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The Grueling Truth - Where Legends Speak / March Madness Betting Trends

March Madness Betting Trends: All March Madness Betting Trends You Need to Know

Last Updated on 07/19/2026
Fact checked by: Mike Goodpaster

If you are new to March Madness betting, you may be wondering what the betting trends are. This guide will help you understand everything there is to know about betting on the popular basketball tournament.

Read this full guide as we dive deeper into March Madness betting trends – the good ones, the ones to avoid, and so much more.

March Madness has been running for many years, with the first NCAA tournament played in 1939. In the beginning years, the tournament consisted of only 8 teams and has now grown to a whopping 68 teams taking part.

The tournament’s history is filled with unexpected outcomes and dramatic upsets. March Madness betting first started out as informal office pools and has grown into a huge betting industry. Sports betting has become legal in many states, and has grown the scope of betting activities.

In the early years of March Madness, betting was informal. Betting involved filling out March Madness bracket betting to determine the result of the tournament. There was generally no monetary betting, but rather pool prizes for the winners of the bets.

Since 2018, when sports betting became legal, it has seen the industry surge, and more and more people are learning how to bet on March Madness excitement.

Significant Upsets in The Past

March Madness is known for great upsets. This has seen low-seeded teams defeat the favorites who were heavily fancied. It has caused great upsets among many bettors and in betting circles. These significant events show the unpredictability of the tournament and any sports betting in general.

One of the most memorable upsets in March Madness history came in 2018. This is when the University of Maryland Baltimore Country beat Virginia, who were tournament favorites and seeded first. This saw a 16-seed beat a 1-seed for the first time ever. Many bettors experienced huge losses from this upset.

Upsets such as the one above play a huge impact on March Madness betting trends. This serves as a great reminder that the tournament and betting on it is very unpredictable. It leads to bettors placing bets more carefully and thoughtfully now. They will look for safer betting options or look for potential upsets that they can bet on which will offer higher odds.

As the years have gone by, it has seen bettors become more knowledgeable, and there are many more resources available that they did not have in the past. With more statistics and data available, bettors are able to take a more statistical or data driven approach to their betting.

Many bettors now rely on statistics and metrics to make more informed decisions, rather than simple factors like performance or reputation.

Another factor that has changed the way in which bettors bet on March Madness is the availability of live betting. It allows bettors to place bets while the game is being played, you can base your bets on the current performance and momentum of the game.

Another trend that has broken out in recent years is the March Madness sleeper picks. Sports bettors need to start looking at which sleepers may be in the limelight.

As time starts ticking down on the tournament, you will be hit with numerous March Madness betting trends. Most of these NCAA tournament trends are of no use at all, and you need to know how to distinguish between the good ones and those that are not great. You can also bet on who will be the March Madness MVP!

However, not all betting trends are useless. In this next section, we will have a look at a few trusted March Madness betting trends to know.

Coaches and Experience

One constant in March Madness involves the coaches. All coaches have systems they use to recruit players who fit their needs. So, each year, the same player might not be wearing the jersey, but the same skills and styles are looked for by coaches.

Adjusted Defensive Efficiency

Ken Pomeroy was made this betting trend; “one to watch”. It is known as the adjusted defensive efficiency. This trend is – “points allowed per 100 possessions x national average efficiency, divided by the opponent’s offensive efficiency.” It is a great stat that involves the Final Four.

Since 2012 March Madness, just three final four teams have ranked outside of the top 40 in adjusted defensive efficiency for that season. Of those 40, 17 ranked in the top 10 and 9 in the top 3. This is something to keep in mind when you are using a March Madness betting strategy.

No 5 versus No 12 Seeds

The “number 5 VS number 12” March Madness betting trend is worth a try. This trend has proven to benefit those betting on the number 12 seed. We are not saying you should just bet on the number 12 seed, but take it with a lot of consideration and treat it with some respect.

So, we have discussed a few popular March Madness trends that we recommend, but there are many we suggest you do not follow. Let’s have a look at a few of these below.

Seed vs Seed Trends

So, we did recommend the “number 5 VS number 12” trend, because it has held up and proven itself over the last 10 March Madness tournaments. But sports bettors should not pay too much attention to other seed vs seed trends. College football has proven to not be very consistent, so you should not base your bet based on the selection committee’s seeding structure.

Conference Trends

Certain years in the NCAA tournament will have stronger historical records. But all teams, players, spreads and opponents will vary from year to year. The strength of the conference will be different each year. You cannot rely on conference trends to make informed decisions when betting on the March Madness event.

Point Spread and Over/Under Trends

You will find many trends around the point spread and over/under totals. It is best to take these with a pinch of salt. As we have said, things are ever changing and very unpredictable when it comes to the March Madness tournament. You cannot rely on point spreads and over/under totals from the past when making informed bets.

By joining any of the licensed, and reputable online sportsbooks available, you can incorporate your March Madness betting trends into your wagers. Make sure you have done your research and the sportsbook offers great bonuses and a variety of payment methods to choose from. Joining a sportsbook is quick and easy, and in no time you will be enjoying all the March Madness excitement.

  1. Choose a reputable sportsbook that offers March Madness Betting.
  2. Register for an account by providing all the information they require from you.
  3. Claim any bonus offered by using the sportsbook promo codes available.
  4. Head to the March Madness tab and be met by all the awesome betting opportunities that are available.
  5. Use your NCAA tournament betting trends along with your own research and make informed bets of your choice.
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If you want to judge how successful March Madness Betting Trends are, take a look at the people setting the odds for the tournament – the sportsbooks. If you ask an oddsmaker if they are considering the past, their answer will more than likely be “definitely not”. The players and the skill level differ each year, so using past trends does not really help at all.

The oddsmaker will determine their odds based on the current season of play and the form of players, not historical data that involved completely different teams and players.

The answer to this question in the greater scheme of things is, yes. Most US states have now legalized online sports betting. So, if you are of legal age and find yourself in one of the states where March Madness betting is legal, you are good to go. Here is a list of states where it is legal:

  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Florida
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Kansas
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Mississippi
  • Montana
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • Ohio
  • Oklahoma
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • Tennessee
  • Vermont
  • Virginia
  • Washington
  • Washington, D.C.
  • West Virginia
  • Wisconsin
  • Wyoming

Make sure you join a reputable sportsbook. Do your background research, read customer reviews, and check the licensing and credibility of the site before you dive straight in. By joining a site that is not credible can lead to a huge disaster, and you could end up losing a lot of money.

While March Madness betting trends can be a useful tool to incorporate into your sports betting, you should not base your NCAA tournament bets solely based on past trends. Do your research properly. Have a look at the current season, players, and performance, and base your bets on everything combined.

After reading this guide, you should have a better understanding of the March Madness betting trends. You should be able to incorporate this information into your NCAA tournament betting and hope that everything works in your favor.

FAQs

What is March Madness?

March Madness is a name that has been given to the ever popular college basketball NCAA tournament. It is played in March, running into April each year, and the winner will be crowned National Champions.

March Madness betting trends involve reading and analyzing results and odds from previous years in order to make your bets now.

The best March Madness betting trends would be, coach experience, adjusted defensive efficiency, and the No.5 vs N0.12 seeds.

What is the best round in March Madness?

The first round of March Madness betting is filled with excitement and involves the popular trend of the 12th seed defeating the 5th seed.

March Madness betting trends to stay clear of include seed vs. seed trends, conference trends, point spread and over/under trends.

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