March Madness Betting 2021

Starting with 68 teams across four regions, the single-elimination NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament, aka “March Madness,” runs over three long weekends in March/April. With it comes a ton of betting opportunities.

With more sportsbooks in the NJ market and total sports betting handle on the rise, March Madness 2021 numbers should soar. Due to NJ regulations you can’t bet on NJ-based college teams or games played in NJ, but since no NCAA tournament action takes place in NJ this year sportsbooks can take bets on almost every March Madness game.

That means you can fill out your March Madness brackets, bet on NCAA basketball futures or bet live on each game in progress as long as no NJ teams are involved. Here’s what you need to know to bet on March Madness in NJ. Check the best March Madness odds boosts & promos here.

Best NJ online sportsbooks for March Madness

2021 Live March Madness Bracket, Odds & Game Lines

March Madness futures odds give you the chance to bet on a team you think will win the NCAA Tournament during the regular season, conference tournaments and before March Madnessis over. NJ sportsbooks adjust the odds as the season and tournament progresses, meaning the earlier you get a bet down on a favorite the better the odds usually are.

On the bracket below you’ll see the consensus odds for each game. Below the bracket you can see our real-time odds feed with live odds (point spreads, moneylines, totals) for each game at multiple NJ online sportsbooks. Click on any odds on the feed below the bracket to claim your bonus and start betting March Madness. Check the other tab below for next year’s March Madness futures odds including odds to win the National Championship or make the Final Four.

March Madness brackets

March Madness bracket contests and pools are the way most Americans bet on the NCAA tournament. It involves filling out a full bracket and picking winners for every one of the 63 games in the NCAA Tournament before it begins. There are also Second-Chance bracket contests allowing you to enter new brackets for later tournament rounds.

According to a study released by the American Gaming Association (AGA) in 2019, approximately 40 million people fill out a March Madness bracket every year. That’s around 16% of the country. The AGA also says those 40 million people will fill out 149 million brackets and spend $4.6 billion entering them in different pools and contests.

Brackets are quite different from game-by-game betting on the NCAA Tournament. The latter allows you to be more selective in the teams you back and pay out based on posted odds rather than your standing against others. With brackets, you either pay to enter your selections in a pool at the office, local bar, social club, or sportsbook, or submit it to a free-to-enter NCAA Tournament bracket contest.

Either way, you must pick more winners than just about anyone else in the pool to get paid. Contest and pool payouts range from winner take all to a small percentage of the top entries earning money. This makes it very tough to win money in bracket contests, particularly the free-to-enter contests with thousands of entries from across the US.

Early upsets will bust a lot of brackets. If a team you back to go deep goes out in the first or second round, you’ll quickly end up with too many losses in your bracket to compete.

DraftKings $2m Millionaire Bracket

DraftKings Sportsbook in NJ threw down the gauntlet for 2021 with a new Millionaire Bracket Challenge as part of its DraftKings Championship series. In total $2 million will be distributed among the top 1,500 finishers with the winner claiming $1 million alone. More details below:

• Entry fee: $100
• Max. entries per person: 20
• Total prize pool: $2 million
• Winner gets: $1 million
• Runner-Up: $250,000
• 3rd Place: $125,000
• Total places paid: 1,500
• Open to: DraftKings customers in NJ, CO, TN, WV, PA and NH (more states likely eligible soon)

While the entry fee may be steep the possible return is high. Sign up for a new account at DraftKings NJ via the link below to claim your free bet and play:

Best free March Madness bracket contests

Many of the top NJ sportsbook apps now run free-to-play NCAA Tournament bracket contests annually.

DraftKings Sportsbook jumped in the free NCAA bracket contest game in a big way in 2021 with a few free-to-play bracket contest opens to anyone in the country. They include:

$1 Million DraftKings Survivor Pool

NFL fans will recognize the Survivor Pool format but it’s a bit unconventional for March Madness. What you need to do is pick any team to win each tournament day. If your team wins, you get to move on and pick a new winner the next day.

If your team loses, you’re out. Survive to the end and you’ll get a piece of $1 million! Note: You can only pick a team once. Run out of teams to pick and you’re out, too.

Free to enter but only open to new accounts. See full details at DraftKings.

Free $50K Yuengling March Mania Battle Contest

Pick the winners across all 63 games of March Madness. Submit picks via DraftKings website or app. Players earn points for correct picks

• Max entries per player: 1
• Total prize pool: $50,000
• Total places paid: 7,755
• First place: $5,000
• 2nd-3rd: $1,000

DraftKings will also likely run a free $16,000 Second-Chance Bracket contest for those who are out of the running in the big one after the first two rounds.

Note: DraftKings free-to-play March Madness contests are open to anyone in the US including NJ.

BetMGM $2 Million Perfect Bracket Challenge

If a $1 million first-place prize isn’t enough, why not go for $2 million? You can in the BetMGM Perfect Bracket Challenge although, no surprise, you’ll need to pick a perfect bracket to get it.

Given the odds of doing so are long, you’ll be happy to hear there’s a straight $100,000 consolation prize for the player with the most correct picks overall.

Each game in each round is worth one point; player with the most points wins. If there’s a tie, players split the $100k. Create a new sportsbook account at BetMGM and take part for free via the link below!

Top 5 tips for picking your March Madness bracket

The unpredictability of bracket betting aside, there’s no doubt it’s one of the most fun ways to bet on March Madness. Whether this is your first bracket or your 100th, the following five basic March Madness bracket building tips tend to hold true:

1. Trust the odds

NJ online and mobile sportsbooks post futures odds for every team and moneyline point spread lines for (virtually) every game. This information can actually give you some help in filling out a bracket.

The lines are posted by oddsmakers with in-depth knowledge about the world of college basketball betting and you can lean on these NCAA experts to help you make your picks.

They aren’t always right, but they’re not often way wrong. You can feel confident in using the information available at NJ sports betting apps to help you make the majority of your March Madness picks.

Just look for the teams that oddsmakers have as massive first-round favorites, or favorites to win it all, then pencil them into the second or third round at the very least.

2. Trust the seeding early

Before 2018, no top seed had ever lost to a No. 16 seed in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Maryland-Baltimore County win over Virginia in 2018 broke a 135-game winning streak for No. 1 seeds and proved March Madness miracles can happen.

However, it also highlighted how rare those miracles are. The truth is:

• The top four seeds almost always win in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament

You never want to ignore this when filling out our March Madness brackets.

3. Look out for the No. 12 seed

The No. 5 vs. No. 12 first round match up has proven to be a bit of a statistical anomaly in the NCAA Tournament. No. 12 seeds actually win more than statistically expected in these games. There have been 47 12 seed over 5 seed upsets since the NCAA tournament field expanded in 1985. Out of 136 total games, that puts the #12 seed win rate at 35%.

The No. 10 and No. 11 seeds often fill Cinderella’s glass slipper in the early rounds as well.

Part of filling out a winning bracket is picking upsets. You can’t just pick the higher seed to win all the way through and expect to win a contest or pool. The trick is to find the real opportunities for big upsets and the No. 12, No. 11, and No. 10 seeds are often a good place to start.

4. Heat check

Look for lower seeded teams that have truly played their way into the NCAA Tournament by upsetting a perennial favorite to win a conference tournament title.

Momentum is real in the NCAA Tournament, so look for hot teams that are playing above their heads to continue to win through the early rounds of the tournament at least.

5. Trust the seeding late

Historically, the higher-seeded team wins almost 75% of the time in the Final Four.

When it comes time to fill out the last few games in your bracket, take a look back at the seeding to give you an idea of who the real favorites are.

March Madness Game-by-game betting

NJ online sportsbooks offer individual bets on every bit of NCAA Tournament action.  The main advantage of betting March Madness game-by-game is the freedom it provides.

Filling out a 63-game bracket requires you to pick a winner in every single game – before you even know if a team will advance beyond the first round. Betting March Madness game-by-game allows you to be much more selective and avoid betting games where you simply don’t have all the information you need.

Brackets get busted early and futures fizzle out. But combine game-by-game betting with proper bankroll management principles and you can find a way to carry your balance through the length of the NCAA Tournament.

There’s nothing wrong with entering several free and low-entry bracket contests. It’s just that it’s a lot harder to win a bracket contest than a single-game wager. Therefore, wagering a sizable portion of your bankroll on bracket contests is a bad idea.

You’re much better off doing some NCAA basketball research and applying proper bankroll management principals to game-by-game March Madness betting.

That research should start with the NCAA Tournament seeding. Just like the odds NJ online and mobile sportsbooks post on NCAA games can provide some help in filling out a bracket, the seeding can give some insight into March Madness game betting. Plus, some of the same strategies you apply to filling out a bracket can help you identify the best NCAA Tournament bets.

March Madness betting lines

The NCAA Tournament and each game that is a part of it offers a wide variety of betting opportunities. That’s a big part of the reason why more money is bet on this event than any other in US sports, college or pro.

Here is a rundown of the different March Madness betting lines:

Moneyline

For those unfamiliar with sports betting terms, the moneyline bet comes down to picking the straight-up winner.

There is a number, or odds, associated with each team. If Harvard is listed at -600 against Columbia, they’re considered a heavy favorite (you would need to bet $600 to win $100).

On the flip-side, if Columbia, +440, were to win, that same $100 wager would net the bettor $440. The plus sign before the number means the team is an underdog.

Point spread

Once the NCAA Tournament field is set, point spreads will be released for the first round of 32 games. Several of the games, including the No. 1 versus No. 16 matchups, will feature double-digit spreads.

But which side will cover the spread?

Betting on the favorite means your pick needs to win by a margin determined by the odds. Betting on the underdog gives the bettor a cushion in which a team loss may still produce a winning ticket.

Total points

No real explanation is needed. NJ sportsbooks set an over/under line, or total points, for each game. The bettor simply decides which side of the line to play.

Parlay

Parlays bring an added challenge to the sports betting game as they can range from two legs to 10-plus.

Each leg of the bet is dependent on the other to produce a winning ticket. However, there are times where one of the legs ends in a tie. If that happens, the bettor will still receive a payout at reduced odds.

Teasers

Teaser bets are a way to reduce the betting line, either reducing points on the favorite or adding them to the underdog. These wagers apply to two or more teams.

Some sites also offer Teaser+, courtesy of Kambi. DraftKings and SugarHouse use Kambi to power their sportsbooks. You can read more about Teaser+ here.

Prop bets

Prop bets are the more outside-the-box wagers. Player and team props (short for propositions) are offered for most sports. A certain player scoring 20 points or more or which team will score the first basket of the game are a couple of examples.

Player/Game props

NJ sportsbooks will make a variety of game and player prop bets available for NCAA games. The number of props available will also increase the closer to the Championship game it is.

Props are bets on the games within the game and on players achieving various statistical milestones.

Props vary but you can expect to see game props like an over/under on the largest lead by either, the total 3-point field goals by both teams, and moneyline odds on the team to make first 3-point shot.

You can also expect to see player props including an over/under on a specific player’s points, free throws made, and rebounds.

2021 March Madness schedule

March Madness will run three weekends in a row from March 16 (First Four) to April 5 (Championship Game). Due to COVID-19 restrictions, it has been announced by the NCAA that all 2021 basketball tournament games will be played in Indianapolis and surrounding areas. Here’s a look at the complete NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament schedule:

Date	Round	Location	Arena
March 14	Selection Sunday	Indianapolis, Indiana	n/a
March 16-17	First Four	Indianapolis, Indiana	TBD
March 18-20	First and second round	Indianapolis, Indiana	TBD
March 18-20	First and second round	Indianapolis, Indiana	TBD
March 18-20	First and second round	Indianapolis, Indiana	TBD
March 18-20	First and second round	Indianapolis, Indiana	TBD
March 19-21	First and second round	Indianapolis, Indiana	TBD
March 19-21	First and second round	Indianapolis, Indiana	TBD
March 19-21	First and second round	Indianapolis, Indiana	TBD
March 19-21	First and second round	Indianapolis, Indiana	TBD
March 25-27	Midwest Regional	Indianapolis, Indiana	TBD
March 25-27	West Regional	Indianapolis, Indiana	TBD
March 26-28	South Regional	Indianapolis, Indiana	TBD
March 26-28	East Regional	Indianapolis, Indiana	TBD
April 3-5	Final Four	Indianapolis, Indiana	Lucas Oil Stadium

Where can I stream March Madness in NJ

All of the games will be shown live on CBS, TNT, TBS, and TruTV. The March Madness Live app is available for iOS and Android devices. The games will be streaming on cbssports.com, as well.

New Jersey is home to 10 retail sportsbooks that will be showing all of the tournament games.

• Network: CBS
• Network streaming: CBS All Access, CBSSports.com, and CBS Sports app via phone, tablet, and connected TV devices (Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Chromecast)
• Streaming services (varies by market): DirecTV Now, FuboTV, Hulu with Live TV, PlayStation Vue, YouTube TV

How does Selection Sunday work?

There are 68 teams in the NCAA Tournament. The field is made up of 32 teams that earn automatic bids by winning their respective conference tournaments. The other 36 teams are given at-large bids on Selection Sunday, which falls on March 14 this year.

The NCAA Selection Committee is uses a system called NET to select the 36 teams at-large bids.

The NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) relies on data to rank teams from across the country and the NCAA Selection Committee gives the top 36 ranking non-conference tournament winners the at-large bids. The data includes:

• Game results
• Strength of schedule
• Game location
• Scoring margin
• Net offensive and defensive efficiency,
• Quality of wins and losses

The NCAA then ranks all 68 teams and the eight lowest teams face off in the First Four games on March 16 and 17. The winners advance to the first round. First and second-round games will take place on March 18-21, 2021.

March Madness in NJ

NJ Sportsbooks are forbidden by law to take bets on college basketball games in New Jersey or involving NJ-based schools. That means if an NJ team makes the NCAA Tournament its games are off the board and removed from all brackets. You simply cannot bet on these games or these teams in NJ.

There are seven NJ colleges and universities that have NCAA Division I men’s basketball programs, including:

• NJIT Highlanders: New Jersey Institute of Technology NJIT (Newark, NJ)
• Princeton Tigers: Princeton University (Montgomery, NJ)
• Rutgers Scarlet Knights: Rutgers University (New Brunswick, NJ)
• Monmouth Hawks: Monmouth University (West Long Branch, NJ)
• Rider Broncs: Rider University (Trenton, NJ)
• Fairleigh Dickinson Knights: Fairleigh Dickinson University (Madison, NJ)
• Saint Peter’s Peacocks: Saint Peter’s University (Jersey City, NJ)
• Seton Hall Pirates: Seton Hall University (South Orange, NJ)

Where can I bet on March Madness in New Jersey?

Eight of the nine Atlantic City casinos have retail sportsbooks up and running. Learn more about March Madness in Atlantic City here.

Caesars’ customers can place bets at The Book at Bally’s (Caesars Sportsbook is available for mobile/online platforms). The sister properties are connected.

Monmouth Park and the Meadowlands Racetrack each have a sportsbook, too. Those watching the games from home, and as long as you are in NJ, can place their bets using one of 17+ NJ sportsbook apps.

Why bet March Madness online?

There are several reasons why more than 80% of the sports bets in New Jersey are placed online. It starts with convenience and the fact NJ sports betting apps are open 24/7 and available from anywhere inside the state. But it doesn’t end there.

The choice you have between several operators means you can line shop from your couch to find the best prices on a bet. There’s no waiting in line, no identifying numbers and no special betting jargon required to place bets.

Online and mobile sports betting gives you the chance to make the bets you want instantly from a phone, tablet, or computer. March Madness also offers 67 games over three weeks with literally thousands of in-game betting opportunities. As mentioned, if you’re from out of state you can also download and manage your account from home and simply hop across the state line to bet.

Ultimately, no missed opportunities and no lineup help make the choice between traditional retail sportsbooks and betting apps a no brainer.

NJ online sportsbooks

Online Sportsbook	Land-Based Affiliate	Sports betting partner(s)	Available Bonus
DraftKings	Resorts AC	Kambi	$50 Free Bet with Deposit
FOX Bet	Resorts AC	NA	Up to $500 Risk-Free Bet
FanDuel	Meadowlands	Betfair/IGT	Up to $1,000 Risk-Free Bet
PointsBet	Meadowlands	NA	Up to $2,000 In Risk Free Bets
Caesars Sportsbook	Caesars AC	Scientific Games	Up to $5,000 Risk-Free Bet
BetMGM Sports	Borgata AC	IGT	$1,000 Risk Free Bet
SugarHouse	Monmouth Park	Kambi	Up to $250
Golden Nugget sportsbook	Golden Nugget	SBTech/Scientific Games	$250 Free Bet
Hard Rock	Hard Rock AC	GiG	$100 Risk Free Bet
Resorts	Resorts AC	SBTech	Up to $250 Risk Free Bet
Borgata Sports	Borgata AC	GVC	$100 In Free Bets
Bet365 NJ	Hard Rock AC	NA	Up to $500 in Bet Credits
Unibet Sportsbook	Hard Rock AC	NA	Up to $600 Risk-Free Bet
theScore Bet	Monmouth	Bet.Works	Up to $100 match bet
WynnBET Sportsbook	Caesars AC	GPGS/Sci Games	NA
BetAmerica	Golden Nugget	SBTech	100% up to $500

NJ sportsbook locations

Casino/racetrack	Sportsbook	Sports betting partner(s)	Open?
Borgata	Borgata Race & Sports Bar	IGT	Yes
Resorts	DraftKings Sportsbook at Resorts	DraftKings/Kambi; SBTech	Yes
Ocean Resort	William Hill Sportsbook @ Ocean Resort	William Hill	Yes
Monmouth Park	Monmouth Park Sports Book by William Hill	William Hill	Yes
Meadowlands	FanDuel Sportsbook	Betfair/FanDuel/IGT	Yes
Harrah's	The Book	Scientific Games	Yes
Hard Rock	Hard Rock Sportsbook	GiG	Yes
Golden Nugget	The Sportsbook	SBTech	Yes
Bally's	Wild Wild West Sportsbook	Scientific Games	Yes
Tropicana	William Hill Sports Book at Tropicana Atlantic City	William Hill	Yes