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Associated Press
10-04-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Betting was up in men's NCAA Tournament and during women's basketball season
LAS VEGAS (AP) — In a men's NCAA Tournament in which upsets were unusual and a women's field sans Caitlin Clark, betting nevertheless was up on both sides this year at BetMGM Sportsbook and Caesars Sportsbook. BetMGM saw an 18% increase on a men's side in which all four No. 1 seeds made the Final Four for the first time since 2008. That made for three competitive games Saturday and Monday that culminated in Florida's heart-pounding 65-63 victory over Houston for the Gators' third championship. They went back-to-back in 2006-07. Plenty of fans put their money on the Gators, who were second to Duke at BetMGM in terms of money bet and number of tickets. The Blue Devils, like Houston in the title game, lost a double-digit lead to the Cougars in the semifinals and fell 70-67. 'Duke losing was key, as 30 of the 50 largest futures wagers on the champion were on Duke,' BetMGM trading manager Seamus Magee said. 'Florida had the second-highest handle, so many fans were happy to see the Gators chomping down the nets.' Caesars college basketball head Rich Zanco called betting at his sportsbook 'robust.' 'All No. 1 seeds advancing to the Final Four aided in that, and there were intriguing matchups throughout the tournament,' Zanco said. 'For example, Rick Pitino and St. John's versus John Calipari and the Arkansas Razorbacks. The tournament didn't provide many glaring upsets as in years past, but sometimes the cream rises to the top.' There wasn't as much drama in the women's Final Four, though the only No. 2 seed among the eight in both fields emerged victorious. UConn rolled to a 82-59 victory over defending champion South Carolina for the Huskies' 12th national title but first since 2016. The Huskies were led by star Paige Bueckers, who along with Southern California's JuJu Watkins became the faces of women's college basketball this season, following in the path of Clark and Angel Reese, who are now starring in the WNBA. Betting on the women's side was up 10% this season at BetMGM. The highest percentage of tickets were on the Huskies, who were second in terms of money bet. 'This season, we saw the lasting impact of Caitlin Clark driving significant interest in sports betting on women's college basketball,' BetMGM sports trader Hannah Luther said. 'Some presumed that with its biggest star departing for the pros, the numbers might decline this season. The opposite turned out to be true ... .' Zanco agreed.
Fox Sports
08-04-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
2025 March Madness betting recap: Florida winning was 'fantastic' for futures market
A week into April, the March Madness odds market finally settled up. Unfortunately, it was a rather unfulfilling finish, with the basketball literally bouncing on the floor as the clock ran out. It would've been nice to see Houston at least get off a shot. A game-winning 3-pointer. A 2-pointer that tied it, sending the game to overtime. A miss that cements the outcome. But alas, nothing, giving Florida a 65-63 victory and the national title. Let's spin through a quick championship game recap, including oddsmakers' reactions, how the bettors did, and a look at 2025-26 March Madness title odds. Agonizing Ending As Monday's game tipped off, Florida closed as a 1-point favorite at most sportsbooks, including Caesars Sports. With 19 seconds remaining, the Gators led 65-63, and Houston had the ball. But the Cougars never got off another shot on a discombobulated final possession. So Florida won and barely covered. Caesars Sports, among others, was just fine with that result, not only due to the game outcome, but to how these two teams were bet in championship futures all season. "Florida winning at the end was a fantastic result in the futures market. It was probably one of the top-five results that had a legitimate shot," Caesars head of basketball trading Rich Zanco said. The Gators trailed 42-30 with 16:24 remaining but rallied to tie it at 48 with 7:54 left. It was nip-and-tuck from there. "That was kind of Florida's M.O. at times during the Tournament: falling behind and clawing its way back into games," Zanco said. The final score falling well short of the 141-point total helped bookmakers, as well. The public betting masses, per usual, were betting the Over. But neither team shot well all night. The only way the Over was hitting was if the game went to overtime. Which it could've, if Houston had just gotten off a shot in the waning seconds. Could've Been Better BetMGM Nevada, with its array of sportsbooks up and down the Las Vegas Strip, wanted a Houston victory on Monday night. But much like Caesars, both teams represented good title outcomes, particularly after Houston eliminated Duke in the Final Four. The Blue Devils were the major liability. As BetMGM Nevada's Scott Shelton noted pregame on Monday. "We win on both teams, but we win a lot more on a Houston championship." A prescient Caesars customer would've won a lot more on Houston, too. Back in June, the bettor put $10,000 on the Cougars +2200 to win the title. Those final few seconds had to be particularly agonizing for that customer, who came up three points short of winning $220,000. Gators Gains Last April, Florida could've been had at +6000 (60/1) or more to win the NCAA Tournament. In December, you still could've gotten the Gators at +5000. By early March, Florida was among the March Madness favorites, with odds in the +900 range. Bettors jumped on Florida at all those junctures. In fact, the largest reported bet on the Gators was one of the latest arrivals. In early March, a BetMGM customer put $100,000 on Florida +900 to win it all. Monday night, that bettor pocketed $900,000 in profit, for a $1 million total payout. During the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Caesars Sports took a $100,000 bet on Florida +340. So that bettor netted $340,000 (total payout $440,000) with the Gators' victory on Monday. But it's not always about big bets and massive payouts. There's something to be said for bettors who recognized early on that Florida was a championship-caliber team. One sharp bettor, who asked not to be identified, put a modest $220 on Florida +5000 in December. Monday night, that bettor cashed out for $11,000 in profit. That's tremendous ROI, far greater than that of the high-roller types who made those $100,000 bets. Ditto for a Hard Rock Bet customer who got $250 down on Florida when the Gators were +6100. That wager netted a tidy profit of $15,250. Barstool Bets Dave Portnoy, owner of Barstool Sports, saw two of his futures parlays get off to good starts on Monday night on wagers he'd forgotten he made at DraftKings Sportsbook. On March 11, Portnoy put $30,000 on a two-leg parlay of Florida to win the NCAA title and the Indiana Fever to win the WNBA crown. At odds of +3900, that ticket profits $1.170 million (total payout $1.2 million) if Caitlin Clark and the Fever can finish off what Florida started. Then, on March 20, Portnoy wagered $25,000 on a three-leg futures parlay of Florida to win March Madness, the Boston Celtics to win the NBA title and the Fever to take the WNBA championship. Odds on that ticket are +7700. So Portnoy is a third of the way to a $1.925 million win (total payout $1.95 million). DraftKings is already offering a $108,000 cashout on that wager, though Portnoy is surely going to let it ride. The Celtics are currently DraftKings' No. 2 choice to win the NBA title at +215, just behind the Oklahoma City Thunder (+165). The Fever are the +400 fourth choice to win the WNBA Finals, behind only the New York Liberty (+220), Las Vegas Aces (+330) and Minnesota Lynx (+400). Looking Ahead No surprise, oddsmakers wasted no time putting up 2026 March Madness championship odds. Duke is the +1000 favorite, surely hoping Player of the Year Cooper Flagg returns for his sophomore season. So a $100 Blue Devils bet right now would profit $1,000 (total payout $1,100) if Duke cuts down the nets. After an agonizing end to the 2024-25 season, Houston is the +1200 second choice to win it all next season. UConn is the +1400 third choice, and perhaps surprisingly, BYU is the +1600 fourth choice. Purdue rounds out the top five teams at +1800. Patrick Everson is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and senior reporter for He is a distinguished journalist in the national sports betting space. He's based in Las Vegas, where he enjoys golfing in 110-degree heat. Follow him on Twitter: @PatrickE_Vegas. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from College Basketball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Fox Sports
03-04-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
2025 March Madness betting report: 'We haven't had a 'dog bark in quite some time'
Final Four odds have no Cinderella story to tell. It's all No. 1 seeds, as Florida meets Auburn and Houston takes on Duke in Saturday's national semifinals. But oddsmakers are still looking for a storybook ending. In the case of Caesars Sports, that involves eliminating its liability on the current championship favorite. "We need Duke out of there. "Then we can take the oxygen mask off," said Rich Zanco, head of college basketball trading at Caesars. Zanco and sharp college basketball bettor Paul Stone serve up their insights on Final Four odds, as March Madness dives headlong into April. Duke Dollars Duke is 35-3 straight up (SU) and a solid 26-12 against the spread (ATS). The Blue Devils have won 15 consecutive games, going 11-4 ATS in that span. So it's no surprise to see Cooper Flagg & Co. as favorites vs. Houston (34-4 SU/20-17-1 ATS), in an 8:49 p.m. ET tip off on Saturday. It's worth noting the Cougars are on a 17-game winning streak, though they're not as good at covering the number, going 8-7-2 ATS in that stretch. Duke opened -4.5, quickly advanced to -5 on Sunday night and the line has since teetered between -5.5/-5 at Caesars. As of Thursday evening, the Blue Devils are 5-point favorites. "Obviously, there will be a flood of public money coming in on Duke. But there's nothing wrong with needing Houston in this game," Zanco said. "Sharper players and the more sophisticated bets may come in on the 'dog if it gets to Houston +6, which it might. "I assume somebody is gonna flash a 6 at some point, whether it's us or someone else." While Duke is seeing the bulk of straight point-spread bets at Caesars, straight moneyline play is leaning into Houston at +235. A $100 bet on a Cougars outright upset would profit $235 (total payout $335). However, as has been pointed out often the past two weeks, favorites are rolling through March Madness. Chalk went 12-0 SU in the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight and is 48-12 SU through 60 games overall. "To be honest, we haven't had a 'dog bark in quite some time," Zanco said, noting a Cougars cover might be helpful, but outright is far better. "We will need Houston in that game." March Madness Sharp Side Texas-based handicapper Paul Stone thinks points will be at a premium when Houston and Duke square off Saturday night. Houston ranks No. 1 in defensive efficiency and 360th in adjusted tempo, according to statistics guru Ken Pomeroy. The Cougars also lead the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 58.3 points per game. "Duke obviously poses a stiff challenge for Houston's defense," Stone said. "The Blue Devils average almost 84 points a game, and Cooper Flagg is a nightmare matchup for any team, with his ability to both score from the outside and go to the basket." Stone expects Houston to utilize J'Wan Roberts as Flagg's primary defender, but that a couple more 6-foot-8 types — Joseph Tugler and Ja'Vier Francis — will also get turns. "Flagg is going to get his points," Stone said. "But I think Houston will make him work for everything he gets." Stone said Houston's best path to potential victory is to slow the pace and play as physically as the officials will allow. "Houston is substantially improved offensively this season. But the Cougars can't get into a scoring match with Duke," he said. "The Cougars need to shorten the game and turn it into a rock fight, so to speak. I like this game to remain under the total of 136." SEC Showdown Saturday's first semifinal, at 6:09 p.m. ET, features familiar foes. SEC regular-season champ Auburn meets SEC Tournament champ Florida. These two teams met just once this season, on Feb. 8 at Auburn. The Gators were hefty 11-point underdogs and pulled the outright upset 90-81. This time around, Florida is favored, sitting at -2.5 most of this week, save for literally a few minutes on Sunday at -3. "There's a 3 out there right now at one or two other books. I'd suspect we'll probably be Florida -3 at some point," Zanco said on Wednesday. "We're seeing some Florida action, but they're betting Auburn, too. We'll probably need Auburn, but I don't know how much of a decision it'll be." Caesars Sports wouldn't mind either of these teams winning it all on Monday night. As Zanco noted above, a Duke championship is a loser for the book. Houston is good for Caesars, too, but just not as good. There's a $10,000 bet on Cougars +2200 to win the title, which would turn a $220,000 profit. "We do extremely well to Auburn in the futures pool, and extremely well to Florida," Zanco said, while noting all four No. 1 seeds could get the job done. "Any one of these teams could cut down the nets." Patrick Everson is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and senior reporter for He is a distinguished journalist in the national sports betting space. He's based in Las Vegas, where he enjoys golfing in 110-degree heat. Follow him on Twitter: @PatrickE_Vegas. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from College Basketball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Fox Sports
26-03-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
2025 Sweet 16 betting report: 'Outside of Arkansas, we need Duke out of there'
March Madness odds have only one double-digit seed among the Sweet 16. But that one team is proving popular to pull off at least one more upset and reach the Elite Eight. "There's a big ticket count on John Calipari and Arkansas. The public is buying into the SEC again," said Rich Zanco, Caesars Sports' head of college basketball trading. Zanco and sharp college basketball bettor Paul Stone serve up their insights on March Madness Sweet 16 odds, heading into the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. High on the Hogs In Round 1, No. 10 seed Arkansas was a 5.5-point underdog to No. 7 seed Kansas. The Razorbacks took down the traditional blue blood 79-72. Then came one of the shockers so far in March Madness. Facing No. 2 seed and legit title contender St. John's, Arkansas notched a 75-66 upset as a 7-point underdog. The betting public masses love a good Cinderella story in the NCAA Tournament. And Arkansas is now that story, heading into a Thursday night clash with No. 3 seed Texas Tech. No surprise, the Hogs are 'dogs once again, getting 5.5 points. But public bettors don't want the points, at least not yet. They want another outright upset. So they're playing Arkansas moneyline +200, which means a $100 bet profits $200 (total payout $300) if the Razorbacks win. "It's a 6/1 ticket count for Arkansas on the moneyline. Calipari already has a big win over Bill Self and a big win over Rick Pitino," Zanco said Wednesday afternoon. "We're gonna probably need the favorite." Arkansas isn't just a liability to win the game. There's also significant — and growing — championship futures liability. Before March Madness began, a Caesars customer put a $1,000 bet on Arkansas +50000 (500/1) to win the national championship. That bet alone would profit $500,000. And there are plenty more long-shot tickets on the Razorbacks, which can still be had for +15000 (150/1), if you're so inclined. So the point spread is not among Zanco's concerns for this 10:09 p.m. ET tip on Thursday. "We'll take Texas Tech just winning the game. That would be ideal," he said. March Madness Sharp Side Texas-based handicapper Paul Stone noted that No. 6 seed Ole Miss lived by the 3-pointer to upset Iowa State 91-78 and reach the Sweet 16. The Rebels, 5.5-point underdogs, went 11-for-19 from long distance. Ole Miss improved to 24-11 straight up (SU)/18-16-1 against the spread (ATS). The Rebels earned a Friday night date with No. 2 seed Michigan State (29-6 SU/24-10-1 ATS), in a 7:09 p.m. ET tipoff. The Spartans are 3.5-point favorites, and Stone doesn't anticipate more Rebels success from the 3-point line. "Ole Miss was 19 of 39 on 3-pointers in its opening two games in the NCAA Tournament," Stone said, adding in the Rebels' first-round win over North Carolina. "Michigan State, however, defends the 3-point line as well as anybody in the country. In fact, the Spartans lead the nation in opponent 3-point percentage at just 27.8%. So the Rebels have their work cut out for them." Stone also noted Michigan State is on a stout 10-1 SU and ATS run. "I think Michigan State has a good chance to emerge out of the South Region and earn a trip to San Antonio," Stone said. "I think the Spartans get the win and cover Friday against the Rebels." Dominant Duke No. 1 seed Duke looks every bit the part of a national championship favorite. The Blue Devils easily won and covered in Rounds 1 and 2, vs. No. 16 seed Mount St. Mary's and No. 9 seed Baylor, respectively. But Caesars Sports certainly wouldn't mind if Arizona, a 9-point underdog, found a formula to stop Cooper Flagg & Co. "Outside of Arkansas, we need Duke out of there," Zanco said, before addressing action on this 9:39 p.m. ET Thursday tip. "We did take a pretty sharp bet on the 'dog +9.5. Hopefully, the betting public will push this line up to Duke -10/-10.5. "We are seeing good action, and we are gonna need Arizona. And it's a big need, like all the Duke games." SEC Showdown Zanco said that, for the most part, Caesars Sports is still waiting for bettors to show interest in Friday's four games on the Sweet 16 odds board. "I'm actually surprised that there's not much action on the Friday slate. It's very tepid right now," Zanco said. "The only game really getting action is Kentucky-Tennessee." And there's been a lot of line movement, too. The No. 2 seed Vols opened as 5.5-point favorites and got as low as -3.5 on Monday. That number quickly rebounded to Tennessee -4/-4.5. "We took a substantial six-digit bet over the counter on Tennessee, laying the 4 points," Zanco said. "Tennessee has looked impressive. But people kind of cringe at Rick Barnes' name over the past few years." Indeed, since 2010, Barnes' teams are just 6-18 ATS in NCAA Tournament play. But Zanco anticipates enough Vols support that Caesars will be rooting for the third-seeded Wildcats. "There are some other big bets on Tennessee, as well. We're probably gonna need the 'dog," he said. That could prove a good need. Kentucky went 2-0 SU and ATS against Tennessee in the regular season. Then again, there's that cliché about how hard it is to beat a team three times in a season. We'll see how that holds up Friday night. Patrick Everson is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and senior reporter for He is a distinguished journalist in the national sports betting space. He's based in Las Vegas, where he enjoys golfing in 110-degree heat. Follow him on Twitter: @PatrickE_Vegas. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from College Basketball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Fox Sports
19-03-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
2025 March Madness title futures report: Florida would be 'nice result' for book
Florida is arguably the hottest team in the nation heading into the NCAA Tournament. That's helped the Gators get a lot of attention in March Madness championship odds. Long ago, savvy bettors could've gotten odds of +5000 (50/1) or longer on Florida, but not anymore. Several sportsbooks are definitely upside down on Florida, needing to avoid a Gators national title. But Caesars Sports is the exception to the rule. "We stayed ahead of Florida all year. We opened the Gators 30/1 and never crossed 40/1. But the cat's out of the bag now on that team," said Rich Zanco, head of college basketball trading at Caesars. Zanco serves up more of his insights on who the bettors want and who the book needs in the March Madness futures odds market. Great on Gators Zanco, a college basketball junkie along with being an oddsmaker, had a feeling Florida would be solid this season. Almost a year ago, after the 2024 Final Four, most sportsbooks opened the Gators +4000 or longer to win it all. If you shopped around, you could've gotten Florida at +6000 or longer. So a $100 bet could've profited $6,000. But as Zanco noted above, he opened at just +3000 and kept Florida at shorter odds than the market all season long. That strategy is going to pay off for Caesars, if the Gators go the distance. "Now, they're co-favorites, or close to it," Zanco said, alluding to Florida being the +380 second choice at Caesars, behind only Duke (+300). "Florida is quite a nice result for us. We do extremely well to Florida." Legitimate contenders Along with Florida, which is the No. 1 seed in the West Region, the other three No. 1 seeds are right there at the top of the NCAA Tournament oddsboard. As mentioned above, Duke is the favorite, then Florida, followed closely by Auburn (+475) and Houston (+600). Then there's a significant drop-off at Caesars, to fifth choice Alabama at +1800. Oddsmakers are big believers in the No. 1 seeds this year, and bettors are big believers in the favorite. "From legitimate contenders, we don't do well to Duke. But the Blue Devils' bracket is no bargain," Zanco said, noting Arizona, Baylor and Wisconsin as potential future foes in the East Region. Plus, there's the issue of Duke freshman standout Cooper Flagg's ankle injury. The Blue Devils will likely need Flagg back to make a deep run. Florida and Auburn are among a slew of 14 SEC teams in the Tournament, a record for one conference. The Gators and Tigers, along with Alabama and Tennessee (+2000) are legit contenders, as well, which is fine with Zanco. "We do well to the top SEC teams. We do extremely well to Tennessee and Alabama," he said, while pointing out that Houston — from the Big 12 — isn't damaging, but also isn't a good result. "We're like a break-even on Houston." Riding Dark Horses Beyond Duke, a handful of teams are problematic in Caesars' odds to win March Madness. The public betting masses are on a few dark horses to lift the trophy in San Antonio on April 7. "The bettors want Oregon, they want Memphis, and for some reason, they love John Calipari and Arkansas," Zanco said. "We also don't do well to Georgia. In more recent weeks, bettors are gravitating to Missouri and a little bit toward Kentucky — the SEC, once again." So, while Caesars would love a title from Florida, Auburn, 'Bama or Tennessee, the book would prefer that SEC brethren Missouri, Kentucky, Arkansas and Georgia stay out of the mix. Odds are that Zanco and the risk room don't have much to worry about. Kentucky has the shortest number of those four teams, at +5000. Then it drops way off to Missouri at +25000 (250/1), with Georgia and Arkansas both at +30000 (300/1), Beyond those teams, Zanco noted seeing sharp money on Illinois, which can still be had for +10000 (100/1). Additionally, there's been sharp and public play on red-hot St. John's, which is among that second tier of teams on Caesars' oddsboard at +3000. Patrick Everson is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and senior reporter for He is a distinguished journalist in the national sports betting space. He's based in Las Vegas, where he enjoys golfing in 110-degree heat. Follow him on Twitter: @PatrickE_Vegas. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from College Basketball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
