Pennsylvania sports enthusiasts have a wide variety of legal retail and online sportsbooks where they can place bets on college basketball. Unlike neighboring New Jersey, Pennsylvania permits wagering on all college sports.
There are numerous betting opportunities available for college basketball games throughout the regular season and the NCAA Tournament, which is often known as March Madness. Explore the odds for the upcoming Villanova Wildcats game tonight.
Live college basketball odds
Check out the live odds feed below for the most up-to-date NCAA basketball lines at Pennsylvania online sportsbooks. Simply click on the odds to be taken to the sportsbook, where you can claim your bonus and sign up for a new account to make your bet. For the full NCAA basketball feed, head to our odds page and choose “NCAAB” from the drop-down menu.
Check out the updated national championship futures odds available on different sportsbooks throughout the season. See our real-time odds feed below for the most recent NCAA championship and NCAAB game odds. Click on the odds to go to the sportsbook, claim your bonus, and create a new account to place your bet.
College Basketball Betting Apps
In Pennsylvania, the top choices for betting on college basketball from your phone are DraftKings and FanDuel sportsbooks, while FOX Bet is a rising competitor in the market.
1. DraftKings Sportsbook app
The DraftKings Sportsbook app in PA offers a variety of betting options for college basketball games, such as point spreads, moneylines, and totals. Users can also select from alternate point spreads and alternative totals. In addition, the app features live, in-play betting for specific games, enabling users to bet on 1st- and 2nd-half winners.
The app also provides futures bets, including:
- Who will come out on top and win the national championship?
- What teams are expected to make it to the Final Four?
- Who will receive the John R. Wooden Award for the best College Basketball Player of the Year?
The DraftKings app is available on both iOS and Android devices for easy access.
- Get the DraftKings app today and claim your bonus.
2. FanDuel Sportsbook app
FanDuel offers a wide range of betting options for college basketball games, such as point spread, moneyline, and total points. There are also individual over/under totals for both the home and away teams. For those who can’t make pre-game bets, FanDuel provides live, in-play betting on select matchups. Additionally, futures bets are available for those interested in wagering on long-term outcomes.
- Probability of making it to the Final Four
- The likelihood of winning the national championship
- The chances of receiving a No. 1 seed are very likely.
- Choosing the conference of the national champion, such as the Big 12, ACC, Big East, etc.
You also have the option to make futures bets on the champions of different conferences like the Big East, Big Ten, and ACC. FanDuel offers odds for betting on players to win the Wooden trophy as well.
- Claim your bonus bet at FanDuel Sportsbook PA today.
When is March Madness 2025?
The March Madness tournament begins two days following Selection Sunday (March 12) with the First Four play-in games.
The first and second rounds are set to begin on Thursday, March 16, followed by the start of the Sweet 16 the following Thursday.
The 2025 Final Four and National Championship game will take place in Houston from April 1st to April 3rd. See the important dates for the tournament listed below:
- March 14-15: Opening Round
- From March 16 to 19, we will be conducting rounds one and two.
- The East Regional and West Regional are scheduled for March 23 and March 25.
- The Midwest Regional and South Regional are scheduled for March 24 and March 26.
- April 1 Final Four
- The National Championship Game is scheduled for April 3rd.
Villanova and Penn State are expected to be top seeds in the 2025 NCAA tournament. For a comprehensive guide on betting on March Madness in Pennsylvania, visit this link.
March Madness Free Bracket Challenge Contests
Placing bets on individual March Madness games typically presents the highest potential for earnings, while joining a bracket pool is commonly the initial foray into March Madness betting.
Aside from joining a bracket pool with friends or colleagues, you can also check out free and paid bracket challenges available on online sportsbooks. Two popular choices are:
Join the DraftKings $30k Survivor Pool, available to players across the country. Entry is free, simply pick a team each day. Progress to the next round if your team is victorious.
- Join the free bracket challenge provided by DraftKings.
Join FanDuel’s $5k Pick’em contest by choosing the winning teams in each game to accumulate points. The highest scoring brackets will be rewarded with real cash prizes.
- Participate in FanDuel Props Pick’em at no cost.
Participate in the BetMGM Bracket Challenge for an opportunity to win $100k for the highest scoring bracket and an incredible $10 million for a flawless entry in this free contest.
March Madness Second Chance Pools 2025
Don’t fret if you’re no longer in the running after the first two rounds of the tournament. You can still get in on the action with a second chance pool starting at the Sweet 16. DraftKings has two free options available for you to keep playing.
- Participate in the Free $20k Second Chance Bracket Presented by State Farm and gain points for every accurate pick to climb the leaderboard, mirroring traditional bracket contests.
- Join the $20,000 KFC Second Chance Survivor Pool for a shot at a major win! Survive each round by making the right pick to share the prize.
NCAA men’s basketball schedule: Key dates
The NCAA selection committee meets annually to choose the 68 schools that will compete in the March Madness betting pool. Thirty-two schools earn automatic bids by winning their conference tournaments, while the remaining 36 spots are awarded based on a thorough ranking system called the NET rating. This system assesses each school’s performance and schedule strength to determine their eligibility for the tournament.
Key dates for the 2022-23 college basketball season that should be noted:
– The regular season begins on November 7<br>- Thanksgiving and holiday tournaments, non-conference games, and some conference games take place in November and December<br>- Full conference schedules are played in January and February<br>- Conference tournaments occur from March 1-12<br>- The field of 68 teams is announced for the NCAA basketball tournament on March 12<br>- The NCAA basketball tournament begins on March 14<br>- National semifinals are held on April 1<br>- The national championship game takes place on April 3
NCAA Basketball AP Top 25 poll
Check out the most recent NCAA Basketball rankings on AP’s Top 25 Poll.
College basketball betting beginners’ guide
What types of bets can I make on college basketball?
Like many other team sports, college basketball betting typically involves point spreads, moneylines, and totals. However, compared to the NBA, there are fewer betting options available for game props focusing on individual players.
NCAA futures and prop bets
As previously stated, there are various opportunities for betting on futures in college basketball, including predicting the national champion, Final Four teams, No. 1 seeds, and player of the year. FanDuel also provides futures bets for conference champions and forecasting which conference will win the national title.
View the most recent futures odds for your favorite college team at DraftKings Sportsbook or FanDuel Sportsbook by clicking the link above.
Additionally, you have the option to make prop bets on specific games by predicting if a player will surpass a certain points total or successfully make a 3-pointer during the game.
Five basic college basketball betting tips
- Select a team and specialize: With over 350 Division 1 college basketball teams competing regularly, it’s impractical to study each one. Instead, concentrate on one or two teams, monitor their games closely, and use the information you collect to make well-informed betting decisions.
- Watch the games and review the box scores to assess any weaknesses or potential betting chances. Use the box scores to monitor trends in the first and second halves, player playing time, three-point shooting, rebounding advantages, and other relevant information.
- Make use of free resources to access valuable information: Visit websites such as ESPN, CBS Sports, FOX Sports, and local sports affiliates for detailed coverage of local teams. You can also find summary, stat, and trend sheets on the NCAA website.
- Stay updated by following local media outlets like the school’s Twitter account, local news reporters covering the team, student newspapers, and local TV/radio stations. This will provide you with important information and injury updates that can help you make better betting choices during the season.
- Identify potential betting opportunities by recognizing common “trap” games. Teams facing a strong rival in the near future are often at risk of being upset in preceding matchups. Similarly, teams that have recently played a tough overtime game may struggle in their next game due to fatigue. Analyzing a team’s schedule and previous performances can help pinpoint situations where there may be a betting advantage.
NCAA College Basketball FAQ
Definitely! Pennsylvania sportsbooks allow betting on all Division 1 men’s teams, including those from in-state colleges and universities. In contrast, New Jersey only permits betting on select teams.
Betting on college sports teams or basketball games, including in-season and postseason conference tournaments held within New Jersey, is prohibited by law.
The NCAA Tournament is overseen by a 10-person selection committee responsible for choosing, ranking, and organizing teams in the tournament brackets.
Committee members are nominated by their respective conferences and, if selected, will serve five-year terms representing a varied group of Division 1 members.
The process for setting NCAA basketball lines is comparable to that of other sports at the professional or collegiate level. Bookmakers and casinos work to achieve a balanced line by adjusting the odds according to the volume of bets placed on each team, in order to reduce their potential losses. The initial line may be subject to change as more bets are made on either team.
For example, if Virginia is initially favored by 5 points over North Carolina, but the public perceives North Carolina as having a good chance to cover the spread or win, most bets may be placed on North Carolina +5, leading to a shift in the line. To balance the bets on both teams, the sportsbook may then adjust the line to Virginia -4.5 or -4.
Sports betting regulations vary by state, meaning the liability for each game can differ between sportsbooks. For instance, in Nevada, there may be less money bet on the Villanova side of a game, making them less of a favorite compared to a Pennsylvania sportsbook where Nova fans could influence the line differently. The betting trends in various states, like Nevada and Indiana, can affect the odds and favoritism towards certain teams.
In-game betting often involves establishing second-half lines, which are independent scores for the second half, regardless of the overall outcome. For instance, a team trailing 42-28 at halftime may outscore their opponent 36-30 in the second half, resulting in a victory on the second half betting line, even though they ultimately lose the game 72-65.
Villanova has claimed NCAA championships in 1987, 2016, and 2018, whereas LaSalle secured a championship in 1954.