Anticipations are heating up as college basketball teams around the nation prepare to compete for the NCAA Tournament title. Likewise, gaming enthusiasts are carefully preparing their brackets for 18+ March Madness betting.
The Betting Begins
The commotion kicked off this weekend on Selection Sunday. Several sportsbooks opened their bracket contests that evening, inviting bettors to take their best shot at predictions for all 63 games in the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament.
Though it may seem like a long shot, it’s one of the most popular contests of the year. Because bettors can place multiple entries, with bids starting as low as $10, your chances of winning are as great as you make them.
Plus, you don’t even have to get all your predictions right to win! Most March Madness brackets are graded on a points system that prioritizes late-stage games over early matches.
The quality of the grand prizes varies depending on which operator you choose to purchase your bracket entries with. Some 18+ mobile sportsbooks have crypto rewards posted alongside cash prizes.
Stack Your Assets
Other sportsbooks have taken it a step further and are giving away NFTs as a part of the contest. MyBookie, for example, is offering 1 Bitcoin to its first-place winner and an NFT titled Doodle #9432 to its runner-up. You can see what the image looks like below:
The NFT is on the Ethereum blockchain and was last sold for 17.5 ETH. At today’s market price for ETH, the exchange was worth about $45,366. It’s quite ironic that Doodle #9432 is the reward for the runner-up, especially given that the price of 1 Bitcoin is about $39,319.
Comparatively, the second-place prize is of higher value than the first. But that’s beside the point.
March Madness is bound to be one of the most wagered events in history. The increase in both offshore and domestic betting interest has translated to monumental growth for the budding industry.
An estimated 36.5 million Americans are projected to engage in bracket betting during the NCAA Tournament. Between domestic and offshore operators, bettors are expected to wager upwards of $3 billion on the event.
Getting In On The Games
Most sportsbooks will close their bracket entry pages for 18+ college basketball betting by March 17th, if not sooner. If you plan on being a part of the action, you gotta get your bracket in ASAP!
If brackets aren’t your vibe, individual game lines are still very much alive. Round 1 is quickly approaching, but the NCAA’s First Four matches kick off tonight! Check out the odds below:
First Four Odds – 03/15
- Point Spread: Texas A&M Corpus Christi (#16) +3.5, Texas Southern (#16) -3.5
- Money Line: Texas A&M Corpus Christi (#16) +140, Texas Southern (#16) -165
- Total Points: 135.5
First Four Odds – 03/15
- Point Spread: Indiana (#12) -4.0, Wyoming (#12) +4.0
- Money Line: Indiana (#12) -195, Wyoming (#12) +165
- Total Points: 132.5
First Four Odds – 03/16
- Point Spread: Bryant (#16) +3.5, Wright State (#16) -3.5
- Money Line: Bryant (#16) +140, Wright State (#16) -165
- Total Points: 155.0
First Four Odds – 03/16
- Point Spread: Notre Dame (#11) -1.0, Rutgers (#11) +1.0
- Money Line: Notre Dame (#11) -115, Rutgers (#11) -105
- Total Points: 132.0
Odds Courtesy of MyBookie
Source: CBS News
