The college basketball season is in progress, and we aren’t far away from the annual thrill of the March Madness event. Duke and Cooper Flagg are currently tagged as the favorites, but some well-known programs are not far behind them on the odds lists.
The college basketball season is three months old, and many eyes are now turning towards March Madness odds. Of course, we have the UConn Huskies, like the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL, are looking to three-peat as champions, are not among the favorites this year.
Here are the latest odds for the March Madness 2025 tournament, which will take place in San Antonio, Texas.
March Madness Odds
Here is a list of the favorites for March Madness 2025. *Odds correct as of Monday March 3rd, odds courtesy of bet365.
Duke +110
Florida +260
Houston +400
Auburn +450
Best March Madness Betting Sites
So, with the 2025 edition of March Madness set to kick off in just a few months, here are some of the best US sportsbooks that offer March Madness odds:
#1. DraftKings Sportsbook
Pros:
- Excellent mobile app
- Best sportsbook for grading winners
- Easy to use
- One of the most reputable brands in the US
Cons:
- Lack of search function on desktop
- Not a lot of live streaming options
DraftKings has 3.5 million monthly users and is well known among bettors and non-bettors alike. The brand is always looking to introduce new and cutting edge features to both its desktop site and sportsbook app, such as DK cash out feature, and is also incredibly popular due to its daily fantasy sports offerings. It is an excellent option to bet on March Madness due to their highly competitive odds and regular promos and boosts, of which there will be plenty during the tournament.
Speaking of promos, DraftKings is running a bet $5, get $150 in bonus bets for new players. This will give you an instant bankroll boost and you can use these bonus funds when creating your brackets for March Madness.
#2. BetMGM Sportsbook
Pros:
- Lucrative welcome bonus
- Huge amount of betting markets
- Access to top quality rewards program
- Wide range of banking options
Cons:
- App more glitchy than competitors
- Futures markets are hard to find
BetMGM is intrinsically linked with gambling, due to its roots in Las Vegas and now the brand also provides a top quality online gambling experience. You will surely have noticed lots of celebrities pushing their promos and no doubt that will heat up in the build up to March Madness. For those of you who will be looking to get in on the in-play action during March Madness, BetMGM is a great option, with regular odds updates and no lags at all.
BetMGM rewards new customers with an attractive bonus worth up to $1,500 if your first bet loses. It might just take the pressure of that opening bet of the tournament!
#3. Caesars Sportsbook
Pros:
- Great live streaming options
- Over 25 betting markets
- Flexible betting odds
- Lots of exotic bet types
Cons:
- Layout makes things hard to find
- Lack of odds boosts
Like BetMGM, Caesars is synonymous with gambling and the digital arm of the company has created an excellent modern betting site and app with a varied sports betting menu. This is a great choice for March Madness bettors due to top features such as live betting, targeted promos, same game parlays and an easy to use cash out tool. We also really like the range of safe betting tools Caesars has, which is vital for player safety.
Caesars continues to be a market leader among online betting sites, so it is no surprise that its March Madness bonus offer is the most lucrative in the country, where you bet $1 and get 10 100% profit boosts. You can use that $1 bet on any sports betting markets.
#4. FanDuel Sportsbook
Pros:
- Hundreds of daily betting markets from the biggest US sportsbook
- Excellent choice of same game parlays
- Flexible betting odds
- Lots of exotic bet types
Cons:
- Lack of odds boosts
- Layout makes things hard to find
FanDuel typically appears at the top of the rankings for the most popular sportsbook in the US, so it shouldn’t be a shock that it is one of the most recommended March Madness betting sites. What makes FanDuel great is that it has a lot of unique features such as their Same Game Parlay Plus feature, and all of their betting tools add value to the experience. I would say it has the best cash out tool of any sportsbook, which is a vital feature when betting on March Madness.
Anybody who signs up for a new FanDuel account can claim the bet $5, get $150 in bonus bets welcome offer. Just place a $5 bet on a March Madness game and you will receive $150 in bonuses in your betting account.
#5. bet365 Sportsbook
Pros:
- Large selection of in-play options
- Excellent customer support service with 24/7 live chat available
- Generous welcome bonus
Cons:
- No loyalty program available
- Only operating in a small number of states compared to competitors
The bet365 betting brand is one of the biggest in Europe, and is now making a splash in the United States. One of the most impressive features of this sportsbook is that it doesn’t just have a standard cash out tool, but multiple cash out opportunities. bet365 offers partial cash out and auto cash out. This is ideal for March Madness bettors, as if you feel the game will turn and your bet might start looking shaky, you can get out of it early and lock in some profit.
Even though bet365 still isn’t as well known in the US as the likes of FanDuel and DraftKings, it is beginning to get noticed thanks to offers such as the bet $5, get $150 in bonus bets that new users can claim.
What is March Madness?
March Madness is the annual NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament, which begins in March and then continues into April. It is one of the biggest and most popular sporting events in the United States as 68 teams from across the country lock horns in a single-elimination tournament to see who will be crowned the national champion.
The event begins with Selection Sunday, which occurs on the second Sunday in March, where the teams are revealed and the famous brackets announced. The First Four, which is the opening round, occurs on the Tuesday and Wednesday after Selection Sunday. The main slate, when many feel like the real action gets underway, begins on the Thursday and Friday in the first full week of March.
The teams are split up according to regions into groups of four, each with 16 teams, and seeded based on their regular season records and how they performed in their respective conference tournaments. The fixtures are then played out with the winners advancing and the losers heading home.
The tournament concludes with the Final Four over the first weekend of April, which is basically the semi-finals. The two winners from those games advance to the championship game to determine the national champions.
Where can I bet on March Madness?
March Madness is one of the busiest and most crucial times of the year for online sportsbooks. It is also very popular with bettors as they go through their brackets with friends and family. Every betting site will offer odds for March Madness, but as always, make sure you only bet with licensed betting sites that are secure, offer a wide range of banking methods and give you plenty of markets to choose from.
Have a look at some of the best March Madness betting sites for your region.
March Madness Futures Bets
There are multiple different types of bets you can place on the March Madness tournament, and futures bets are some of the most popular. Understanding how to successfully bet on March Madness is actually quite complex. By its very nature, it is really hard to predict who will go on to win. Lose one game and you are out, meaning that a school must overcome six different quality opponents to claim the glory, which naturally leads to underdogs regularly causing upsets.
Another thing to consider is that tournament brackets aren’t set until Selection Sunday. As the college basketball season draws to a close, it is very likely that the strong favorites will enter the bracket as top seeds. But for the other teams more towards the middle, it is very hard to judge.
When betting futures, always take a look at injuries and suspensions. You might discover some current value in a team that will welcome back a key player just before the tournament kicks off. With futures, it is all about planning ahead and making your judgement at the right time.
March Madness Stats to Keep in Mind
Before you start to bet on March Madness, here are some things you might want to bear in mind:
- Only 13 teams have retained their crown the following season.
- The top seeded team has won the title 59.1% of the time since the seeding was introduced in 1979.
- Undefeated teams entering the tournament don’t usually win. Only seven unbeaten sides have gone on to claim victory in March Madness.
As ever in tournament play, things can happen, injuries can strike, nerves play a part. All of that must be thought about before you place your bets.
Best March Madness Promos
Legal US betting sites regularly offer boosts and promotions that increase the odds for a specific game or event to give you greater value or entice you to sign up for a new sportsbook account. They are a great way for you to potentially get a bigger payout as the odds increase on your wagers. Remember, always read the terms and conditions for any offer before you claim.
Odds boosts: These are where a betting site enhances the odds of a chosen parlay or player prop, offering greater odds than if you just went and bet at the normal odds or created the wager yourself.
Welcome bonuses: Different betting sites offer perks when you sign up, such as insurance if your first bet loses, a first deposit match or free bonus bets after your first bet. All you have to do is register for an account and opt in.
Profit boosts: This is where the operator gives you the ability to increase the value of any bet you like (could be 20% boost on the Super Bowl, for example).
Make sure you take advantage of all of the best March Madness promos by signing up to one of the best March Madness betting sites we have listed above.
