NCAA Betting Guide 2025

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a non-profit organization that regulates college sports in the United States and Canada.

Not only does the NCAA provide a safe environment for players, but it is also an exciting betting category for bettors.

In this article, you’ll find everything you need to know about NCAA betting.

The NCAA was founded to ensure safety in college sports and protect young athletes.

Currently, the NCAA has athletic programs at about 1,100 schools and awards scholarships to more than 500,000 college student-athletes.

The NCAA organization has three divisions:

• Division I: The largest and most competitive, with the best-funded programs for athletes.
• Division II: Focuses on regional competition, offering a good balance between sports and academics.
• Division III: It does not offer athletic scholarships, but prioritizes the student-athlete experience.

Among the most popular NCAA sports are soccer, basketball, baseball, soccer, track and field, volleyball, softball, ice hockey, and wrestling in its three divisions.

Each division offers different levels of competition, experience and championships to choose from in your sports betting.

College soccer is divided into FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) and FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) within Division I:

• FBS: This is the highest level of college soccer, with the most competitive and best-funded programs. FBS teams compete for national championships and to participate in the famous bowl games.
• FCS: Slightly below FBS in terms of competition and funding. Despite having fewer bowl game opportunities, FCS teams also compete for national championships.

March Madness is the annual NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament followed by millions of fans.

• The tournament includes 68 teams, a weekend known as the Final Four and the National Championship game.
• The NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament is similar, with 64 teams competing for the title, also with its own “Final Four” and National Championship.

NCAA ranking criteria vary by sport, but in most cases, the committee evaluates win-loss records, schedule difficulty, and overall performance.

The NCAA uses different classification criteria for each sport:

• AP Poll: A group of sportswriters selects the top 25 teams based on wins, schedule difficulty and overall performance.
• CFP (College Football Playoff) Rankings: A committee selects the top four teams for the playoffs based on wins, schedule difficulty, head-to-head results and whether the team is a conference champion.

• AP Poll: Similar to American soccer, the AP selects the top 25 teams in the men’s and women’s brackets based on performance, wins, and schedule difficulty.
• NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool): Evaluates men’s basketball teams based on game results, schedule difficulty, game location, point margin, and net offensive and defensive efficiency.

• Division Rankings: Conference standings and performance in regular season and postseason tournaments determine rankings in baseball, soccer, softball, volleyball and other sports.

The rankings clearly show a team’s performance before the game.

NCAA rankings, such as the AP Poll or CFP, highlight a team’s strengths and weaknesses.

Examine win-loss records, head-to-head matchups and schedule difficulty. Not ignoring previous rankings will help you make smarter betting decisions.

In most cases, higher-ranked teams are safer NCAA best bets.

The most notable update to the NCAA ranking system is the simplification of the NET.

Previously, the NET had five components. Now, only two remain:

• TVI (Team Value Index): Rewards teams for winning against strong opponents, especially in away games.
• Adjusted Net Efficiency: A metric that adjusts a team’s net efficiency based on opponents’ strength and the match’s location. It provides accurate measures of team performance.

Student-athletes play under a contract with strict regulations. Some of these regulations include:

• No one under contract may gamble.
• Sharing information that could influence the outcome of wagers is prohibited.
• The NCAA actively monitors online threats and tracks activities related to wagering.

All of these requirements, restrictions and dynamics influence NCAA betting outcomes and strategies.

NCAA student-athletes must meet academic requirements and demonstrate professionalism.

They must maintain a minimum grade point average (GPA), complete a specified number of courses, and avoid any form of professional sports-related payor contract.

The NCAA prohibits student-athletes, coaches and staff from participating in NCAA sports betting. Violations may include:

• Suspensions
• Loss of eligibility
• Expulsion from universities

The NCAA recently updated the rules regarding transfers between schools. Now, young athletes do not have to forfeit a season if they choose to transfer. The rule change gives student-athletes more flexibility in sports and freedom in their choice of study.

Internal NCAA information is unavailable to outsiders, so bettors must rely on public information about injuries, past statistics and team performance.

There are no leaks of inside information, which makes betting on college sports unpredictable and complicated.

Long sports seasons in college sports can cause teams to perform differently over time. During the season, players may face the following:

• Fatigue
• Injuries
• Academic responsibilities

All of these responsibilities and issues can affect play, which adds more complexity to wagering decisions.

There are different tournament formats, and they impact NCAA wagering in various ways:

• Straight elimination formats: ideal for high-stakes betting enthusiasts, as every game is either a win or the end of the tournament.
• Playoff formats: increase betting options during the tournament, as teams play multiple rounds.
• Round-robin formats: offer low-stakes NCAA championship bets opportunities, as a single game does not define the final outcome.

The CFP (College Football Playoff) is a system that decides which team is the national champion.

In the new CFP format, 12 teams compete instead of four, and the format includes:

• Automatic berths: Seven teams that did not win their bracket but are highly ranked will also have a playoff berth, giving bettors more opportunities to spot undervalued teams.
• At-large berths: Seven teams that did not win their bracket but ranked high will also have a playoff berth, giving bettors more opportunities to spot undervalued teams.
• Seeding: The four top-ranked teams will advance directly to the second round. Meanwhile, fifth- and twelfth-place teams will play in the first round. This format allows bettors to bet on stronger, rested teams in the final rounds.

There are several tournaments whose formats you should be aware of before betting:

• NCAA basketball tournaments use a single-elimination format.
• The baseball and softball World Series also follow a single-elimination format.
• Soccer and volleyball championships typically use a round-robin format, where players must face each other at least once.

Bettors should understand the unique structure, rankings, regulations and formats when betting on NCAA sports. Each sport and tournament format in the NCAA offers different opportunities and challenges for bettors.

NCAA betting is unpredictable, and relying on public data such as rankings, player statistics, and team history is necessary, as strict rules limit insider information.

Many bettors find the games’ unpredictability exciting. However, you can still make smart betting decisions using our NCAA bet tips and following recent changes to eligibility rules and tournament format.