March Madness Betting & Bonuses in NJ
With more wagering sites in the New Jersey market and total handle on the rise, March Madness numbers should soar once again in 2026. Due to NJ regulations, you can’t bet on NJ-based college teams or any games played in NJ.
You can play all the March Madness bracket contests, bet on NCAA basketball futures, or bet live on each March Madness game in progress as long as no NJ teams are involved or any games are taking place within the state. Here’s how to bet on March Madness.
Find the best March Madness odds boosts & NJ sportsbook promos below.
Best March Madness sites
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March Madness brackets
March Madness bracket contests and pools are the way most Americans have fun regarding the NCAA tournament. It involves filling out a complete bracket and picking winners for every one of the 67 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.
Brackets are pretty different from game-by-game wagering 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 other location or submit them to a free-to-enter NCAA Tournament bracket contest.
March Madness bracket challenges
Numerous New Jersey sites offer March Madness bracket challenges, providing players with the opportunity to win substantial cash and prizes.
These bracket challenges can be free to play or paid entry. Either way, these contests are some of the most popular ways to enjoy the tournament. For example, even people who don’t typically wager on sports fill out a bracket and enter.
While sites are still gearing up for March Madness, here’s a look at what you can expect based on what has been done previously:
- DraftKings Zero Right bracket challenge: This is quite a twist on the typical bracket festivities. It’s the opposite, actually. Every correct pick earns points, but the person closest to zero wins. In past years, this challenge paid out $100,000 once March Madness concluded.
- FanDuel Bracket Pick’em: This one is pretty straightforward. You make your picks as the tournament plays out, and the highest-scoring entries win prizes.
Second-Chance Bracket Challenges
Think of these challenges like you would insurance. Chances are, your bracket will be busted before the round of 32 finishes. These second-chance bracket challenges give you exactly what the name implies: a second chance at filling out a bracket, beginning in the Sweet 16. Here’s a look at what fans could find in previous seasons:
- Free State Farm $20K Second Chance Bracket: Pick the winner and rack up points for each correct selection, with the highest scoing entries earning cash prizes. The top prize? $20,000.
- Free KFC $20K Second Chance Survivor: Similar to the one above, make it to the end without losing and you’ll be able to take home a share of the $20,000 prize pool.
March Madness betting sites in NJ Compared
| Online Sportsbook | Land-Based Affiliate | Available Bonus | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caesars Sportsbook NJ | Caesars AC | Bet $1, Double Your Winnings on Next 10 Wagers | NCAA Tournament profit/odds boosts |
| Bet365 Sportsbook NJ | Hard Rock AC | First Bet Safety Net up to $1,000 or Bet $5 Get $365 in Bonus Bets | A wide range of betting markets for college basketball |
| BetMGM Sportsbook NJ | Borgata AC | Up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets if Your First Bet Doesn’t Win* | Live betting during March Madness games |
| FanDuel Sportsbook NJ | Meadowlands | Bet $5, Get $350 in Bonus Bets if Your Bet Wins | March Madness same-game parlays |
| Fanatics Sportsbook NJ | Ocean Casino Resort | Bet and Get up to $1,000 in No Sweat Bets | Turning wagers into rewards with Fanatics FanCash |
| BetRivers Sportsbook NJ | Monmouth Park | 2nd Chance Bet up to $250 | Prop betting during the NCAA Tournament |
| Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook NJ | Hard Rock AC | Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets | Strong mobile experience |
| DraftKings Sportsbook NJ | Resorts AC | Up to $1,200 in Bonuses | March Madness futures betting |
*Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days. One New Customer Offer Only. Add’l terms.
Top 5 March Madness betting strategies for your brackets
The unpredictability of brackets 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 sites post futures odds for every team and moneyline point spread lines for (virtually) every game. This information can actually provide some assistance 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 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 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. Then in 2023, 16-seed Fairleigh Dickinson toppled 1-seed Purdue.
These two wins stirred up plenty of excitement among Cinderellas. 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. The top four seeds have lost just twice in the history of the 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 matchup has proven to be a statistical anomaly in the NCAA Tournament. No. 12 seeds actually win more than statistically expected in these games. 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 wagering
NJ online sites offer individual bets on most of the NCAA Tournament action. Again, the only limits New Jersey residents have are the inability to bet on in-state programs or games that take place within state lines.
The primary advantage of wagering on March Madness game-by-game is the freedom it provides.
Filling out a 67-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. Wagering on March Madness game-by-game allows you to be much more selective and avoid 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 wagering 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 principles to game-by-game March Madness wagering.
That research should start with the NCAA Tournament seeding. Just like the odds that NJ online and mobile sites post on NCAA games can provide some help in filling out a bracket, the seeding can offer insight into how to approach March Madness. Plus, some of the same strategies you apply to filling out a bracket can help you identify the best NCAA Tournament bets.
March Madness lines
The NCAA Tournament and each game that is a part of it offer a wide variety of opportunities. That’s a significant part of the reason why more money is bet on this event than on any other in US sports, whether college or pro.
Here is a rundown of the different March Madness lines:
Moneyline
For those unfamiliar with these terms, a moneyline bet essentially involves 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 were to win at +440, the 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. Wagering on the favorite means your pick needs to win by a margin determined by the odds. Going with 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 sites set an over/under line, or total points, for each game. The bettor simply decides which side of the line to play.
Parlay
Parlays present an added challenge, as they can range from two legs to 10 or more. Each leg of the bet is dependent on the other to produce a winning ticket. However, there are times when 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 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. Unibet and SugarHouse use Kambi to power their sites. 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.
March Madness player & game props
NJ sites will make a variety of game and player prop bets available for NCAA games. The number of props available will also increase as the Championship game approaches.
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 such as an over/under on the largest lead by either team, the total number of 3-point field goals by both teams, and moneyline odds on the team to make the 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.
New Jersey does allow college player prop wagering. Just remember that you can’t place prop bets, along with any other wagers, on New Jersey college teams or games that take place inside the state.
How does Selection Sunday work?
There are 68 teams in the NCAA Tournament. The field consists of 31 teams that earn automatic bids by winning their respective conference tournaments. The other 37 teams receive at-large bids on Selection Sunday.
The NCAA Selection Committee uses a system called NET to select the 37 teams for at-large bids.
The NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) relies on data to rank teams from across the country, and the NCAA Selection Committee awards at-large bids to the top 37 non-conference tournament winners. 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. The winners advance to the first round, and the first and second-round games take place that first weekend from Thursday through Sunday.
March Madness teams in NJ
NJ sites 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 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 (Princeton, NJ)
- Rutgers Scarlet Knights: Rutgers University (New Brunswick, NJ)
- Monmouth Hawks: Monmouth University (West Long Branch, NJ)
- Rider Broncs: Rider University ( Lawrenceville, 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)
Additionally, you can’t bet on March Madness games that take place in New Jersey. For example, the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games took place in Newark, New Jersey, for the East Regional last season. Even though those sites didn’t feature New Jersey teams, NJ residents still couldn’t wager on those games.
Where can I bet on March Madness in New Jersey?
All nine Atlantic City casinos now have operational retail sites.
Freehold Raceway, Monmouth Park, and the Meadowlands Racetrack each have a book, too. Those watching the games from home, and as long as you are in NJ, can place their bets using one of the top NJ sports betting apps.
Why bet on 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, as NJ sports apps are open 24/7 and available from anywhere within 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 jargon required to place bets.
Online and mobile sports sites give 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 wagering 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 locations and apps a no-brainer.
Get prepped for March Madness in New Jersey
As we get closer and closer to Selection Sunday, it’s a good reminder to keep up to date on all things college basketball. Pay close attention to how teams fare in their conference tournaments and which teams appear to be clicking at the right time. That way, you will be all ready for March Madness in New Jersey when the field is finalized.
March Madness FAQ
This year, Selection Sunday is on March 15, 2026, after which you’ll be able to find the official and printable 2026 NCAA bracket for March Madness on the NCAA website.
It is estimated that approximately 10% of Americans fill out an NCAA Tournament bracket and enter it into a pool or contest. That’s around 32 million people filling out brackets. With the average American filling out more than one, the American Gaming Association estimates 70 million brackets are filled out annually.
According to the NCAA, no one has ever had a perfect March Madness bracket. At least one that has been verified.
The NCAA estimates the odds of picking a perfect 63-game NCAA bracket are 1 in 9.2 quintillion. Although that assumes every game is a 50-50 coin flip.
A DePaul professor once said that incorporating a little NCAA men’s basketball knowledge into the equation reduces the odds of picking a perfect bracket to 1 in 28 billion. He also said that if every person on the planet filled out a bracket per minute, it would take more than 2,000 years to reach 9.2 quintillion and the perfect bracket.
Famously, wealthy investor Warren Buffett runs an annual March Madness bracket contest promising to give away $1 million a year for life to any Berkshire Hathaway employee who can pick a perfect Sweet 16 in the tourney.
The 2026 NCAA Final Four is set for April 4 and 6, 2026, in Indianapolis, Indiana. The games will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium.
