What are college basketball futures bets and how do they work?
College basketball futures bets are one of the most common betting types out there, and there are often many promotions from sportsbooks that are centered around them at the beginning of the season.
These types of bets are long term wagers that are decided over a span of weeks, or months, as opposed to college basketball prop bets that settle over the course of a single match. Typically with these bets you are looking to predict major outcomes like the winners of the season, of major tournaments, as well as individual awards.
Bettors tend to like futures bets, especially for college basketball, for a lot of reasons. Not only is it just fun to make your calls right at the start of the season and to watch them pan out, but also these bets can also get you some great odds on favorites and sleeper teams in comparison to what you get for one-off games.
Popular types of futures bets in NCAA basketball
Now that you know what futures bets are in general, we can take a closer look at some of the more popular futures bets that people make when they are making predictions on NCAA basketball matches.
| Market | What it predicts |
| National champion | The outright winner of the NCAA tournament. |
| To make the Final Four | A team to win its regional bracket and reach the final weekend. |
| Regular-season win totals | Whether a team finishes over or under a projected win count before March. |
| Conference winners | Regular season standings winners or postseason conference tournament champions. |
| To reach the Sweet 16 | A team to win its first two tournament games. |
| To make the NCAA tournament | A bubble team or mid-major to secure a spot in March Madness. |
| Wooden / Naismith awards | An individual player to be voted national player of the year. |
The table above is just to give you an idea of some of the NCAA basketball futures markets that you can make wagers on. At the top betting sites, there are a lot of other futures markets available that could be more suited to your style. Hit our page banners to check out what some of these sites have as options.
Comparing futures against other markets
If you’ve already learnt how to bet on college basketball, but you’re only just giving futures a go for the first time, you can check out how it compares against some of the other popular betting types with the table below.
| Feature | Futures Bets | Standard Bets (Spread / Moneyline) | Live (In-Play) Bets | Parlays |
| Time to settle | Weeks to months | 2 to 3 hours (end of game) | Minutes to hours | When the final leg finishes |
| Main focus | Season-long roster depth, coaching, and tournament ceiling | Single-game matchups, injuries, and home-court advantage | Real-time momentum swings, foul trouble, and scoring runs | Combining multiple outcomes for a multiplier payout |
| Typical odds | High to extreme (3.00 to 100.00+) | Low to moderate (1.10 to 3.50) | Dynamic (1.20 to 5.00+) | Exponential (scales with number of legs) |
College basketball futures bets pros and cons
- Potential for longer odds
- Provides long term entertainment
- Offers flexibility to hedge positions
- Secure favorable odds before markets change
- Mid season roster changes
- Player injuries can impact active bets
Best strategies for college basketball futures bets
When it comes to talking about strategies for college basketball futures bets, there are many, and people all have their own opinion about the best one. Ultimately, there are no right answers, and it’s up to you to choose a strategy that you’re comfortable with.
That being said, we’ve thrown together some popular strategies that are used by casuals and sharps alike to give you a few options that you can think about.
🏀 Tip 1: Prioritize veteran guard play
College basketball is dominated by the team that controls the ball, which makes the guard arguably the most important position on the court. Over the course of an entire season, or in elimination tournaments like March Madness, it can be a good idea to back teams with experienced guards over younger NBA prospects. This is because they are generally more consistent, and avoid making errors in high pressure situations, and tend to avoid mid-season slumps.
📈 Tip 2: Ignore the AP Top 25 rankings and look at real team stats
Casual bettors often fall into the trap of listening to the AP Top 25, and making futures predictions based on them, but these rankings are typically based on opinion and hype, instead of actual data. The idea with this strategy is to find teams that are being overlooked, but have strong offensive and defensive stats, as these are more important over the longer term.
📉 Tip 3: ‘Buy the dip’ during early season slumps
Sometimes you’ll find that some of the biggest programs in the country can have slumps early on in the season. This may be because a coach is experimenting with roster, or giving younger players game time. Whatever the case, when a team loses, the sportsbook will adjust their futures odds in real time, which can give you a chance at scoring longer odds.
🚫 Tip 4: Don’t follow the public into betting on the big teams
Heavy college basketball public betting often results in most casuals betting on the biggest schools, even if the teams aren’t looking that great for the season. Because of this, sportsbooks will lower the odds on the big name teams. This can give you an opportunity to find teams that are just as good statistically, but because they don’t have such a large following, they receive longer odds.
💰 Tip 5: Hedge against any longshots that you made earlier in the season
If you ever find yourself in the position that one of your longshot futures bets made at the beginning of the season is making a deep run, you can hedge against them when they come up against other teams. This way, you’ll be able to guarantee a bit of profit no matter what happens in the game.
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Top sportsbooks for college basketball futures betting
If you’re liking how futures betting sounds, the next step is finding a sportsbook that supports this style. When we say that it suits this betting style, what we mean is that they offer a range of different futures markets that you can make predictions on, as well as competitive odds for those markets.
Another feature to look out for when you’re signing up to a new site is the bonuses that are available. If you’re planning on betting on futures markets, look for sites that offer generous promotions that can be used on the markets you’re looking for.
The sites that we’ve recommended below, in our opinion, are the best sportsbooks for online betting on college basketball for a bunch of reasons.
| Sportsbook | Futures-specific strengths | Key Feature | Standard Welcome Offer |
| FanDuel | Early line releases for national championship, Final Four, and conference races | Full live cash out on active futures tickets | New Users – Get $250 in Bonus Bets when you wager $5 for 5 days |
| DraftKings | Comprehensive conference coverage beyond just the Power leagues | Intuitive, high-performance iOS and Android betting app | New DraftKings Customer: SPEND $5, GET $200 IN BONUSES |
| BetMGM | Top-market odds on mid-major sleepers and underdog contenders | Edit My Bet” tool to swap picks or add legs on active slips | Up To $1500 in Bonus Bets Paid Back if your First Bet Does Not Win |
| Borgata | Strong baseline pricing on NCAA markets with regional focus | Crossover casino promotions and regular odds boosts | |
| Fanatics | Fair futures pricing paired with loyalty rewards | Earn up to 5% FanCash back on every wager for bets or gear | Get Up to $1,000 Matched in FanCash |
FanDuel Sportsbook: The gold standard for college basketball futures
FanDuel Pros & Cons
- Seamless integration of sportsbook and casino
- Diverse casino game selection
- Frequent promotions for both platforms
- User-friendly and responsive interface
- High playthrough requirements on bonuses
FanDuel is one of the biggest online sportsbooks in the country, and that’s likely because of their coverage of college basketball. This site has a huge range of markets that are available on NCAA regular seasons matches, as well as big tournaments like March Madness.
When it comes to talking about futures markets specifically, FanDuel has a lot of great features that make the experience so much better. Their ‘Cash Out Feature’ for active futures bets gives you the option to lock in any potential profit if one of your sleeper teams makes it deep into the season.
As well as that, Fanduel are known for posting early odds for National Championship winners, Final Four qualifiers, and regular-season conference champions across all major and mid-major leagues. This allows you to lock in predictions before other bettors start skewing the lines.
New customers at FanDuel can also claim a welcome offer where if you bet $5, you can get up to $1,000 in Bet Reset Tokens that are distributed as daily $200 bet resets over 5 consecutive days. The welcome offer will vary depending on where you are accessing the site from, so check the banners on this page to see what’s available in your state.
DraftKings Sportsbook: The best in the business for market variety
DraftKings Pros & Cons
- Extensive daily fantasy integration
- Frequent promotions and bonus offers
- Highly competitive betting odds
- Wide variety of casino games
- High rollover requirements on bonuses
If you’re a true college basketball fan, and you’re looking beyond what’s happening in the Power Conferences, then DraftKings is the site for you. They offer lines on just about every conference, so you know you won’t be able to miss out on any futures plays there.
As well as having great market variety, DraftKings are also known for having a great app that you can use to make all of your futures bets. The app is available for download on both iOS and Android. This app is also great for college basketball live betting, as you can quickly make bets on your phone as the odds are adjusted in real time.
DraftKings are also great for offering promotions that you can claim to bet on NCAA basketball. Depending on what state you are in, you can claim a welcome offer where you can receive $150 in bonuses after making a qualifying bet and deposit of $5. Plus, they have great promos running throughout the season that are specific to basketball.
BetMGM: Great value for conference races and March Madness sleepers
BetMGM Pros & Cons
- Wide variety of betting options
- User-friendly mobile app interface
- Generous promotions for new users
- Extensive selection of casino games
- Limited availability in some states
For those of you that like to back the underdog, you’ll be happy to hear that BetMGM has gained a reputation for giving the longest, most competitive odds on tier-2 national contenders and mid-major conference sleepers when compared to other major sportsbooks.
BetMGM also has a great ‘Edit My Bet’ feature that allows you to add legs, swap selections, or increase your stake on eligible active college basketball wagers without making you need to cancel your bet. This feature isn’t always available on every futures bet, but it is really useful when you’re able to use it, as you can react to new information as the season progresses.
New customers at BetMGM can claim a Bet $10, Get $150 in Bonus Bets promotion that is awarded if their qualifying bet wins.
Borgata Sportsbook: Everything you need for NCAA basketball betting
Borgata Pros & Cons
- Wide variety of casino games
- Integrated MGM Rewards loyalty program
- User-friendly app and website
- Trusted brand with strong reputation
- Limited availability in some states
Borgata may not be as well known as some of the other sportsbooks that we’ve discussed so far, but they have been making waves in the space with some extremely competitive odds on NCAA markets, as well as some generous promotions for new and existing customers.
After signing up at Borgata in selected states you can opt in for their Bet $20, Get $100 in Bonus Bets promotion that you receive after making your first qualifying wager. Existing customers can also expect to find some great NCAA-specific bonuses throughout the season that can get you boosted odds, parlay insurance, as well as crossover bonuses to the casino.
Fanatics Sportsbook: Get more with the Fanatics rewards system
Fanatics Pros & Cons
- Seamless integration with Fanatics ecosystem
- Innovative rewards tied to merchandise
- User-friendly and intuitive platform
- Competitive betting markets and odds
- Limited availability in some states
Fanatics has become extremely popular with punters across the US, as they bring a fresh approach to college basketball betting with a great mobile app and some standout perks that apply to college basketball futures betting. They are known for having some great odds on futures markets, but their crown jewel is their rewards system.
This program rewards you with up to 5% back in FanCash on every wager you make on the site. What’s great about this is that it doesn’t even matter if your qualifying bet wins or loses, and you can convert your FanCash into bonus bets. If you want, you can even use your FanCash to go towards authentic team jerseys and gear on the site.
New players can really take advantage of this program with their latest welcome offer, where Fanatics will give a 100% match of your first daily bet of -500 odds or longer, all the way up to $100 for 10 straight days. This can effectively unlock up to $1,000 in FanCash win or lose.
Try out college basketball futures betting at the best online sportsbooks
We hope that this article has given you all the information that you wanted to know about college basketball futures betting, so that you are well informed when you’re making your picks for the season. With futures bets, you can receive longer odds than you would for one-off games, and you can lock in better odds at the beginning of the season before mid season adjustments.
Don’t forget to click our page banners to see what promotions are available to you in your state when you’re looking to sign up at some of the best sportsbooks in the US, so you can get some bonus credits to use on this NCAA basketball season.
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College Basketball Futures FAQs
🕒 When is the best time to place college basketball futures bets?
Placing bets before the season offers the longest available odds, but it can also be a good idea to wager on top contenders during early season slumps to uncover valuable odds adjustments.
💵 Can you cash out an active college basketball futures bet?
Yes, sportsbooks like FanDuel and BetMGM often provide Cash Out features that allow you to take profits if your team makes a deep regular season or tournament run.
⚠️ What happens to a futures bet if a key player gets injured?
Futures wagers remain active regardless of mid-season injuries or roster changes, meaning sportsbooks will not refund your stake if a player gets hurt.
🔄 How are futures different from standard single-game bets?
Futures focus on long-term, multi-month outcomes like conference titles and tournament champions, where standard game spreads or moneylines are determined within a single match.
🏆 What is the most popular NCAA basketball futures market?
Predicting the outright National Champion of the NCAA March Madness tournament is the most common college basketball futures wager.
