March Madness betting overview: Best sites, where to watch & more

The NCAA Tournament is here once again, and beginning on Tuesday, March 17, you’ll be able to earn money on your hoops predictions. Want to make picks and earn cash prizes, but don’t want to fill out a bracket? We’ll show you the best March Madness sportsbooks, some alternative ways to bet on the men’s and women’s tournaments, how to watch the games and much more.

Here’s a quick overview of the favorites to win each tournament and their betting odds courtesy of Fanatics Sportsbook:

Men’s NCAA Tournament

Michigan: +325

Duke: +340

Arizona: +400

Florida: +600

Houston: +1200

Iowa State: +1800

Illinois: +2000

Connecticut: +2500

Women’s NCAA Tournament

Connecticut: -285

UCLA: +600

Texas: +700

South Carolina: +850

LSU: +1800

Vanderbilt: +4000

The men’s tournament this year has a bit more parity than usual, with several blue-blood programs having an argument to be the favorite. Michigan leads the pack at +325 odds by a slim margin over Duke, who finished the season ranked as the top men’s team in the country.

Arizona was the only other team from a power conference with three or fewer losses on the year, rounding out the three teams most likely to win. But if you’re looking for some betting value, teams like Houston and Iowa State have had strong seasons and have a favorable path from the number two seed.

Want to place some bets on the men’s NCAA Tournament? We’ve broken down all of the best March Madness betting sites with rankings and reviews for each. Fanatics Sportsbook and FanDuel Sportsbook rank as our top two sites, and we’ll break down even more betting options later in this article.

As far as the women’s tournament goes, parity is much harder to come by, with Geno Auriemma’s UConn Huskies reclaiming their throne as the top program in women’s hoops. At -285, UConn enters the tournament as major favorites to the point that it would be difficult to bet on them and earn a cash return of any value.

Instead, it’s other major women’s programs like UCLA, Texas, and Dawn Staley’s South Carolina team who sit below the top slot, but have emerged as the biggest threats to UConn’s title hopes. And anyone who’s watched Mikayla Blakes take over a game for Vanderbilt knows the Commodores could beat any team in the bracket.

If you’re not much of a sports bettor but you’d still like to make some picks without having to fill out a bracket, there are plenty of betting options that aren’t sportsbooks that give you a chance to win real cash prizes. In fact, you can bet on March Madness with social sportsbooks for free if you want the thrill of betting without the risk. Social sportsbooks are available in far more states than sportsbooks because they don’t require you to pay real money — instead, they allow you to use fake currency to make wagers for fun. You can also purchase coins on social sportsbooks and wager those, then use any winnings to earn cash prizes. It’s the best of both worlds!

For typical sports bettors, though, one of the best reasons to check out new sportsbooks around March Madness is for the welcome offers. Every major sportsbook in the US has a welcome offer for users who haven’t yet used the platform; these bonus offers allow you to make a deposit and place a small wager to earn perks like bonus bets and no-sweat bets that return your stake in the form of bonus bets if you lose. Here are a few of the best March Madness betting bonuses this year:

Fanatics Sportsbook: 10x $100 bet matches in FanCash

FanDuel Sportsbook: Get $300 back in bonus bets every day for 10 days

Bet365: Bet $10, Get $365 or $1,000 first bet safety net

Caesars Sportsbook: First bet match up to $250

DraftKings Sportsbook: Bet $5, Get $250 in bonus bets if your bet wins

We’re stating the obvious here, but if you’re betting on NCAA Tournament games, it’s probably for some added excitement as you watch the games in secret from your work desk. Let’s take a quick look at which TV networks and streaming services are broadcasting the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournament games starting this week.

How to watch the Men’s NCAA Tournament:

Dates — March 17-18 (First Four), March 19-20 (First Round), March 21-22 (Second Round), March 26-29 (Sweet 16 & Elite 8), April 4 (Final Four), April 6 (National Championship)

Channels — CBS, TBS, TNT, TruTV

Streaming Services — Paramount+ (streams all CBS games), HBO Max (streams games from TBS, TNT & TruTV), NCAA March Madness Live App (aggregates streams, requires TV provider login)

How to Watch the Women’s NCAA Tournament:

Dates — March 18-19 (First Four), March 20-23 (First & Second Round), March 27-28 (Sweet 16), March 29-30 (Elite 8), April 3 (Final Four), April 5 (National Championship)

Channels — ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN News

Streaming Services — ESPN Unlimited, ESPN+ (this platform can also be accessed via Fubo, Sling TV, and YouTube TV), Women’s March Madness & Final Four App

Whether you place your bets on March Madness with a sportsbook, social sportsbook, prediction market, or with a good old-fashioned paper bracket, we hope you enjoy March Madness and get your fill of college hoops before the season wraps up in early April.