when a single coaching decision can make the difference between a spread cover or win and a spread cover loss or straight-up loss.

Don’t choose a team to win the Final Four, or even make the Final Four, without at least 1 go-to player

Teams that make the Final Four have that one player who can make the winning shot. This has been true since the days of Kansas’ Danny Manning and Duke’s Christian Laettner in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

If a team has a star player, it’s going to have a shot at making the NCAA Tournament. Star players can break down any defense and have the leadership skills to lead the team on the court.

Guards rule in the NCAA Tournament

Guards rule in the Big Dance. For years, NCAA Tournament handicappers have known that teams with the best guards often make it to the Final Four.

A guard can oftentimes make their shot. So emphasize teams like Arizona with Caleb Love, Duke with Cooper Flagg, and Auburn’s Johni Broome, who lists as a forward but leads the Tigers in points, rebounds, and assists, to get it done in the Tournament.

Where to Bet on College Basketball with Crypto

NFL odds are available all season round here at Nitrobetting. Create a Nitrobetting account now to win tons of cryptocurrency from the 2024-25 College Basketball season with our up-to-date NCAAB odds,

Check out our latest crypto betting guides for the NFL season. Stay tuned for more NCAAB previews and articles, and don’t forget to check out the latest College Basketball betting odds at our online crypto sportsbook.

*All stated odds are subject to change without prior notice.