The 2023 NCAA Tournament gets underway this week with the First Four play-in games taking place Tuesday and Wednesday (March 14th and 15th), before the first round tournament games get underway on Thursday, March 16th. March Madness is one of the most bet on sporting events in the United States every year. This is especially true in North Carolina, which generally has several schools in the tournament, and often two of the tournament favorites in Duke and UNC.
This year Duke enters the tournament as a #5 seed, while North Carolina failed to reach the tournament after a 20-13 season. UNC became the first team in history to start the season as the #1 ranked team in the country and miss the NCAA tournament since the tournament expanded in 1985.
On this page I will recommend our top rated betting site for Americans, touch on the legalities of sports betting in North Carolina, look at some odds and betting options for March Madness 2023, and finish up with a simple 3 step guide you can follow to quickly get your March Madness bets placed online.
Best Betting Site for Americans
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BetOnline.ag is our top rated betting site for Americans, including North Carolina residents.
BetOnline is a trusted and popular online betting site that has served the United States betting market for many years. They are focused on the USA market and this shines through in their customer service, deposit/withdrawal options, promotions and bet offerings.
Sports Betting in North Carolina
In 2019 the North Carolina Governor signed a bill allowing sports and horse race wagering on tribal lands. Two Harrah’s tribal casinos located in the far western part of the state were granted licenses to offer sports betting on-site at their locations. These two retail sportsbooks launched in March of 2021. A third tribal casino, Catawba Two Kings, started to offer sports betting in September of 2022.
Outside of these three tribal sportsbook it is not legal to operate a sportsbook in the state of North Carolina.
That said, if you are a North Carolina resident looking to bet on March Madness this year, you can do so by betting with an online betting site, such as BetOnline.ag, that is licensed and regulated outside of the USA.
A 2022 online sports betting bill failed, so it will now be 2024 at the earliest that regulated online sports betting comes to North Carolina. Check out our North Carolina sports betting page for a further breakdown of betting in the state.
March Madness Betting Options
One of the most popular bets to make during March Madness is simply wagering on which team will win the tournament. Let’s take a look at the NCAA Championship odds (taken on March 14th) and then I’ll get into a few of the common bets you can make on each March Madness game.
These are the 11 teams with an 18/1 or better chance of winning the tournament. You can see that Duke is a contender at odds of 18/1. You can see the up to date odds at BetOnline.ag by opening the ‘Basketball’ drop down menu and selecting ‘NCAAM Futures’.
Here’s a screenshot of what the typical odds for an NCAA basketball game would look like during the tournament. I’m using Duke’s first round game in the example:
- Spread – In this example Duke is a 6.5 point favorite vs Oral Roberts (indicated by the -6.5). The Blue Devils must win by 7 or more for Duke spread bets to win. Oral Roberts must win outright or lose by 6 or fewer.
- To Win – The win odds are in the middle in the screenshot above. With this bet you are simply wagering on which team will win the game, and each teams perceived chances are factored into the odds, which determine your risk vs reward. A $275 bet on Duke would win $100, while a $100 bet on Oral Roberts would win $230.
- Over/Under – The oddsmaker sets a total for the amount of points that will be scored by both teams in the game. You can wager on whether the total points will be over or under this set number.
Bet On March Madness In North Carolina – How To Guide
Follow these three steps to get your March Madness bets placed online.
Step 1. Join BetOnline.ag
Click the above link and fill out the form on the home page to open your account.
BetOnline is our top rated betting site for all Americans.
Step 2. Deposit
Log into your new account and click on the ‘Deposit’ button. Select your preferred deposit method (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc) and follow the instructions to complete your deposit.
You can cash out your winnings via check by mail or bank wire in addition to most of the deposit methods listed above.
Step 3. Place Your March Madness Bets!
It’s time to place your bets on the NCAA Tournament!
- Click on ‘Sports’ from the top menu bar at BetOnline.ag.
- Open the ‘Basketball’ drop down menu and select ‘NCAA’. **If you’re looking for futures click ‘NCAAM Futures’.
- Select the bet(s) you want to make and enter your risk amount on the Bet Slip.
- Click ‘Place Bet’ to lock in your bet.
It’s that easy. Ready to bet? Click here to visit BetOnline.ag.
March Madness Betting • March Madness North Carolina • Sports Betting North Carolina