March Madness Basketball Betting Tips
March Madness Tips & Basketball Predictions
Looking for free betting tips for the NCAA basketball March Madness? Our experts provide betting tips, predictions, previews and best bets for the biggest games during March Madness college basketball campaign.
FreeTips.com has you covered every step of the way through the NCAA competition. Discover how to watch the matches with March Madness live streams and get our betting picks and tips throughout the season.
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Betting on March Madness Basketball
The main March Madness betting markets are money line, spread or handicap and over / under total points.
American sports list March Madness betting markets slightly differently to other parts of the world, using American Odds compared to Fractional Odds used mainly in the UK and Decimal Odds which are used primarily in Australia and Europe.
Not only are the odds different, the names of specific March Madness betting markets vary which are explained below.
Money Line - The money line is betting on which team will win, also known as win or win line. There is no option for a draw in the March Madness so the money line is a two way market in which you bet on one team to win which includes overtime.
Spread or Handicap - The spread market is more commonly known as a handicap. Bookmakers will assign one team a positive (+) or negative (-) spread, line or handicap and the bettor bets to cover the line.
Let’s use an March Madness game between Illinois vs Drexel as an example. If Drexel start with a +22.5 point spread and you bet on Drexel, they need to win the game or lose by less than 23 points in order for your bet to win.
On the other side of the coin, Illinois would be assigned a -22.5 point spread meaning they would need to win by 23 or more points in order for your bet on the Fighting Illini to be a winner.
Over / Under Total Points - This March Madness betting market allows bettors to bet on the total amount of points scored in a game by both teams. The bookmakers will set a line, let’s say 143.5 points and you can bet on the total points scored by both teams going over or under that total.
March Madness Format & Schedule
March Madness is an annual NCAA College Basketball tournament that features the best teams in the nation, with the winners of the knockout tournament being crowned national champions.
A seeded bracket determines which teams will play each other throughout the tournament, with the intention of keeping the elite teams away from each other until the final few rounds of the knockout competition.
The first round consists of 64 teams and a knockout tournament whittles down the field.
The last 16 teams in the competition are referred to as the Sweet 16, with the quarter-final round being called the Elite Eight.
The semi-finals of March Madness are known as the Final Four, with the final of the tournament the NCAA Championship Game.
The format for March Madness 2024 is as follows...
March 17: Selection Sunday
March 19-20: First Four
March 21-22: First Round
March 23-24: Second Round
March 28-29: Sweet 16
March 30-31: Elite Eight
April 6: Final Four
April 8: NCAA Championship Game
Previous March Madness Winners
College basketball has crowned a national champion every year since 1939, with the exception of the year that the tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
UCLA are the most successful team in the history of college basketball, having won the National Championship on 11 occasions.
No head coach has won the championship more times than John Wooden, who led the Bruins to 10 of those successes between 1964 and 1975.
Year | Winner | Head Coach | Score | Losing Team | Host City | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1939 | Oregon | Howard Hobson | 46–33 | Ohio State | Evanston, Illinois | |
1940 | Indiana | Branch McCracken | 60–42 | Kansas | Kansas City, Missouri | |
1941 | Wisconsin | Bud Foster | 39–34 | Washington State | Kansas City, Missouri | |
1942 | Stanford | Everett Dean | 53–38 | Dartmouth | Kansas City, Missouri | |
1943 | Wyoming | Everett Shelton | 46–34 | Georgetown | New York City, New York | |
1944 | Utah | Vadal Peterson | 42–40 | Dartmouth | New York City, New York | |
1945 | Oklahoma A&M | Henry Iba | 49–45 | NYU | New York City, New York | |
1946 | Oklahoma A&M | Henry Iba | 43–40 | North Carolina | New York City, New York | |
1947 | Holy Cross | Doggie Julian | 58–47 | Oklahoma | New York City, New York | |
1948 | Kentucky | Adolph Rupp | 58–42 | Baylor | New York City, New York | |
1949 | Kentucky | Adolph Rupp | 46–36 | Oklahoma A&M | Seattle, Washington | |
1950 | CCNY | Nat Holman | 71–68 | Bradley | New York City, New York | |
1951 | Kentucky | Adolph Rupp | 68–58 | Kansas State | Minneapolis, Minnesota | |
1952 | Kansas | Phog Allen | 80–63 | St. John's | Seattle, Washington | |
1953 | Indiana | Branch McCracken | 69–68 | Kansas | Kansas City, Missouri | |
1954 | La Salle | Ken Loeffler | 92–76 | Bradley | Kansas City, Missouri | |
1955 | San Francisco | Phil Woolpert | 77–63 | La Salle | Kansas City, Missouri | |
1956 | San Francisco | Phil Woolpert | 83–71 | Iowa | Evanston, Illinois | |
1957 | North Carolina | Frank McGuire | 54–53 | Kansas | Kansas City, Missouri | |
1958 | Kentucky | Adolph Rupp | 84–72 | Seattle | Louisville, Kentucky | |
1959 | California | Pete Newell | 71–70 | West Virginia | Louisville, Kentucky | |
1960 | Ohio State | Fred Taylor | 75–55 | California | Daly City, California | |
1961 | Cincinnati | Ed Jucker | 70–65 | Ohio State | Kansas City, Missouri | |
1962 | Cincinnati | Ed Jucker | 71–59 | Ohio State | Louisville, Kentucky | |
1963 | Loyola Chicago | George Ireland | 60–58 | Cincinnati | Louisville, Kentucky | |
1964 | UCLA | John Wooden | 98–83 | Duke | Kansas City, Missouri | |
1965 | UCLA | John Wooden | 91–80 | Michigan | Portland, Oregon | |
1966 | Texas Western | Don Haskins | 72–65 | Kentucky | College Park, Maryland | |
1967 | UCLA | John Wooden | 79–64 | Dayton | Louisville, Kentucky | |
1968 | UCLA | John Wooden | 78–55 | North Carolina | Los Angeles, California | |
1969 | UCLA | John Wooden | 92–72 | Purdue | Louisville, Kentucky | |
1970 | UCLA | John Wooden | 80–69 | Jacksonville | College Park, Maryland | |
1971 | UCLA | John Wooden | 68–62 | Villanova | Houston, Texas | |
1972 | UCLA | John Wooden | 81–76 | Florida State | Los Angeles, California | |
1973 | UCLA | John Wooden | 87–66 | Memphis State | St. Louis, Missouri | |
1974 | North Carolina State | Norm Sloan | 76–64 | Marquette | Greensboro, North Carolina | |
1975 | UCLA | John Wooden | 92–85 | Kentucky | San Diego, California | |
1976 | Indiana | Bob Knight | 86–68 | Michigan | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | |
1977 | Marquette | Al McGuire | 67–59 | North Carolina | Atlanta, Georgia | |
1978 | Kentucky | Joe B. Hall | 94–88 | Duke | St. Louis, Missouri | |
1979 | Michigan State | Jud Heathcote | 75–64 | Indiana State | Salt Lake City, Utah | |
1980 | Louisville | Denny Crum | 59–54 | UCLA | Indianapolis, Indiana | |
1981 | Indiana | Bob Knight | 63–50 | North Carolina | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | |
1982 | North Carolina | Dean Smith | 63–62 | Georgetown | New Orleans, Louisiana | |
1983 | North Carolina State | Jim Valvano | 54–52 | Houston | Albuquerque, New Mexico | |
1984 | Georgetown | John Thompson | 84–75 | Houston | Seattle, Washington | |
1985 | Villanova | Rollie Massimino | 66–64 | Georgetown | Lexington, Kentucky | |
1986 | Louisville | Denny Crum | 72–69 | Duke | Dallas, Texas | |
1987 | Indiana | Bob Knight | 74–73 | Syracuse | New Orleans, Louisiana | |
1988 | Kansas | Larry Brown | 83–79 | Oklahoma | Kansas City, Missouri | |
1989 | Michigan | Steve Fisher | 80–79 | Seton Hall | Seattle, Washington | |
1990 | UNLV | Jerry Tarkanian | 103–73 | Duke | Denver, Colorado | |
1991 | Duke | Mike Krzyzewski | 72–65 | Kansas | Indianapolis, Indiana | |
1992 | Duke | Mike Krzyzewski | 71–51 | Michigan | Minneapolis, Minnesota | |
1993 | North Carolina | Dean Smith | 77–71 | Michigan | New Orleans, Louisiana | |
1994 | Arkansas | Nolan Richardson | 76–72 | Duke | Charlotte, North Carolina | |
1995 | UCLA | Jim Harrick | 89–78 | Arkansas | Seattle, Washington | |
1996 | Kentucky | Rick Pitino | 76–67 | Syracuse | East Rutherford, New Jersey | |
1997 | Arizona | Lute Olson | 84–79 | Kentucky | Indianapolis, Indiana | |
1998 | Kentucky | Tubby Smith | 78–69 | Utah | San Antonio, Texas | |
1999 | Connecticut | Jim Calhoun | 77–74 | Duke | St. Petersburg, Florida | |
2000 | Michigan State | Tom Izzo | 89–76 | Florida | Indianapolis, Indiana | |
2001 | Duke | Mike Krzyzewski | 82–72 | Arizona | Minneapolis, Minnesota | |
2002 | Maryland | Gary Williams | 64–52 | Indiana | Atlanta, Georgia | |
2003 | Syracuse | Jim Boeheim | 81–78 | Kansas | New Orleans, Louisiana | |
2004 | Connecticut | Jim Calhoun | 82–73 | Georgia Tech | San Antonio, Texas | |
2005 | North Carolina | Roy Williams | 75–70 | Illinois | St. Louis, Missouri | |
2006 | Florida | Billy Donovan | 73–57 | UCLA | Indianapolis, Indiana | |
2007 | Florida | Billy Donovan | 84–75 | Ohio State | Atlanta, Georgia | |
2008 | Kansas | Bill Self | 75–68 | Memphis | San Antonio, Texas | |
2009 | North Carolina | Roy Williams | 89–72 | Michigan State | Detroit, Michigan | |
2010 | Duke | Mike Krzyzewski | 61–59 | Butler | Indianapolis, Indiana | |
2011 | Connecticut | Jim Calhoun | 53–41 | Butler | Houston, Texas | |
2012 | Kentucky | John Calipari | 67–59 | Kansas | New Orleans, Louisiana | |
2013 | Louisville | Rick Pitino | 82–76 | Michigan | Atlanta, Georgia | |
2014 | Connecticut | Kevin Ollie | 60–54 | Kentucky | Arlington, Texas | |
2015 | Duke | Mike Krzyzewski | 68–63 | Wisconsin | Indianapolis, Indiana | |
2016 | Villanova | Jay Wright | 77–74 | North Carolina | Houston, Texas | |
2017 | North Carolina | Roy Williams | 71–65 | Gonzaga | Glendale, Arizona | |
2018 | Villanova | Jay Wright | 79–62 | Michigan | San Antonio, Texas | |
2019 | Virginia | Tony Bennett | 85–77 | Texas Tech | Minneapolis, Minnesota | |
2020 | Not held due to pandemic | |||||
2021 | Baylor | Scott Drew | 86–70 | Gonzaga | Indianapolis, Indiana | |
2022 | Kansas | Bill Self | 72–69 | North Carolina | New Orleans, Louisiana | |
2023 | UConn | Dan Hurley | 76-59 | San Diego State | Houston, Texas |
March Madness 2024 FAQs
When is March Madness 2024 taking place?
March Madness 2024 is taking place between Tuesday, March 19 and Monday, April 8.
Where is March Madness 2024 taking place?
March Madness 2024 is being held in across multiple cities - Dayton, Brooklyn, Charlotte, Indianapolis, Omaha, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, Spokane, Memphis, Boston, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Antonio, Las Vegas and Arlington.
Where is the 2024 National Championship Game being held?
The 2024 National Championship Game, aka the March Madness Final, is being held at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas on Monday, April 8.
Who has won March Madness the most times?
UCLA have won the college basketball national championship a record-setting 11 times, but have not won this tournament since 1995.
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