2023 NCAA Championship Betting Picks

The 2023 NCAA Men's Tournament will conclude on Monday April 3, 2023 with the Championship Game being played at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.

2023 NCAA Tournament Picks
Odds | Matchups | Futures
Sweet 16 | Elite 8 | Final 4 | Championship 

2023 NCAA Championship Picks

March Madness Expert Picks
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Parlays | Consensus

VegasInsider College Basketball Expert Bruce Marshall provides his predictions on who will be cutting down the nets on Monday April 3, 2023 from Houston, Texas.

5 Miami, Fl. over 5 San Diego State

Norchad Omier (R) and the Hurricanes have been very physical in this year's tournament. (Getty)

NCAA Championship Betting Analysis

Tempted as we are to see the biggest thing to hit Miami since the Jackie Gleason Show moved to town in the mid 60s, and the mind-blowing possibility of an all-Miami metro finale between the Hurricanes and Florida Atlantic, the Aztecs and their special defense can also make it all of the way to Monday night in Houston. 

Should a matchup materialize vs. Miami, Brian Dutcher’s perimeter defenders will be facing their ultimate challenge in the very mature and experienced Cane guards, who will not be physically intimidated the way Furman was earlier in the tournament, or as unnerved as Alabama and  Creighton guards were this past weekend. 

It’s possible the difference could also emerge from the middle, where Miami’s 6-foot-7 Norchad Omier has been a rebounding force of one, and likely to be a bit more careful of foul trouble after walking a tightrope with the referees in the Elite 8.  Omier on the floor, however, at least allows the Canes to do no worse than hold their own in the paint  vs. the Aztec bigs. 

And if this matchup comes down to the guards, as it often does, would prefer to have the Cane contingent of Pack, Wong, Miller, and Poplar to score the winning points than their Aztec counterparts who have shown a bit more propensity to go cold.

Lastly, this might be a fitting cherry on top of the cake for Jim Larranaga, who schemed longshot George Mason into the Final Four during a magical March run in 2006 but now has a few more horses at his disposal. 

Besides, how can we not like a coach who is apt to be whistling or humming the theme to Mission Impossible as he walks into the stadium with his team, as he did with his underdog GMU vs. favored UConn in the ‘06 Elite 8, and who kept his troops a lot more loose and confident down the stretch than counterpart Rodney Terry in last Sunday’s fightback vs. Texas?       

Miami, Fl. +490

NCAA Final Four Picks & Predictions

Jonathan Willis will return with his Score Predictions, Best Bets and Betting Analysis for the Final Four:

Saturday, Apr. 1

NCAA Tournament Final Four Futures

The NCAA Men's Tournament has been cut from 68 teams to 4 and the oddsmakers have updated the odds on the remaining four schools.

TeamOdds
UConn-125
San Diego State+360
Miami, Fl.+490
Florida Atlantic+600

Odds per FanDuel - Subject to Change

NCAA Tournament Final Four Best Bets

MARCH MADNESS BETTING RESOURCES

Opening Odds to Win 2023 NCAA Tournament

Listed below are the opening odds for the Top 10 contenders in the 68-team after the brackets were populated with the automatic and at-large bids on Selection Sunday.

Top 10 Contenders

Odds per FanDuel - Subject to Change

NCAA Tournament Region Odds

NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME BETTING HISTORY

The NCAA Tournament Championship game has been a dream for oddsmakers dating back to 1985 when you look at the outcomes.

Although favorites have gone 24-12 straight up (SU) for a 67% winning rate, underdogs have managed to show up and that has led to an 18-18 against the spread (ATS) record in the title games. Over-Under (O/U) Total bettors seeking high-scoring games might not want to look at this matchup, as the 'under' owns a 20-16 (55.5%) record all-time in the championship matchups.

Listed below are the betting results for all of the championship games.

(Seeds)

2022
(1) Kansas 72 (8) UNC 69 (+4)
Underdog-Under (153.5)

2021
(1) Baylor (+4.5) 86 vs. (1) Gonzaga 70
Underdog-Under (159)

2020
No Championship Held (COVID-19)

2019
(1) UVA (-1.5) 85 vs. (3) Texas Tech 77 (OT)
Favorite-Over (119.5)

2018
(1) Villanova (-6.5) 79 vs. (3) Michigan 62
Favorite-Under (144.5)

2017
(1) UNC (-1.5) 71 vs. (1) Gonzaga 65
Favorite-Under (154.5)

2016
(2) Villanova (+2) 77 vs. (1) UNC 74
Underdog-Over (149)

2015
(1) Duke (+1) 68 vs. (1) Wisconsin 63
Underdog-Under (140)

2014
(7) UConn (+2.5) 60 vs. (8) Kentucky 54
Underdog-Under (135)

2013
(1) Louisville (-4) 82 vs. (4) Michigan 76
Favorite-Over (138)

2012
(1) Kentucky (-6.5) 67 vs. (2) Kansas 59
Favorite-Under (138)

2011
(3) UConn (-3) 53 vs. (8) Butler 41
Favorite-Under (132)

2010
(1) Duke (-7) 61 vs. (5) Butler 59
Underdog-Under (128.5)

2009
(1) UNC (-7.5) 89 vs. (2) Michigan State 72
Favorite-Over (153)

2008
(1) Kansas (+2) 75 vs. (1) Memphis 68 (OT)
Underdog-Under (146)

2007
(1) Florida (-4) 84 vs. (1) Ohio State 75
Favorite-Over (140)

2006
(3) Florida (-1) 73 vs. (2) UCLA 57
Favorite-Over (128)

2005
(1) UNC (-2) 75 vs. (1) Illinois 70
Favorite-Under (153.5)

2004
(2) UConn (-5) 82 vs. (3) Georgia Tech 73
Favorite-Over (146)

2003
(3) Syracuse (+5.5) 81 vs. (2) Kansas 78
Underdog-Over (156)

2002
(1) Maryland (-7.5) 64 vs. (5) Indiana 52
Favorite-Under (151.5)

2001
(1) Duke (+4) 82 vs. (2) Arizona 72
Underdog-Over (163.5)

2000
(1) Michigan State (-4) 89 vs. (5) Florida 76
Favorite-Over (145)

1999
(1) UConn (+9.5) 77 vs. (1) Duke 74
Underdog-Over (149.5)

1998
(2) Kentucky (-3.5) 78 vs. (3) Utah 69
Favorite-Over (137.5)

1997
(4) Arizona (+7) 84 vs. (1) Kentucky 79 (OT)
Underdog-Over (158.5)

1996
(1) Kentucky (-14) 76 vs. (4) Syracuse 67
Underdog-Under (156.5)

1995
(1) UCLA (-3) 89 vs. (2) Arkansas 78
Favorite-Over (161)

1994
(1) Arkansas (-6) 76 vs. (2) Duke 72
Underdog-Under (155)

1993
(1) UNC (-2.5) 77 vs. (1) Michigan 71
Favorite-Under (151)

1992
(1) Duke (-5.5) 71 vs. (6) Michigan 51
Favorite-Under (158.5)

1991
(2) Duke (-3) 72 vs. (3) Kansas 65
Favorite-Under (154.5)

**1990
(1) UNLV 103 vs. (3) Duke 73

1989
(3) Michigan (-2) 80 vs. (3) Seton Hall 79 (OT)
Underdog-Under (163)

1988
(6) Kansas (+8) 83 vs. (1) Oklahoma 79
Underdog-Over (157.5)

1987
(1) Indiana (-4.5) 74 vs. (2) Syracuse 73
Underdog-Under (155.5)

1986
(2) Louisville (+1) 72 vs. (1) Duke 69
Underdog-Under (152.5)

1985
(8) Villanova (+9) 66 vs. (1) Georgetown 64
Underdog-Over (112)

**There was no line on this game due to no wagering on Nevada schools in 1990

WHAT IS THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT?

The NCAA Tournament is the hottest event in US college basketball. March Madness betting takes over the nation every year in an incredible frenzy. And the big-ticket event always draws the most action. NCAA Championship betting is the crown jewel of the event.

Starting in March, millions of people across the United States fill out the NCAA brackets. It’s a sports betting event that’s made its way into the mainstream.

The NCAA Tournament is a 68-team championship event. The winner reigns supreme above all Division I men’s basketball teams in the nation. Teams from conferences across the United States face off in a single-elimination tournament, where everything is at stake in each game.

The NCAA Tournament has been held yearly since 1939, drawing growing audiences every year. March Madness betting has grown into a tremendous phenomenon. Office betting pools form all over the nation with everyone’s NCAA bracket picks.

The committee seeds the NCAA basketball championship according to complex factors, including previous NCAA championship scores and performance over the season. Top-seeded teams tend to dominate the quarters and semifinals, though surprise upsets happen every once in a while.

Despite being a collegiate event, the NCAA basketball championship draws audiences rivaling those of leagues like the NBA and NFL. NCAA Championship betting and general March Madness betting action have a lot to do with that popularity.

Major sport news networks cover the NCAA basketball championship extensively, including CBS Sports, ESPN, and Fox Sports. NCAA Championship betting is even popular in states where it’s technically illegal.

The popularity of the NCAA brackets among coworkers and groups of friends make most state authorities turn a blind eye to these casual wagers. 

PICKING THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS

Selecting the teams to fill out your NCAA Championship betting bracket is almost an art form. All the major US sports networks, from CBS Sports to Fox Sports and ESPN, offer countless hours of analysis and advice.

Pundits suggest strategies, top picks, secret insider information, and more. Each phase of the tournament has its own betting frenzy. The coverage of each phase in the media is extensive as well.

Even US politicians join in on the action. Every year he was in office, President Barack Obama released his NCAA bracket picks to much fanfare. After leaving the Oval, the former president continues to share his picks every year. He’s not alone, either.

Millions of people join in on Elite 8 betting and NCAA Championship betting every year. Hundreds of websites publish extensive NCAA Championship scores to orient audiences filling their brackets. No one has ever had a perfect bracket, but some people have been pretty close.

The best streak anyone has ever shown in NCAA Championship betting history was from neuropsychologist Gregg Nigl, during the 2019 tournament. Nigl went 48 for 48, correctly predicting every team in the Sweet Sixteen.

NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET

The NCAA brackets are one of the most popular forms of sports betting across the United States. They enjoy a curious de facto legality since most states that technically ban sports betting or gambling, in general, don’t enforce the law for March Madness betting.

Office pools are an extremely common occurrence around the NCAA Championship. Even major corporations join in on the action. World-famous billionaire investor Warren Buffet has promised millions of dollars to any employee of his who correctly picks the Sweet 16.

No one has come close so far, though. Taking into account the countless variables that affect the outcome of a game, it’s a very difficult feat, requiring both skill and luck. Knowing old NCAA championship scores and results is barely scraping the surface.

The NCAA Championship betting brackets involve vast amounts of statistical information and analysis. So-called “bracketologists” spend hundreds of hours studying game tape, player stats, simulations, and projections.

While it may seem like they have NCAA brackets down to a science, the truth is, not a single person has ever gotten a perfect bracket. It’s possible no one ever will. The NCAA estimates the odds are between 1 in a couple billion and 1 in a few quintillion.

HOW TO BET ON THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP?

NCAA brackets are in essence an outright parlay bet, with 63 or 67 (including the First Four) picks on a single ticket. In most office pools, the winner is whoever gets the most correct picks by the end of the tournament.

But brackets are far from the only way to get in on NCAA Championship betting and Elite 8 betting action. There are many ways to bet on the NCAA tournament. After the PASPA ruling in 2018, multiple states have moved to legalize and regulate sports betting.

States like New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Iowa now have their own mobile sports betting operations and platforms. Many NCAA Championship betting markets are available. They include mone-yline, point spread, handicap, over/under, prop bets and parlays.

If sports betting is legal in your state, all you have to do is visit your favorite online sportsbook, register for a player account, and make a deposit. Once you credit your deposit, you can start betting on your favorites for every match.

Some states have a “tethered mobile” registration system. If you are in one of those states, you will have to register your mobile account for the first time at a casino or retail sportsbook.

FINAL THOUGHTS ON NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP

The NCAA Tournament is one of the most thrilling times in basketball, and NCAA Championship betting makes it that much more exciting. NCAA Championship betting brackets, pools, and wagers continue to take the nation by storm every March.

The legalization of sports betting across several states in the Union will only help to cement the NCAA Championship betting as America’s favorite spring pastime.