The University of Kentucky’s blueblood status alone means college basketball is a big deal in Kentucky. However, there are seven other NCAA Division I college basketball programs in the state that have combined for over 160 NCAA tournament appearances.
That includes the Bellarmine Knights, Eastern Kentucky Colonels, Louisville Cardinals, Morehead State Eagles, Murray State Racers, Northern Kentucky Norse, and Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.
College basketball odds will be one of the premier betting markets at the best Kentucky online betting sites. Here’s a look at the college basketball betting lines available in Kentucky, how they’re set, and how you can make college basketball bets online.
Best KY sportsbooks for college basketball odds
DraftKings KY Sportsbook
DraftKings will bring more NCAA basketball betting options to Kentucky than any other sportsbook. That means the most live college basketball betting lines available and betting lines, futures, and props that also include:
- Spreads, moneylines, and totals
- First-half bets
- Player and team props
- National Championship and Final Four futures
DraftKings Sportsbook may have a higher vig than the competition, but its college basketball betting odds and lines are consistently competitive. Plus, it gives back some value with its free March Madness bracket contests and college basketball odds boosts.
See more: DraftKings Kentucky bonus codes
FanDuel KY Sportsbook
FanDuel has among the most competitive college basketball futures odds, including March Madness lines, conference lines and more. The college basketball game lines are almost as competitive as DK’s and include the following:
- Point spreads, moneylines, and over/unders
- First-half and second-half bets
- Player and team props
FanDuel Sportsbook may run more odds boosts and promos surrounding other sports, but there’s enormous value in the free March Madness contests it runs at tournament time every year.
See more: FanDuel Kentucky bonus codes
BetMGM KY Sportsbook
BetMGM promises to be competitive with the college basketball betting lines it will post in Kentucky. College basketball lines on the platform typically include spreads, moneylines, and totals, plus:
- Live betting lines
- Parlay betting
- Player and team props
BetMGM Sportsbook also promises to give away $10 million for the perfect NCAA tournament bracket. No one has been able to claim it, but BetMGM’s $10 Million Perfect Bracket Challenge contest still gives away $100,000 to the best bracket every year. Plus, there’s even more value in the college basketball promos, and odds boosts at BetMGM. There is more than enough at BetMGM to make up for the fact that it rarely has the best college basketball odds.
See more: BetMGM Kentucky bonus codes
Caesars KY Sportsbook
Caesars Sportsbook often offers the best college basketball betting lines in the country. These betting lines are usually a half-point better on the spread and give you a chance to win more and lay less on the moneyline. NCAA basketball betting lines at Caesars include:
- Spreads, moneylines, and totals
- Team and player props
- NCAA tournament winner futures
- Team regular-season win totals
- Conference winner futures
There are limited March Madness promos and odds boosts at Caesars and no traditional March Madness bracket contest. The value is, instead, in the college basketball betting lines.
See more: Caesars Kentucky bonus codes
How to bet on college basketball online in KY
Betting on college basketball online will be simple at the best NCAA basketball betting sites. You’ll have to sign up for an KY sports betting account, deposit, and fill out a bet slip. Here’s how:
- Take note of any promo or bonus code and click on any of the links to a licensed Kentucky online sportsbook on this page.
- Click on the ‘Sign Up‘ or ‘Register’ button on the sportsbook’s website, or download its mobile app through the device-specific download links on the website.
- Fill out the registration forms with all the required information, including the Kentucky sportsbook promo or bonus code you noted before.
- Accept all terms and conditions to complete the registration process.
- Click on the ‘Cashier’ button and make a deposit using the most convenient method for you, whether that is online banking, PayPal, or otherwise.
- Browse through the NCAA basketball betting odds and lines.
- Click on a line to create a bet slip with the latest odds.
- Fill out the bet slip to place your bet.
Who sets college basketball betting lines?
Oddsmakers, experts in college basketball and sports betting, set college basketball lines. Las Vegas sportsbooks or oddsmaking services usually employ them. Once these books and services post a betting line, other sportsbooks across the country will copy it.
Computer models and algorithms are used to set the lines with stunning accuracy. Team records, injuries, home court, historical data, and other performance-based stats are all taken into account.
Comparing Vegas college basketball odds vs. local odds
Vegas lines are the standard that most sportsbooks across the country follow. That’s why there will rarely be a difference between a Vegas college basketball line and the lines you’ll see in Kentucky.
When you find a difference, that usually means the sportsbook with the difference had more betting on one side of the line, forcing it to move the line. Sportsbooks are always trying to ensure an equal amount is bet on each side of a betting line. That way, they can realize the small profit built into the odds without sweating the actual outcome of the bet. They’ll go as far as moving a betting line or changing the odds to even things out.
The best time to bet on college basketball
College basketball teams release injury reports online around noon for games with an early evening tip-off. Smart bettors often wait for the reports and a reaction to that news from sportsbooks and the betting public.
Observing how the line moves might mean you’re waiting until right before tip-off, but you’ll be placing your bets with all that knowledge in hand.
Live college basketball betting lines
You’ll be able to bet on college basketball games in the middle of the action now that mobile sports betting apps have launched in the state. Most standard college basketball betting lines will be available during games at odds that change based on what’s happening on the court. Time, score, and momentum all impact these live odds, and the lines can change with every bucket or loss of possession.
Are college basketball betting lines the same everywhere?
Most college basketball betting lines are set in Vegas and copied by other sportsbooks.
That’s why they are practically the same everywhere you look. You will see a difference when one sportsbook sees more betting on one side of a line and is forced to move it. But only the sportsbook that experienced the discrepancy will move the line. Others should stay the same.
What are the key numbers/tipping points for NCAA basketball game lines?
College basketball scoring occurs in increments of one, two, and three points. Since most games are also decided by these numbers, one, two, and three are considered the key numbers in college basketball betting.
Whether a line hits or crosses one of these key numbers can tell you a little about betting on or against it. However, the small size of these key numbers means they tell you much less than, say, the key numbers of three and seven in football betting.
What is betting ‘against’ or ‘with’ the spread?
In point spread betting, going “against” the spread means you’re betting on the underdog and taking the cushion that the spread provides. Betting “with” the spread means you’re betting in the direction of the number—that is, on the favorite.
What is ‘consensus’ when it comes to college basketball betting lines?
When a majority of the betting public agrees, you have a consensus. When that leads to increased betting on one side of a line or the other, and sportsbooks move that line, you can take advantage. This is betting “against the public.” It means betting on what those ever-accurate oddsmakers originally thought about the contest—but at better odds or a more favorable line.
College basketball same game parlays
Sportsbooks now allow correlated plays in college basketball betting. These are called single game parlays (or SGPs) and involve combining different bets surrounding a single game into a parlay. You get better odds than you would betting on the different lines individually. But because the bets are correlated plays, the odds won’t be as great as on a parlay involving bets from different games. Just be mindful of contradictions in the different bets and avoid betting against yourself.
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