March Madness 2027 Prop Bets
Come tourney time, there’s not a more lucrative opportunity than March Madness prop bets. There are hundreds and hundreds of March Madness props available on any given day. The question is, are you prepared to take advantage of it?
There are so many dang props for two reasons. One, there’s just an abundance of games. But two, and more importantly, props allow you to take side bets on so many outcomes. Player stats, team stats, who scores first, and we could go on and on.
March Madness betting sites know this, which is why the best ones are happy to provide bettors with all the college basketball prop bets they could possibly handle! We’ve listed our favorite sites for March Madness betting here, so check that out.
We’ve created this page to be your source of truth amid March Madness betting. Not only are we explaining all the different props available to put money on, but we’re also detailing how to win at ’em! Because with this many bets available, the hard part isn’t finding something to wager on — it’s figuring out which ones are actually worth your money!
-
EXCLUSIVE BONUS
50% up to $250Play NowT&C apply, 18+, Play responsibly
-
EXCLUSIVE BONUS
125% up to $1,250Play Now
T&C apply, 18+, Play responsibly
-
EXCLUSIVE BONUS
225% up to $3,625Play Now
T&C apply, 18+, Play responsibly
-
50% up to $250Play Now
T&C apply, 18+, Play responsibly
-
125% up to $2,500Play Now
T&C apply, 18+, Play responsibly
Best March Madness prop bets to consider
There’s no one March Madness prop bet we can point to and say, “yep, this is the one you should always bet.” We wish it were that easy. It’s not, though.
The “best” prop changes from game to game because every matchup, player, and betting line is different. What you’re really hunting for is a prop where the sportsbook’s number doesn’t quite match the situation on the court. This is called “finding value”, and later this page, we have an entire section on how to do that.
For now, let’s just focus on what college basketball betting options you’ll come across. It’s important to familiarize yourself with the following prop betting options:
Player points, rebounds, and assists
Made three-pointers
Team totals
First basket and first team to score
Winning margin
Double-double props
Tournament-long props
These are the bread-and-butter props that revolve around a player’s stat total. When picking among these bets, do your research. Things like changing minutes, injuries, usage spikes, or favorable individual matchups matter. We’ll have a section later on with our best tips when researching.
Self-explanatory here, you’re betting on how many three-pointers are made — either by a specific player or a whole team. Don’t just study shooting percentage here, as we’d argue that attempts matter more. A high-volume shooter facing a defense that allows tons of threes can create a juicy over opportunity in the prop market.
March Madness team props can be perfect for attacking styles instead of individual players. A fast offense facing a weak defense might make taking the over point line much more appealing than betting the spread — or heck, bet both if you see an opportunity!
These are tougher to predict, which is why the payouts can get much bigger. Starting lineups, opening-tip success, and which players typically get the first designed look are worth studying. But we’ll be honest, this prop is a crapshoot most of the time.
Huge early-round mismatches make this prop especially interesting. Instead of laying -24.5 with a powerhouse, you might get much better odds betting it to win by a specific range, say 18-23 points.
Big men dominate this market, but matchup is everything. Look for players with reliable minutes facing undersized teams or opponents that surrender plenty of rebounds.
These March Madness tournament props stretch beyond one game — such as which conference produces the champion. They work similarly to March Madness futures betting, meaning bigger potential payouts in exchange for waiting much longer for the result.
Types of March Madness prop bets
All the NCAA Tournament prop bets we just mentioned? You can bucket all of ‘em into four categories. We promise we’ll get to betting advice soon, but just so you really know what you’re getting into, here are the types of sports bets explained:
- Player Props: You can probably guess what this category is for, right? Yep, you’re betting on an individual player’s stat line in a game — points, rebounds, assists, made threes, and plenty more. As a specific example, you might get a player’s three-pointers made total at 2.5 as a prop. Because you can do this with every player and every stat possible, player props feel endless (and they are at top sportsbooks)
- Team Props: The same thing applies here, but it’s more granular. Instead of one player’s stats, we’re talking about the whole team. Say over/under 40 points for a team to score in one half.
- Game Props: Here, the whole matchup is in play — not just one team or player. Sportsbooks can offer props on things like winning margin, who makes the first basket, total threes made by both teams, and a whole assortment of outcomes just like this. Typically, the biggest matchups (think the ones involving bluebloods or high-ranked teams) get the most props offered in this category.
- Tournament Props: These bets stretch beyond one matchup and cover the tournament itself. For instance, betting on the conference that’ll win the NCAA Tournament. These aren’t as common as the other three categories, but they do exist in spurts.
Of the four, March Madness player props have to be the most popular among bettors. That’s because basketball, in general, is such a player-driven sport. With only 10 guys on the court at a time, one player can have outsized influence on the game and his stats.
But… here’s the thing: college basketball player props are NOT legal across the board. In fact, several states outright ban them in all forms. Because of that outsized influence we mention, bad actors can pay players to “throw” their performance. We’ve seen it happen in not just the collegiate game, but even the NBA with players making millions of dollars.
Since college players don’t make as much, even in the NIL era, many states worry about possible rigging. That’s why they’ve banned player props altogether, rather than risk it happening. It’s worth checking your state’s rules on this before getting your hopes up. Later on this page, we have a whole section about this.
How to find value in March Madness prop bets
Look At Minutes And Usage
Study Pace
Attack Specific Matchups
Exploit March Madness Mismatches
Don’t Ignore Rest And Travel
Start with a basic stat: how often a player plays — and what he does in that timeframe. Look, a player averaging 12 points in 24 minutes is a completely different bet if his coach suddenly starts playing him 30 minutes a game.
This picks up often during March Madness because coaches shorten rotations when every game becomes win-or-go-home. Injuries can decimate the lineup too. If a starting guard goes down, somebody else has to absorb those minutes, shots, and touches. Find out who that is before laying money on it.
More possessions equal more opportunities to compile stats. It’s simple math, but you’d be surprised how many bettors overlook this.
A team accustomed to playing 60-possession rock fights suddenly facing an opponent that wants to run-and-gun 80 possessions per contest can completely change the outlook for points, assists, rebounds, and three-point props. Don’t evaluate a prop solely against what that player or team averaged all season — evaluate the game that’s about to be played.
An entire stat category was created to properly measure this. Look into scoring efficiency, which tells you how often a team scores per 100 possessions. You can also get the flipside statistic for defensive efficiency. The difference between those two is called a Net Rating, as is the backbone of how KenPom ratings are graded.
This is where you really need to know your basketball. Don’t just see that a center averages nine rebounds and blindly take Over 8.5. C’mon, that’s an amateur move.
Instead, ask things like does his opponent struggle on the defensive glass? Are they undersized? Do they shoot poorly enough to create extra rebound opportunities? Same with threes — if a team launches 30 per game and its opponent consistently gives up open looks from deep, there might be something worth attacking.
The NCAA Tournament creates matchups these teams would almost never schedule voluntarily. That can produce some wonky (and lucrative) prop opportunities.
A mid-major center might suddenly have to guard a future NBA big man who outweighs him by 30 pounds. Or a powerhouse accustomed to playing other athletic teams could draw a small-school guard who dominates the ball and takes 20 shots every night. Look for the extreme mismatch and then find the prop that allows you to exploit it.
March Madness is a grind for bettors and participating hoopers alike. Teams that win on Thursday have to turn around and play again on Saturday, sometimes after an emotional game that went down to the wire (or overtime).
Fatigue can and will affect shooting, rotations, and minutes — especially after overtime. You must factor that into a prop bet because the bookies sure have.
And don’t forget where the game is being played. A neutral location might nerf a team that was stellar at home. Then again, if a program is playing March Madness not all that far from campus, the game could feel like a home one due to easy travel for fans. So yes, location will matter when picking the best March Madness prop bets.
March Madness prop betting tips
Finding value is one thing, but that alone won’t make you a profitable bettor of March Madness tournament props. You need to pair that skill with some basic betting philosophies.
Mind you, these philosophies don’t just pertain to March Madness. No, no, they are fundamental ideas in any area of sports betting. Here’s what we’re talking about:
- Set a daily betting budget: The opening rounds are dangerous because there’s basketball on nonstop for four straight days. This probably means you should budget how much of your bankroll to spend per day. If you don’t, you run the risk of burning out before the tournament draws out. So decide how much you’re willing to risk daily before the first game tips off.
- Don’t bet every game: Having 16 games in one day does NOT mean you need action on all 16 (or even half of ’em). Maybe you research the entire slate and only find three props where you think the sportsbook screwed up the number. Great, bet those three. There’s no prize for having a ticket riding on every game. Matter of fact, that sounds like a gambling addiction to us.
- Specialize in teams and conferences you know: Here’s why you shouldn’t bet 16 games a day — there’s no way you’re knowledgeable enough on all of them to find an “edge.” You actually have to be selective and stick to what you know. Say you watched SEC basketball all regular season long, you probably know those teams better than some random 13-seed you discovered two days ago. Lean into that knowledge. Knowing rotations, coaching tendencies, playing styles, and individual players gives you a much better starting point for evaluating bets.
- Shop every prop line: Sportsbooks don’t always agree on prop numbers. One boookie might have a player over 7.5 rebounds while another hangs 8.5. That one rebound is HUGE. Check multiple sportsbooks before betting because taking the better number costs you nothing but a few minutes of your time. Trust us, your long-term profits depend on this.
- Never chase a bad beat: March Madness will eventually break your heart. You’re going to take a bad loss, and how you respond to it matters greatly. A bad bettor will “chase” a loss by forcing another bet to make up for it. Do not do that, please. Just accept the tough loss and live to fight another day. Great bettors have short memories and make bets with a clear conscience, no hangover from a bad beat.
Are March Madness player props legal in the US?
We touched on this earlier, but it’s important enough to warrant its own section: March Madness player props are NOT legal everywhere. Even in states with fully legal sports betting, regulators can and often do ban wagers tied to collegiate athletes’ own performance. Heck, some states don’t even allow bets on teams located inside state borders.
This is music to the ears of the NCAA, which has openly campaigned for restrictions on prop betting. In their eyes, it opens the door to harassment of players, which is all too common if you spend any time online. But worse than that, it opens the door to manipulation.
College players, with their lower salaries, are just more vulnerable to outside influence than the pros are. If money can be made betting whether one specific player goes over/under their points total, then there’s an incentive for a bad actor to influence that player’s performance and “rig” a bet. It’s already happened, and the NCAA doesn’t want more of it.
The tricky part is every state handles the issue differently. Some have heeded the NCAA’s advice and outright banned player props in college. Others still think it’s fair game. That’s why you need to familiarize yourself with the rules where you’re physically located. See how your state governs the issue or doesn’t.
And remember, banning player props doesn’t necessarily mean banning all March Madness props. March Madness team props and game-based wagers can still be available. The ban is usually only on individual players, but again, it depends on the state.
Where can I place March Madness prop bets?
Just about every March Madness betting site will roll out props once the tourney starts. But don’t blindly assume every bookie is worth signing up and betting on. That couldn’t be the furthest thing from the truth.
Just like you should be selective on which March Madness prop bets you take, be the same about your sportsbook choice. Stick to the best sites instead. The best sites all excel at the following qualities:
Prop Selection
More is obviously better here. The best sportsbooks should offer an absolute abundance of March Madness player props, team props, game props, and tournament-long markets — not just the popular ones. The deeper the menu, the more opportunities you have to find something you actually like.
Odds Quality
Remember that talk earlier about shopping betting lines? It applies right here. You want to be playing at bookies that are giving you the most bettor-friendly prices. And again, it’s nice to have a rotation of sportsbooks so you’re always getting the most bang for your buck.
Live Betting And Mobile Experience
March Madness moves FAST. Games overlap, and new ones tip off all day long. You want a sportsbook that works smoothly from your phone so you can take bets on the spot if needed.
Speaking of which, a great mobile app and NCAA tourney basketball lend perfectly to live betting. If you notice momentum swing in a game — which will happen — having a great app to make in-play bets pays off huge.
Betting Bonuses
A fat free-play bonus can stretch your March Madness bankroll further. Way further, actually. It never hurts to have more “cushion” with your bets, especially when it’s not your own money.
Just remember to read a deal’s fine print. Some sportsbooks advertise a lot of money upfront, but the deal isn’t actually all that great once you read the rules closely. Ideally, you don’t have to jump through hoops to get your free play.
Banking And Withdrawals
Look for plenty of deposit options, especially crypto if that’s your thing. But withdrawals matter even more. That’s why it makes sense to stick with sportsbooks that have a track record of reliably paying bettors (read online reviews to verify this) because, well, what good is winning if getting your money becomes a headache?
As for where we’d actually bet? Bovada, Lucky Rebel, MyBookie, and BetOnline are our top four recommendations (more below, though). Each checks the important boxes above, and having accounts at several gives you another advantage: you can compare March Madness prop menus and prices before every wager. Winner winner chicken dinner!
Meet the author
