Last week delivered a major turning point: the dream of a perfect bracket was officially shattered. When No. 6 Tennessee upset No. 4 Virginia in the tournament’s 44th game, the final remaining perfect brackets, once numbering in the tens of millions, were eliminated. It marked a defining moment that underscores the unpredictability and chaos that make March Madness so compelling.

With the field now narrowed and competition intensifying, bettors still have plenty of ways to get involved. Whether choosing game-by-game spreads, betting on futures, or exploring an array of player and team props, the action is far from over. As the tournament unfolds, strategic betting can transform the excitement of March Madness into real profit opportunities.

In the sections below, we’ll break down the key betting angles, odds, and strategies to help you make the most of the Sweet 16 and beyond.

Game line odds

One of the most popular and accessible ways to bet on March Madness is through game lines, which give bettors multiple angles to approach each matchup. These lines typically include three primary options: point spreads, moneylines (win bets), and totals (over/under). Each wager type comes with its own strategy and level of risk.

Point spread betting focuses on the margin of victory, requiring a team to win by a certain number of points, or stay within that margin if they’re the underdog. Moneyline bets are more straightforward, as you’re simply picking the outright winner of the game, though odds will vary depending on each team’s perceived strength. Totals betting, on the other hand, shifts the focus away from the winner entirely and instead challenges bettors to predict whether the combined score of both teams will go over or under a set number.

Below are the current game line odds from Bovada’s online sportsbook for the Sweet 16 matchups that are scheduled to be played on March 26th and 27th.

Texas (#11) vs. Purdue (#2) — Sweet 16

• Spread: Texas +7.0 (-110) / Purdue -7.0 (-110)
• Win: Texas +255 / Purdue -310
• Total: O149.5 (-105) / U149.5 (-115)

Iowa (#9) vs. Nebraska (#4) — Sweet 16

• Spread: Iowa +2.0 (-110) / Nebraska -2.0 (-110)
• Win: Iowa +110 / Nebraska -130
• Total: O134.5 (-110) / U134.5 (-110)

Arkansas (#4) vs. Arizona (#1) — Sweet 16

• Spread: Arkansas +8.0 (-115) / Arizona -8.0 (-105)
• Win: Arkansas +290 / Arizona -380
• Total: O168.5 (-105) / U168.5 (-115)

Illinois (#3) vs. Houston (#2) — Sweet 16

• Spread: Illinois +3.5 (-110) / Houston -3.5 (-110)
• Win: Illinois +145 / Houston -170
• Total: O140.0 (-110) / U140.0 (-110)

St. John’s (#5) vs. Duke (#1) — Sweet 16

• Spread: St. John’s +6.5 (-110) / Duke -6.5 (-110)
• Win: St. John’s +225 / Duke -275
• Total: O141.5 (-110) / U141.5 (-110)

Alabama (#4) vs. Michigan (#1) — Sweet 16

• Spread: Alabama +10.0 (-110) / Michigan -10.0 (-110)
• Win: Alabama +400 / Michigan -575
• Total: O174.0 (-110) / U174.0 (-110)

Michigan State (#3) vs. Connecticut (#2) — Sweet 16

• Spread: Michigan State +2.0 (-115) / UConn -2.0 (-105)
• Win: Michigan State +110 / UConn -130
• Total: O136.5 (-110) / U136.5 (-110)

Tennessee (#6) vs. Iowa State (#2) — Sweet 16

• Spread: Tennessee +4.0 (-110) / Iowa State -4.0 (-110)
• Win: Tennessee +160 / Iowa State -185
• Total: O139.0 (-110) / U139.0 (-110)

Futures Offer Bigger Payouts And Higher Risks

While game lines provide immediate results and quick payouts, futures bets require patience but often come with significantly larger rewards. Futures wagers are placed on outcomes that won’t be decided until later in the tournament—such as picking the team that will win the national championship, reach the Final Four, or even advance to a specific round.

Because these bets are made in advance and carry more uncertainty, sportsbooks typically offer higher odds, which can translate into bigger payouts for bettors willing to wait. This makes futures especially appealing for those who can identify undervalued teams early or anticipate momentum shifts as the tournament progresses.

Below are some of the futures available online with the sportsbooks we recommend at sportsbetting18.com.

National Champion

• Michigan (#1) +310
• Arizona (#1) +360
• Duke (#1) +400
• Houston (#2) +700
• Purdue (#2) +1300
• Illinois (#3) +1500

To Make the Final Four – East Region Winner

• Duke (#1) -110
• Connecticut (#2) +425
• St. John’s (#5) +425
• Michigan State (#3) +475

Sources:

• Bovada odds
• March Madness Bracket

Since this season’s games have performed so well on ESPN and ESPN2, new broadcast contracts for higher values are expected when the current deal expires at the end of 2025.

When that happens, WNBA players and coaches can expect weighty increases in salaries.

Clark is an overwhelming favorite to become the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year for 2024. Each of the sites included in our 18+ sportsbook reviews features Clark with an 800+ point lead or higher over Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky.

WNBA Rookie of the Year Odds

• Caitlin Clark (IND) -750
• Angel Reese (CHI) +300
• Kamilla Cardoso (CHI) +20000
• Rickea Jackson (LAS) +25000
• Aaliyah Edwards (WAS) +20000
• Kate Martin (LVA) +25000
• Marquesha Davis (NYL) +25000
• Alissa Pili (MIN) +25000
• Leïla Lacan (CON) +25000
• Jacy Sheldon (DAL) +20000

None of the other rookies are even close, and some of our top sportsbooks only feature Clark and Reese in their WNBA ROY futures.

Here are some Caitlin Clark highlights from her last game against the Minnesota Lynx.

another solid performance from Caitlin Clark 🙌

17 PTS | 6 AST | 3 REB | 2 STL pic.twitter.com/zKfUqzN1CF

— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) July 15, 2024

The Fever currently have a record of 11-14 and have won their last two games in a row. That’s good for seventh overall in the league and third in the Eastern Conference.

WNBA prop bets for the Fever have set the over/under for their total season wins at 16.5, with the odds favoring the over. With fifteen games remaining on the schedule, we like the over.

Indiana Fever – 2024 Regular Season Wins

• Over 16.5 -160
• Under 16.5 +125

The top eight teams make it to the WNBA Playoffs, regardless of which conference they belong to. The Fever would make it as a seven-seed if the season ended today, and the current WNBA futures rank them eighth overall.

The cutoff line for last year’s postseason was 18 wins.

The Las Vegas Aces have won the last two WNBA Finals in a row and are the top odds-getters for this year’s Championship. The Connecticut Sun are ranked second in the league at 18-5 and are a good value bet at +850.

WNBA Championship Odds For 2024

• Las Vegas Aces +145
• New York Liberty +175
• Seattle Storm +800
• Minnesota Lynx +850
• Connecticut Sun +950
• Phoenix Mercury +2500
• Chicago Sky +10000
• Indiana Fever +10000
• Atlanta Dream +50000
• Dallas Wings +50000
• Los Angeles Sparks +80000
• Washington Mystics +80000

The Indiana Fever’s odds to win it all seem appropriate based on where they’re at right now, but they could be worthy of a low-dollar wager due to their potential to heat up in the playoffs with Clark on the roster.

Will the Fever bring a title back home to Indiana in Clark’s first year? It is not likely, but the odds will pay at 10-to-1 to those who bet now.

The Fever finished with 13 wins in 2023, so Clark’s value to the team is already unquestionable. What is in question is whether she’s the most valuable player in the league, as 18-friendly sports betting sites rate her as seventh in their current MVP odds.

2024 WNBA Regular Season MVP Odds

• A’ja Wilson (LVA) -4000
• Alyssa Thomas (CON) +9000
• Breanna Stewart (NYL) +15000
• Sabrina Ionescu (NYL) +9000
• Jonquel Jones (NYL) +15000
• Kahleah Copper (PHX) +25000
• Caitlin Clark (IND) +15000
• Jackie Young (LVA) +25000
• Nneka Ogwumike (SEA) +25000
• Jewell Loyd (SEA) +25000
• Kelsey Plum (LVA) +25000
• DeWanna Bonner (CON) +25000
• Arike Ogunbowale (DAL) +20000
• Aliyah Boston (IND) +25000
• Angel Reese (CHI) +25000

These rankings have less to do with a slight directed at Clark than they do with her rookie status. Unless a first-year player dominates at a level well above the remainder of the league and has their team at the top of the standings, Rookie of the Year honors are the best they can hope for.

Bovada Sportsbook (Bovada Review) | Current WNBA Standings | Sportsnaut

For the first three games of the series, the Golden State Warriors – despite losing Game 1 to the Boston Celtics – have been the favorites in each contest.

They’d also been favored to win the 2022 NBA championship outright, with the most popular betting line suggesting that the Finals would conclude in six games.

But after Boston handily won Game 3 – and after Steph Curry went out in the fourth quarter of that contest with an apparent foot injury (his Game 4 status is currently TBA), basketball betting fans now have Boston as the clear favorite.

Here are the current NBA Finals odds at all the most trusted sports betting sites we recommend:

2022 NBA Finals Game 4 Odds

Bovada NBA Odds:

• Straight: Warriors +145, Celtics -170
• Spread: Celtics -4.0
• Over/Under: 214.5

BetOnline NBA Odds:

• Straight: Warriors +148, Celtics -168
• Spread: Celtics -4.0
• Over/Under: 214.5

MyBookie NBA Odds:

• Straight: Warriors +140, Celtics -170
• Spread: Celtics -4.0
• Over/Under: 214.5

SportsBetting AG NBA Odds:

• Straight: Warriors +148, Celtics -168
• Spread: Celtics -4.0
• Over/Under: 214.5

Xbet NBA Odds:

• Straight: Warriors +140, Celtics -170
• Spread: Celtics -4.0
• Over/Under: 214.5

The overall series odds – which, before Game 1, had the Warriors at -144 and the Celtics at +124 – are now almost completely reversed.

At most 18+ NBA sportsbooks, the Celtics are sitting at about -220 to win the 2022 NBA championship, while the Warriors are sitting at roughly +180.

The outliers – courtesy of sister sites MyBookie and Xbet – have the Celts at -125 and the Dubs at +103.

As such, if you want to maximize your NBA series prices wager and think Boston’s going to win, placing your bet at MyBookie or Xbet pays out substantially more that the other major books.

On the other hand, if you think the Warriors are going to pull off the upset, Bovada, BetOnline, or SportsBetting.AG are the better choices.

For all other wagers related to the Finals generally or Game 4 specifically (i.e. NBA player props, NBA team props, and so on), line shopping doesn’t appear to be all that important.

Bettors across all the major sites tend to agree on just about everything, with very little payout variance for any single basketball bet.

This stands in stark contrast to the dramatically different numbers we saw when comparing each sportsbook’s 2022 NBA Playoffs odds, and it suggests that the Warriors alleged return to glory after the Kevin Durant era might have been declared a bit prematurely by the mainstream sports media.

In the end, the bettors always know best.

As crowds make their way back to the sidelines, fans will notice several different occurrences since last year’s NBA bubble title, including actual fans in the stands, fewer players out due to the virus, and more betting options than ever before. 

*NBA 2020 Season, with virtual fans

With the end of the season near, 18+ NBA betting sites have ramped up their game and hit the court hard with multiple ways to bet on the action. Some of the most popular betting options are the following:

Futures

NBA futures are betting lines that offer odds on something that will take place in the near future. For instance, basketball’s most popular future odds are “who will win the NBA Championship” or “Who will be the Finals MVP.” Below are some of the current future odds from Bovada’s online sportsbook.

2021 NBA Champion Odds:

• Brooklyn Nets +215
• Los Angeles Lakers +500
• L.A. Clippers +750
• Philadelphia 76ers +750
• Utah Jazz +750
• Milwaukee Bucks +800
• Phoenix Suns +1100

Game Lines

Another popular way to bet on the NBA Playoffs is with game lines. Game lines are typically reserved for intermediate bettors as understanding the odds and winning are different from the usual future odds. 

When betting on game lines, there are three options you can choose: spread odds, money line odds, or total odds. Below is a description of how game lines work and the difference between the money line options. 

• Spread – When betting on the spread, you are betting on if a team will win or lose by a certain number of points or the spread. A $100 spread bet at +5 (-110) will win $90.91.
• Money Line – Money line bets are betting on a winner. A $100 money line bet at +160 would win $160. 
• Totals – Betting on totals includes betting on the total amount of points scored in a contest. With totals, you can choose either over or under so many points. 

Propositions

Another way to bet on playoff basketball is with proposition bets or props. Props are bets on an event that do not directly affect the outcome of the event. Examples are total points scored by an individual player or total assists. Props are so popular that Bovada has created an online prop builder tool that will odds the players and stats you choose. 

Our Predictions

For now, it is still too early to predict a winner accurately, but the teams we have our money on include the Nets, Lakers, Bucks, and Suns. NBA Playoff action resumes tonight at 7:30 when the Miami Heat takes on the Milwaukee Bucks live on Bally Sports or TNT. 

Space Jam: A New Legacy is set to release July 16th in theatres and on HBO Max. The movie has been dubbed Space Jam 2 since it will be the second Space Jam movie. 

Space Jam: Jordan vs. LeBron

The original Space Jam came out in 1996 and starred Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny. The plot centers around evil aliens kidnapping Bugs when he has the idea to challenge them to a game of basketball to determine his fate. The aliens agree to play bugs, but they steal powers from NBA legends Larry Bird and Charles Barkley to ensure they win. To help defeat the evil alien monsters, Bugs recruits Michael Jordan to join his team and help set him free. 

Space Jam: A New Legacy is expected to be similar to the first movie, except this time the star is LeBron James. Several new faces, including Don Cheadle, will also appear alongside classic looney tunes characters. 

Betting On Space Jam

18+ sportsbook sites offer odds for the new Space Jam, including who will win the final matchup. Below are some of the Box Office specials available in Bovada’s entertainment section. 

Space Jam 2 – Tune Squad (2021) Vs Goon Squad – Total Baskets Made – Bugs Bunny

• Over 1.5 -220
• Under 1.5 +155

 Space Jam 2 – Tune Squad (2021) Vs Goon Squad – Total Baskets Made – Daffy Duck

• Over 0.5 -220
• Under 0.5 +155

 Space Jam 2 – Tune Squad (2021) Vs Goon Squad – Total Baskets Made – Foghorn Leghorn

• Under 0.5 -220
• Over 0.5 +155

 Space Jam 2 – Tune Squad (2021) Vs Goon Squad – Total Baskets Made – Lebron James

• Over 7.5 -120
• Under 7.5 -120

 Space Jam 2 – Tune Squad (2021) Vs Goon Squad – Total Baskets Made – Lola Bunny

• Over 1.5 -340
• Under 1.5 +220

 Space Jam 2 – Tune Squad (2021) Vs Goon Squad – Total Baskets Made – Porky Pig

• Over 0.5 -140
• Under 0.5 EVEN

 Space Jam 2 – Tune Squad (2021) Vs Goon Squad – Total Baskets Made – Sylvester

• Under 0.5 -220
• Over 0.5 +155

 Space Jam 2 – Tune Squad (2021) Vs Goon Squad Game Spread

• Goon Squad +1.5 -400
• Tune Squad (2021) -1.5 +250

 Space Jam 2 – Tune Squad (2021) Vs Goon Squad Game Total

• Over 155 Points -500
• Under 155 Points +300

 Space Jam Mythical Matchup – Who Will Score More Points?

• Tune Squad (2021) Vs Goon Squad -140
• Tune Squad (1996) Vs Monstars EVEN

Betting on entertainment is often believed to be limited to American Idol, the Voice, or other reality competitions; however, that is not the case. With online sports betting, the options are limitless, and even if there are no winners or losers, events can be bet on with props, totals, and other methods. 

As life after the coronavirus starts to get back to normal for many Americans, entertainment odds are often used by seasoned and new bettors alike to release a little pressure and for pure entertainment purposes. Before the new Space Jam comes out, it is essential to remember to never bet against Bugs and never bet more than you can afford to lose.