Game on! A new age for a popular pastime greets the Tar Heel State. College basketball betting becomes legal this month at the peak of its yearly drama.
Here’s a question: Can you bet on college sports in North Carolina?
The broad perspective is that patrons can wager upon just about everything but the kitchen sink. And maybe that, too.
College football betting opportunities will also be extensive. North Carolina sports betting will mirror most jurisdictions.
More: North Carolina Sports Betting | Best North Carolina Sportsbook Promos and Bonuses
It Starts With the Final Countdown
Introductory offers from sportsbooks to North Carolina gamblers are already underway. A few short days from now at high noon on March 11, the gates open to a flurry of college basketball betting.
By then, gamblers will be stocked with multiple introductory offers. The vast lineup of sportsbook operators will create one of the most abundant offer packages patrons have ever received.
When Is the First Major Opportunity for NC Bettors?
Bettors have free reign in time for the ACC Conference Tournament on March 12-16, along with games across the sports betting landscape.
Besides the slew of individual events, bettors can wager futures bets on their favorite team to win the tournament and the subsequent March Madness dance to crown the national champion.
The timing is perfect. North Carolina delivered an administrative buzzer-beater, adopting legalized betting just in time for a cash avalanche.
“There is no time like this to be a college basketball fan or bettor,” Johnny Avello, the director of race and sportsbook operations for DraftKings, told Gaming Today before the launch. “People take vacation during this time and the action in the first round of March Madness is practically unheard of.
“It happens just in time for the people in North Carolina. We can’t wait to put the welcome bonuses and specials up there and then for them to enjoy the start of their betting.”
Why College Basketball Betting Matters in North Carolina
The sport has major betting implications in a state that has produced 13 NCAA Men’s Basketball championships. UNC (six titles), Duke (five), and NC State (two) reside within 40 miles of each other, heightening the basketball drama in the northern part of the state. Wake Forest is the fourth North Carolina basketball team with statewide appeal.
Right on cue, North Carolina hit March at 22-6, No. 1 in the ACC standings and No. 9 in the country.
Duke, also 22-6, was right behind with second standing in the ACC and 10th ranking in the country.
Wake Forest was 18-10, including a victory over nationally ranked Duke last week. NC State was 17-11.
Think this is exciting now?
Wait until these four teams produce more than 120 games worth of wagering opportunities between them next season. Some of that will be sprinkled in with the avalanche of college football menus.
This is good news for bettors and sportsbook operators, who view college football and basketball in the top revenue tier with the NFL, MLB, and NBA.
That in turn benefits the gaming commission, which wisely gave operators a fighting chance to thrive with a reasonable 18-percent tax rate.
North Carolina allowing college basketball betting is significant.
Neighboring Virginia does not yet allow wagering on college sports and it has an abundance of schools.
New Jersey does not allow betting on any of its college teams within the state. That ruffled some feathers in the Garden State when gamblers could not back Rutgers and St. Peter’s in recent March Madness runs. St. Peter’s reached the Elite Eight a couple of years back, but New Jersey bettors could not play them in state.
NCAAB Odds: March Madness Odds
North Carolina Betting Overview: Just About Anything Goes
The North Carolina State Lottery Commission has authorized a plethora of sports that can be wagered upon. It will mirror most jurisdictions in the country.
What hasn’t been thought of is left open for operators to petition in the future.
North Carolina Betting Menu Is Extensive
The Commission has also authorized a broad range of wagers. Bettors will quickly become familiar with them. The list includes:
Moneyline: The winner of a game.
Over/Under: The total points scored by two teams. The book sets a number, say 150 points between two college basketball teams. Bettors wager that the teams will combine to score Over or Under that total.
Spread: How many points a team is predicted to win a game by. Team A is favored by 3 points over Team B. If Team A wins the college basketball game 81-75, it covers the spread. If it wins 81-78, that’s a tie or push. If Team A wins 78-76, Team B covers the spread and Team A wins on the moneyline.
Parlays: Placing two or more wagers into one overall bet. Every part of the bet must win for the bettor to cash a ticket.
Teasers: Adjusting the betting line to increase one’s chance of winning. It may mean taking a team favored by six points and adjusting the line to three points, at the expense of less-desirable odds.
Futures: Placing a wager on a team to win a championship. The more games a team must win to do that, the higher the price one would receive.
DraftKings had attractive odds on nationally-ranked Duke (+2800) and North Carolina (+1800) to win the national championship on March 1.
That means a $100 wager on North Carolina would return $1,900. It would pay $2,900 on Duke.
The price is, and should be, generous. Each team would have to win six games without a loss in the NCAA Tournament to become the national champion.
Each step the team takes toward its goal will bring the price down. Should either team reach the Final Four, for example, the return will be short.
The earlier the better for this type of bet for anyone who believes the Blue Devils or the Tar Heels can win it all.
For new bettors, this overview is one way to get started in the sports betting world. Navigating the apps will make many people savvy soon.
NC Sportsbooks: bet365 | BetMGM | BetRivers | Caesars Sportsbook | DraftKings | Fanatics | FanDuel | Underdog
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