Most sports fans know the beauty that is ‘March Madness’. However, the college basketball season is far more than what happens in March. It’s one of the most wide-ranging sports seasons. The college basketball season features hundreds of teams at the Division 1 level playing from early November to early April.

Stake Sportsbook is one of the premier platforms for betting on college basketball games throughout the entire season from November to April. Of course, with so many teams and conferences to know, there is a lot to understand about college basketball before you start betting on it. Read on to learn more, or check out our NCAA Tournament Predictions , basketball betting guide , or general sports betting guide to help you make informed decisions when it comes to NCAA betting.

What is College Basketball (NCAAB)

College basketball is the highest level of amateur basketball. Of course, with players starting to receive compensation, the line between amateur and pro has been blurred in recent years. Nevertheless, many of the top college basketball players use it as a stepping stone to the NBA and other pro basketball leagues. Perhaps more importantly, college basketball is a beloved sport that rouses great passion from fans in support of their favorite team.

History of College Basketball

College basketball got its start in the 1930s. The first NCAA Division 1 championship was awarded in 1939, with Oregon defeating Ohio State in the national championship game. However, some programs date back to the late 19th century when they organized their own schedules without a formal championship.

In terms of championships, UCLA is the most successful program in college basketball history, winning 11 national titles. Kentucky is next with eight national championships, while North Carolina and UConn have both won six each. In terms of all-time wins, Kansas has the most with over 2,400 at the start of the 2024-25 season. The Jayhawks have played more seasons than almost every other program, although they also have the highest winning percentage in college basketball history. North Carolina, Kentucky, and Duke are all close behind, having won at least 2,300 total games at the start of the 2024-25 season.

Past Winners & Rankings

Outside of 2020, when the postseason was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a college basketball championship has been awarded every year since 1939. Here is a list of the most recent college basketball national champions and runners-up.

Year	Champion	Runner-Up
2015	Duke	Wisconsin
2016	Villanova	North Carolina
2017	North Carolina	Gonzaga
2018	Villanova	Michigan
2019	Virginia	Texas Tech
2020	N/A	N/A
2021	Baylor	Gonzaga
2022	Kansas	North Carolina
2023	UConn	San Diego State
2024	UConn	Purdue

2024/2025 College Basketball Schedule

The 2024-25 college basketball regular season began on November 4, 2024. Each team will play around 30 games before participating in its conference tournament. Conference tournaments conclude no later than March 16, 2025. That’s the same day the bracket for the NCAA Tournament is announced. The NCAA Tournament gets underway on March 18 and concludes with the national championship game on April 7.

When & Where is the 2024-2025 College Basketball Season Played?

Most college basketball games are played on campus with one team serving as the home team. However, many early-season tournaments and conference tournaments are held on neutral courts. The entire NCAA Tournament is played on a neutral court at designated tournament sites. The Final Four on April 5 and 7 will be played at the Alamodome in San Antonio. This will be the fifth time the Alamodome will host the Final Four.

How to Bet on College Basketball & Basketball Bet Types

Stake Sportsbook is a great place to find NCAAB odds on a wide variety of betting markets. This includes college basketball moneylines, college basketball point spreads, college basketball totals, and other game odds. Here is a closer look at the types of college basketball bets available at Stake:

Point Spread - Also known as a handicap bet , betting against the spread puts both teams on a level playing field because the favoured team must win by a certain margin. If not, the underdog can win the better despite losing the game.
Moneyline - A moneyline bet takes away the point spread and is a straight-up bet on the winner and loser of a game. However, the payout for betting on the favourite is less than the payout for betting on an underdog that wins.
Total - Also called an over/under bet, a total bet is only concerned with the total number of points scored in a game. The game odds will include a point total with bettors placing a wager on whether the total points will be higher or lower.
Parlay - With a parlay , multiple bets are packaged into one larger wager, which increases the potential payout. The only catch is that if just one bet in the parlay loses, the whole parlay loses.
Proposition Bets - Prop bets offer a wide range of markets that don’t relate to the outcome of the game but events within the game. This can include the number of points, assists, and rebounds a player has in a game, the total points of a specific team, and even if there will be overtime, among many other options.
Futures - This is a long-term bet that usually relates to the national champion, Final Four participants, or the winner of a specific conference

Live Stream Basketball Games & Live Betting Options

At Stake Sportsbook, you can watch live basketball games. This doesn’t require a special subscription or additional fees. All you have to do is ensure you're logged in to your verified Stake account and you will have access to a live stream of that game . That way, you can easily track your bets after you place them. Plus, by watching a game live, it’s much easier to make live bets on that game.

College Basketball Betting Odds & Payouts

There are unique college basketball odds and payouts for every game. It’s essential to weigh the odds of a bet, your stake, and the potential payout before finalising your wager. With college basketball, there are so many games and so many teams that it allows you to be more discerning and find bets that make the most sense to you.

Basketball Betting Tips, Picks & Strategies

Whether you bet on college basketball all season or only during March Madness, it’s best to have a specific strategy or system in mind. Many sports bettors imitate the Kelly Criterion Strategy or another system to help guide their picks. Of course, there are also a few tips specific to college basketball betting to keep in mind:

Try to focus on one or two conferences, at least in the beginning. With more than 350 teams, it’s hard to be familiar with all of them. Therefore, focus on the teams in a couple of conferences that you get to know better. You don’t always have to focus on the major conferences; you can also choose mid-major or smaller conferences like the Mountain West or Sun Belt.
Pay attention to a team’s strength of schedule, not just their record. The record of a college basketball team is sometimes misleading. Even if a team like the Duke Blue Devils has an impressive record, they may not have played a tough schedule, especially early in the season. Always weigh a team’s record against the strength of their schedule.
Look at factors that go beyond a team’s stats and key players. For instance, injuries often play a key role in games. Home-court advantage is also a huge factor in college basketball that can level the playing field. Finally, consider each team’s motivation for the game. If one team is more desperate for a win than the other, that can help elevate their performance.
Avoid betting on games if you have a rooting interest. It’s not always a good idea to bet on your favorite team because you may not be objective about their chances.

Stake VIP Club & Responsible Betting

Stake Sportsbook has always set out to be one of the best online sportsbooks in the industry. We do this in a variety of ways, including our selection of bonuses and promotions . This might include a reload bonus for making a deposit or more specific sportsbook promos that provide a profit boost on a specific wager.

Another focal point for Stake is our selection of deposit and withdrawal methods . We offer both traditional banking options and e-wallets for making deposits and withdrawals. Our customers can use platforms like Moonpay and Swapped while also conducting transactions with many cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin , TRX , SOL , EOS , BUSD , Tether , Ethereum , Doge , and Litecoin . Equally important, the Stake Vault ensures that all of your funds on the Stake platform are safe and secure.

At Stake, you also have the option of signing up for our VIP club . As a VIP member, you are eligible for a variety of benefits and rewards , including access to a dedicated VIP host . But even if you’re not a VIP member, Stake still cares about you having the best user experience possible. This is why we dedicate significant resources to customer support to address all questions and concerns as quickly as possible.

Last but not least, Stake is serious about promoting safe gambling habits . Sports betting is meant to be fun, and that means everyone should only bet within their means. This is why Stake offers several resources, most notably our Stake Smart guide, to make sure our customers have access to important information that will help them practice responsible betting.