The first March Madness for Colorado online sports betting is just about here.
The University of Colorado men’s basketball team got the invite and will look to make this a memorable NCAA Tournament.
The Buffaloes (22-8) are the No. 5 seed and will take on the No. 12 seed Georgetown Hoyas (13-12). Colorado is the favorite over the Hoyas for Saturday’s first-round game.
Since this is the first time for college basketball fans to bet on March Madness in Colorado, this is a whole new experience for some.
Of course you can wager on the game itself.
But some may not want to tempt fate and bet on their team. That’s true for CU fans and those who bet on college basketball in general.
March Madness prop bets
So what else can you do?
There are some free-to-play games out there.
Fill out a perfect bracket, for example, and win a ton of money.
But there are also March Madness prop bets that you can do.
Before we get into that, this is nowhere close to the hundreds of prop bets you’ll see for the Super Bowl.
The books are limited in what they can offer due to the fact several markets restrict bets on college players.
But the operators have been creative.
Here are five of the best March Madness props at the various sportsbooks in Colorado.
1. Will a 12-seed upset a 5-seed?
For those who know the NCAA tourney, this is the sweet spot for upsets.
Unfortunately, Colorado drew the No. 5 seed short straw.
Knowing that, some of the sportsbooks are offering this first-round prop bet.
At FanDuel Sportsbook, the current odds of a 12-seed pulling off the upset sit at “Yes” -370 and “No” at +290.
WilliamHill is taking it one step farther.
The sportsbook is offering all 12 seeds to win, with odds boosted to +12,500.
Look away if you’re a Buffs fan/bettor.
2. Winning state
This is one of the more fun prop bets out there right now.
If you don’t wager on any of the games, this is a good alternative.
DraftKings Sportsbook is offering the state to win the national title.
As of now, the favorite is Texas at -134, followed by Washington at +205.
Texas is the favorite just from the sheer amount of teams in the tourney from the state (seven) and how good they are. Baylor (1 seed), Houston (2), Texas (3) and Texas Tech (6) all have a chance to make a deep run this year.
However, a college basketball team from Texas hasn’t won the national title since UTEP in 1966.
If you were curious, Colorado isn’t even on the board.
Some of the books offer up a variation of this by offering the winning conference.
3. How many first-round buzzer-beaters?
If you want to wager on March Madness but don’t know enough about the games, this is another fun option.
Sportsbetting.com is offering the amount of buzzer-beating shots in the Round of 64. To qualify, the shot must win the game as time expires.
As of Monday morning, under 1.5 is the favorite at -556. The over sits at +350.
4. Any first four team to make the Sweet 16?
This prop from FanDuel is a little more risky.
But if one team is able to pull off that first win, anything is possible.
Of the first four games on Thursday, the winner of Drake (11) vs Wichita State (11) or UCLA (11) vs Michigan State (11) is the most likely to pull off a trip to the Sweet 16.
Of course, Texas Southern (16) vs Mount St. Mary’s (16) or Appalachian State (16) vs Norfolk State (16) could as well.
Good luck with this prop.
The “No” sits at -420, with “Yes” at +310.
5. Any 16-seed to beat a 1-seed
This prop is the riskiest since it’s only happened once.
In the history of the NCAA tourney.
The lone time a 16-seed defeated a 1-seed was in 2018. That’s when the University of Maryland-Baltimore County beat Virginia. Not only the Cavaliers the No. 1 seed, it was the top seed for the entire tournament.
As it stands now, we know two of the four matchups.
Baylor takes on Hartford and Illinois plays Drexel.
The winner of Norfolk State and Appalachian State will play top-seeded (and undefeated) Gonzaga.
The winner of Mount St. Mary’s and Texas Southern will face Michigan.
At BetMGM, the “Yes” is at +550.
Bet wisely
Whichever way you decide to bet on March Madness this year, have a plan in place and bet responsibly.
As Lenny Estrin, the head trader at SportsBetting.com, told PlayColorado on betting advice for the NCAA tourney:
“March Madness is a marathon, not a sprint. Bet wisely and manage your bankroll to make it beyond the first and second round of the tournament. And when it comes to identifying potential upsets, pick your spots and don’t get too carried away.”
