NCAA Basketball Odds & Spreads

College sports are super popular throughout the United States, and Ohio is no exception. The Bobcats are Ohio’s leading NCAA basketball team, and you can back them in numerous ways when they take to the court this season.

Here, we introduce you to the basics of NCAA basketball odds, lines, and spreads, to help you get started with betting on college basketball this year. 

NCAA Basketball Odds Explained

When you sign up for an online sportsbook, you will find NCAA basketball odds in American format. Both teams will get a number, one positive and one negative. The negative odds are given to the favorite and indicate how much you need to be to make a profit of $100

The positive odds - given to the underdog - show how much profit you stand to win from a $100 bet. Let’s take a look at how an NCAA basketball line might look: 

Ohio Bobcats (-180) vs. Belmont Bruins (+190)

NCAA Basketball Lines

The above fixture between the Bobcats and the Bruins is an example of an NCAA basketball line, or moneyline, to give it its full name. In a basketball line, your only job is to back the team that you think will win the fixture - the Bobcats or Bruins.

As you can see, the Bobcats are favorites, and you would need to place a bet of $180 to return a profit of $100. If you fancy the Bruins for the upset, a $100 bet will return a profit of $190. It doesn’t matter how many points are scored or who scores them in an NCAA basketball line; the only important thing is the final score.

NCAA Basketball Spreads

If you want to make things a little more interesting when betting on NCAA basketball, you can opt for a spread bet. Spread bets level things out, as they give the underdogs a head start while giving the favorites a handicap. Here’s what a spread involving the Bobcats might look like: 

Bobcats (-7.5) vs. Wolverines (+7.5)

Here, the Bobcats begin the match with a 7.5-point deficit, meaning that they will need to beat the Wolverines by eight clear points for your spread bet to win. Conversely, if you fancy the Wolverines, provided that they don’t lose the match by more than seven points, you will still win your bet.

As NCAA basketball fixtures sometimes feature heavy favorites, spread betting can be a great way of finding better value on your betting slip by accessing better odds. 

Recap: NCAA Basketball Odds & Spreads

Backing the Bobcats and other NCAA teams is a great way to extend your basketball betting options beyond the NBA. Ohio has teams competing in various NCAA sports, meaning that you can back your alumni as they take to the court or field throughout the season.

You know the basics of placing NCAA lines and spreads, and you can start with NCAA basketball betting this season.