In North Carolina, college basketball is king, and bettors have plenty of great NCAA basketball betting sites in NC available. For the entire of the ACC season and throughout March Madness, NC online sportsbooks offer many ways to bet on Duke, UNC, NC State, Wake Forest, and other North Carolina hoops teams and games.
Here’s a full guide to NCAA betting sites in North Carolina with information about our top recommended sites and how to get started betting NCAA basketball in NC.
Best college basketball betting sites 2025
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How to bet on college basketball in NC
When you’re ready to start betting with North Carolina online sportsbooks, you’re going to need to sign up for an account. The process is straightforward, and you can sign up for accounts at multiple sportsbooks (although you can only have one account per book).
Here are the steps for setting up an online account:
- Use one of our links to go to any sportsbook and claim your new player bonus.
- Click “Sign Up”: The link or button might also say “register,” but once you click it you’ll be taken to the page where you need to enter your personal information.
- Fill out the forms: You’ll need to provide personal information like your name, phone number, email address, physical address, date of birth, and the last four digits of your Social Security Number. Note that you don’t have to be a NC resident to get an account at a NC sportsbook, but you do have to be within state lines to place any bets. This is where you’ll also enter any NC sports betting promo code that you need for that particular sportsbook (sometimes you don’t need a code).
- Accept the terms and conditions: Every sportsbook requires you to accept these, and we recommend you read through them before you do. However, if you choose not to read them, you can always go to the sportsbook website and read through them later.
- Make a deposit: Now you need to make your first deposit into your account, and you’re ready to go. Find the “Cashier” or your “Account,” and follow the instructions for depositing. Once that is completed, you can start making bets.
Make sure to sign up for accounts only with sportsbooks that have been licensed in the state of North Carolina. Illegal sportsbooks often look legit but are capable of committing fraud and theft against customers who then have very little legal recourse.
Top NCAA Basketball Sportsbooks
Below, you’ll find a detailed rundown of our favorite NC online sportsbooks, carefully selected for their competitive odds, user-friendly platforms, and generous bonuses. These sportsbooks offer a seamless way to place your NCAA college basketball bets, whether you’re wagering on regular-season matchups or the excitement of March Madness.
Caesars Sportsbook NC
Full Review: Caesars Sportsbook
- Welcome offer: Bet $1, Double Your Winnings on Next 10 Wagers
- Bonus code: SHARPERDYW
Caesars Sportsbook has terrific market coverage with every NCAA game available. Bet the listed moneyline, spread, or total, or you can use the sliders to create alternate lines. There are usually a few game and team props available for each contest, with player props and other options for the bigger games. Caesars has a great live betting platform as well for betting on games after they’ve tipped off. Meanwhile, when it comes to NCAA futures, Caesars only takes wagers on teams to win the NCAA title.
Caesars often offers a number of readymade same game parlays as well for each night’s slate of NCAA action. Other NCAA basketball promotions at Caesars include frequent CBB Parlay Profit Boosts you can use on any NCAA game. Caesars will also often toss in several odds boosts each day for select games you can apply to your wagers.
Betting at Caesars also means participating in the famous Caesars Rewards loyalty program. You will earn points each time you place a bet on a college basketball game at the Caesars Sportsbook app or website. They can be redeemed for bonus bets, and you will also unlock perks at land-based casinos including both Harrah’s Cherokee and Harrah’s Cherokee River Valley in North Carolina.
FanDuel Sportsbook NC
Full Review: FanDuel Sportsbook
- Welcome offer: Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets if Your Bet Wins
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FanDuel Sportsbook is another very popular option for betting on NCAA basketball in NC. One area where FanDuel really stands out is NCAA futures, where America’s No. 1 sportsbook allows you to place futures bets on the National Champion, the Final Four, and the Wooden Award throughout the regular season and during the NCAA Tournament. You can also bet on the winner of each conference.
For each NCAA game, FanDuel tends to have a large menu of props, same game parlays, alternate lines, and other ways to wager. There’s great live betting, too, with additional “Quick Bets” you can jump on as the game is playing out. Indeed, compared to other sportsbooks, FanDuel treats NCAA games a lot like NBA games in terms of the many different wagers available. Note also that FanDuel is one of the better options for betting on Women’s NCAA Basketball games.
Keep an eye out as well for many college basketball bonuses throughout the season at FanDuel, including odds boosts, profit boosts, and insurance deals. The promotional activity at FanDuel really ramps up during March Madness. FanDuel often rolls out Bet & Get bonuses, free-to-play contests, and large boosts during the NCAA Tournament, so make sure you visit the promotions page when it gets underway.
BetMGM Sportsbook NC
Full Review: BetMGM Sportsbook
- Welcome offer: Up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets if Your First Bet Doesn’t Win*
- Bonus code: NCSHARP
BetMGM is a simple, beginner-friendly online sportsbook for college hoops fans. It offers a smaller selection of NCAAB betting options than FanDuel or DraftKings on regular season games, but the odds are competitive and most bettors will find everything they need.
BetMGM also tends to run a $10 million March Madness challenge each year. If you can compile the perfect March Madness bracket, you will win $10 million. That is extremely difficult, so BetMGM awards $100,000 to the customer that comes closest to a perfect bracket. There are also short-term promos throughout the NCAA Tournament. Look out for odds boosts, Bet & Get bonuses, and other offers when the madness begins.
There are other ongoing promos at BetMGM Sportsbook available for use when betting on NCAA games. These include parlay boost tokens, odds boost tokens, and other ways to increase your potential payout. BetMGM is good when it comes to NCAA futures, too, letting you bet on the NCAA champ, teams to make the Final Four, and the ACC regular season winner (and other conference champs).
*Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days. One New Customer Offer Only. Add’l terms
Bet365 Sportsbook NC
Full Review: bet365 Sportsbook
- Welcome offer: First Bet Safety Net up to $1,000 or Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets Guaranteed*
- Bonus code: SHARPNC
While bet365 Sportsbook might not have the highest profile among the different sites, it is actually one of the best NC online sportsbooks right now, particularly for college basketball bettors. It doesn’t have the same market depth as FanDuel or DraftKings, but you’ll find all the biggest games there, including every ACC game. And when you do, you’ll find lots of ways to bet on those games.
In fact, we found more than 150 betting options on a single college basketball game at Bet365, whereas many rivals offer fewer than 100. They include player props on points, assists, rebounds, threes, and milestones, plus team props, game props, half props, and alternative lines. The same game parlay builder is easy-to-use, too. We also very much like the Early Payout feature at bet365 that grades your moneyline bet as a winner as soon as your team goes up by 18 during the game.
We should note as well that bet365 Sportsbook tends to offer sharper moneyline odds on NCAAB games than its rivals, according to our analysis. We found that bet365 regularly takes a house edge of below 4%, whereas most competitors take an edge of around 4.5%. There are also normally five or six odds boosts on each major college basketball game at Bet365, and whenever you bet a parlay at bet365 the site automatically gives you a boost as well.
*T&Cs, time limit, and exclusions apply
Fanatics Sportsbook NC
Full Review: Fanatics Sportsbook
- Welcome offer: Bet and Get up to $1,000 in No Sweat Bets
- Bonus code: Click to claim promo
Fanatics Sportsbook is a relatively recent option compared to other sports betting sites, although it did launch in NC along with all of the other sportsbooks back in March 2024 when legal sports betting first went live in the state. Fanatics offers plenty of ways to bet on all sports, including on college basketball.
You’ll find most games available with lots of player props and alternate lines for each. Fanatics highlights “Popular Parlays” for each night’s schedule as well, and you can bet a variety of NCAA futures at Fanatics (NCAA champ, Final Four, conference winner, Wooden Award). The site calls itself “the most rewarding sportsbook” and indeed you will find frequent Daily Rewards and Power Hour boosts just about every time you open it. You also receive FanCash each time you wager which can later be redeemed for bonus money or used to buy official gear and clothing in the famed Fanatics Store.
One drawback with Fanatics is the fact that it is an app-only sportsbook, meaning you cannot access it via the web on your desktop or laptop. The good news is that the app is smartly designed and user-friendly.
DraftKings Sportsbook NC
Full Review: DraftKings Sportsbook
- Welcome offer: Up to $1,200 in Bonuses + King of the End Zone Promo
- Bonus Code: Click to claim promo
Among its many positives, DraftKings Sportsbook is the best NC sports betting app for college basketball props. You can bet over/under on player points, threes, rebounds, assists, and combos. There are also plenty of team props and game props, such as the race to X points, winning margins, and correct scores.
This sportsbook offers standard juice lines on college basketball games. You will often find -108 on one team to cover the spread and -112 on the other team. Most competitors offer -110 on either team to cover, so you can often claim market leading odds by backing the team that DraftKings has priced at -108.
There are also quick same game parlay suggestions on each NCAAB game at DraftKings. Alternatively, you can use the same game parlay builder to create your own bet. It is easy to create teasers and round robins on college basketball games in the DraftKings betslip, too. Look for frequent promos, boosts, and other goodies, too, including NCAA March Madness bracket pools and other specials once tournament season rolls around.
How to read college basketball betting lines
For the uninitiated, reading NCAA basketball betting lines takes a bit of practice. Here’s what a typical basketball betting line looks like for the main bet types:
| Spread | Moneyline | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke | -7.5 (-110) | -255 | Over 167.5 (-110) |
| UNC | +7.5 (-110) | +230 | Under 167.5 (-110) |
The first number to the right of the school names is the point spread, followed by the odds in parentheses. Then come the moneyline odds, followed by the totals and their odds. Here’s a quick explanation of those three popular bet types:
- NCAA basketball point spread bets: In this example, UNC is a 7.5-point underdog, which means if you place a spread bet on the Heels, they just need to avoid losing by more than 7 points (or to win outright) for you to win your bet. A spread bet on Duke requires them to win by 8 points or more for the bet to be a winner.
- NCAA basketball moneyline bets: Moneyline bets are “straight up” bets on a team to win with the margin of victory of no concern. Since Duke is the favorite, the Blue Devils’ odds are negative while underdog UNC’s moneyline odds are positive.
- NCAA basketball totals bets: Also known as the over/under, totals bets are wagers on the total number of points both teams will score in the game. If you bet the “over” here, Duke and UNC need to combine for 168 points or more for you to win. Betting the “under” means you’re rooting for them not to go over 167 points.
Reading NCAA basketball odds
When you see those numbers like “-110” and “+230” as listed above, those are the odds which indicate what a winning bet will pay. When the listed odds are negative, you win less than you do when they are positive.
For example, when betting the Duke moneyline above at -255, a wager of $255 will win $100 if the Devils win. Meanwhile, a $100 moneyline bet on UNC at +230 will pay out $230 if the Heels pull the upset. Notice that for spread and totals bets, the odds are usually even (or close to even), paying out the same for either side.
Can I bet on NCAA basketball futures or props?
You see we’re referring up above to “props” and “futures” being available at the different sites. Prop bets are specific “side wagers” that typically focus on events that will happen during a game. Then, futures bets are focused on what is yet to come, like which team will win March Madness or a conference tournament.
Futures bets are posted well before the start of the college basketball season. In fact, some are available immediately following the end of the NCAA Tournament. The sportsbook odds are pretty wild at that point as there isn’t nearly enough data to make more accurate predictions. But the longer you wait, the tighter the odds get. You have to decide at what point you have enough info versus the risk/reward.
Prop bets are focused on things like stats, scoring, which team leads at certain points, and more. There are both player and team props at most sportsbooks, though there are several states that have banned prop bets on college-level players. No such restrictions exist in NC, meaning you’ll find the full range of props and other betting options at the NC sites.
March Madness betting in North Carolina
March Madness, officially known as the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament, is one of the most heavily bet events in the world. There are more than 350 colleges and universities that compete in Division I basketball and 32 conferences that send their champion as an automatic bid to the tournament. The NCAA Selection Committee also invites an additional 36 at-large teams to the tournament, making a total of 68 teams. That committee seeds the teams and determines the regions and the matchups.
Before the bracket officially gets underway, there’s the First Four to play which eliminates four teams and leaves 64 to play a six-round, single-elimination tournament. The field eventually narrows down to the Sweet Sixteen, the Elite Eight, and the Final Four. The winners of the semifinal games then meet in the national championship to decide the champion.
If you’re interested in betting on March Madness at an online North Carolina sportsbook, keep in mind that you can wager either individual games or the entire bracket, or both. You will be able to find both paid and free bracket contests at most large sportsbooks.
How is NCAAB betting different from NBA betting?
While college and pro basketball are similar in many ways, there are some differences that can matter a lot when it comes to betting.
The NBA is full of the best players in the world, while college basketball is full of younger players ranging wildly in talent and skill. That means there is a big difference between the worst college basketball programs and the elite, which often leads to much bigger point spreads and much more lopsided moneyline odds. The totals numbers are also going to be different because the college game is shorter, with two halves at 20 minutes each. The NBA’s regulation is four 12-minute quarters.
Other factors like home court advantage, the intensity of particular rivalries, and significant matchup discrepancies can matter a lot when handicapping NCAA games, too. Meanwhile, since there are so many NCAA basketball teams and games, the sportsbooks sometimes can’t set lines as effectively as they can with the smaller NBA schedule, which can sometimes yield some good spots for bettors.
Sportsbook rules for NCAA basketball
Every sportsbook has its own set of “house rules” by which everyone abides. They are part of the terms and conditions you agree to when signing up for an account. You can also find them online with a quick keyword search.
Here are some of the rules pertaining to NCAA basketball that nearly every sportsbook uses, but make sure to read through those at your sportsbook, so you can see what else they dictate.
- If a game is canceled or postponed, all bets made previously on that game are called off.
- Any bets specific to a single half of play will not be settled until that half is finished.
- Bets for full-game and second-half results will include any overtime periods unless otherwise specified.
- All college basketball bets are settled using only official NCAA statistics.
Take your shot with NCAA basketball betting in NC
College basketball can be great fun to follow, and betting on NCAA games at North Carolina sportsbooks can add a great deal of entertainment as well. Take some time to look over the sites and be sure to take advantage of those welcome offers when signing up to help you get started betting on NCAA basketball at NC sportsbooks.
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