LSB Feature: The Many March Madness Betting Lines Available

• The Baylor Bears are favored at -250 to be eliminated before the Gonzaga Bulldogs.
• Sports betting fans are wagering there will be 0 buzzer beaters during the tournament.
• A #1 seed is favored at -350 to win the tournament.

INDIANAPOLIS – The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, better known as March Madness is filled with betting potential.

While most sports betting fans lean towards futures wagers on who will win the tournament, or simply game lines, there are tons of other wagers available for players to place action on to maximize their March Madness betting experience.

Scouring through online sportsbooks can reveal some major betting lines with large payouts for college basketball betting fans. Both sports bettors and college players will be playing to win big in March.

Betting On The One Seed To Be Eliminated

One popular betting line that is gaining a lot of attention is who will be eliminated first. This betting line pins several #1 seeds against one another as sports betting fans predict who will be the first to fall.

Which Number 1 Seed will be Eliminated First
Baylor -250
Gonzaga +170

Which Number 1 Seed will be Eliminated First
Illinois -220
Gonzaga +155

Which Number 1 Seed will be Eliminated First
Michigan -140
Baylor +100

Which Number 1 Seed will be Eliminated First
Michigan -170
Illinois +130

Which Number 1 Seed will be Eliminated First
Baylor -130
Illinois -110

Looking at the Baylor Bears vs. the Gonzaga Bulldogs, Baylor is the heavy favorite to bite the dust first. The Bears have had a solid season, having the third shortest odds to win the entire tournament at +600 and at rank #3 on the AP Poll.

With this being March Madness, however, anything can happen, and Baylor could very well be the team to win the whole thing.

Gonzaga is undefeated on the year, but only seven undefeated teams have ever won the tournament, the last time being in 1976. Despite the huge successes, the Bulldogs have garnered this year, an earlier exit than some other #1 seeds is still a strong possibility.

A deep run is possible for both programs, but the +170 odds on Gonzaga to get eliminated first is not a bad bet for college basketball betting fans looking for some longshot odds to cash in on.

The same thing applies to the Illinois Fighting Illini’s matchup with Gonzaga. Illinois could go further, which would turn the +155 long odds on Gonzaga to be eliminated first into major wins at online sportsbooks.

Betting On Potential Upsets

March Madness betting fans can also find betting lines for upsets. There are lines available for if any upsets would be made in the Round of 64.

Will 14 to 16 seed beat a 1 to 3 seed Round of 64
Yes -200
No +150

Will a 12 seed beat a 5 seed Round of 64
Yes -350
No +225

Will a 13 seed beat a 4 seed Round of 64
Yes -200
No +150

With it being March Madness, and upsets happening every year it is no surprise that sports betting fans are wagering yes to potential upsets in every Round of 64 matchups.

There are some betting trends that legal sports betting fans should note that could help them when wagering on this particular betting line.

Only one number one seed has ever lost in the first round, being the 2018 Virginia Caviliers losing to the UMBC Retrievers.

This means historically the 1-16 matchup is safe. It is also rare for two seeds to lose to 15 seeds and three seeds to lose to 14 seeds.

The +150 short odds on No for the 14 to 16 seed beat a 1 to 3 betting line could be more appealing with that information in mind.

Also, the #12 seeds have won 50-90 all-time against the #5 seed which is a 35.7% win rate. The win rate is low enough that taking the +225 odds on No for Will a 12 seed beat a 5 seed Round of 64 is a smart wager.

How Many Game Winners?

The final sports betting line to highlight is how many buzzer beating game winners will occur in the tournament. The rules state that time must expire after the shot for it to count for this betting line.

Number Of Game Winning Shots (As Time Expires)
0 Buzzer Beaters -115
1 Buzzer Beater +220
2 Buzzer Beaters +700
3 Buzzer Beaters +1200
4 Buzzer Beaters +2000
5 Buzzer Beaters +4000
6 or More Buzzer Beaters +5000

There have been a total of 32 game-winning shots in the tournaments entire history, which makes 0 Buzzer Beaters being favored not that farfetched.

Sports betting fans should note, however, that since 2015, there has been at least one buzzer beating game-winner in every tournament. 2019 had one, 2018 had two, 2017 also had two, 2016 and four, and 2015 had one buzzer beating game-winner.

This betting line may be the most difficult to pick, but the +700 odds on 3 Buzzer Beaters or the +1200 odds on 4 Buzzer Beaters may turn out to be major wins for some lucky betting fans.

News tags: basketball | Baylor Bears | College Basketball | Gonzaga Bulldogs | Illinois Fighting Illini | Indiana | Indianapolis | March Madness | Michigan Wolverines | NCAA | NCAAM