Are you looking to bet on March Madness in Iowa? As March Madness 2024 gets closer, sports fans in Iowa have another spell of exciting action to look forward to. March Madness is the highlight of the college basketball season and the perfect opportunity to see how the game’s up-and-coming stars react under pressure.

What if you decide to make this event even more interesting by betting on it? Let’s take a look at how this can be done and what factors you need to be aware of.

What Is March Madness?

March Madness is the name given to the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament. 68 of the country’s best college teams take part in a sudden-death tournament, meaning that the loss of just one game sees a team exit the tournament. This competition began way back in 1939 and while the format has changed several times in the years since then, it remains one of the most popular and highly watched sporting events of the year.

All 32 Division I conference champions will be taking part, with the other 36 selected by an NCAA committee on Selection Sunday. All of the 68 teams then get organized into a bracket system that lets us see each team’s potential route to victory from start to finish. While the name is March Madness, the final game will be played on April 3 this year.

It all begins with the First Four round which is scheduled for March 14 and 15, with the University of Dayton in Ohio as the host this year. Following that, the number of teams is halved to 32 in the First Round and then to 16, with games played at different venues across the country. We then enter the Sweet Sixteen phase followed by the Elite Eight and then the Final Four round.

The Final Four games are to take place on April 6 and 8 in State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

Iowa (+1.5) suffers a tough loss to #12 Illinois at home. pic.twitter.com/HzHT63OJCy

— ClutchBet (@ClutchBetSB) March 11, 2024

What Bets Can You Make?

Trying to predict who will win each game and proceed through the brackets has always been a popular pastime among Americans. Even people who don’t usually show much interest in basketball games often get caught up in the excitement of March Madness. If you plan to place any bets this year, what are the main types to be aware of?

Perhaps the most challenging wager is where you try to predict the overall winner of the tournament before it begins. Naturally, this becomes slightly easier as each round is completed, and fewer teams are left in the running. Bets that you make in advance like this are known as futures, with the advantage of more generous odds but with the difficulty of so many variables along the way.

Another option is to simply bet on the winner of an individual game. In this case, you can choose from the typical wagers such as moneyline and spread. The following are the main kinds of bets to be aware of.

Types of Bets

• A moneyline bet is where you put your money on the team you think will win, and nothing else matters. The favorite is shown with a negative sign next to the odds, so odds of -200 mean that you would win $100 with a $200 bet. The underdog has a plus sign, meaning that odds of +200 show that a $100 bet would win you $200.
• The point spread bet is where you look at how many points a team will win by. In this case, the favorite needs to win by more than the stated number of points, while the underdog only has to avoid losing by more than that figure.
• The totals bet is also called under/over. That’s because it’s where you wager on the total number of points scored by both teams combined. It doesn’t matter which program wins or how big the winning margin is.

• Props bets aren’t traditionally as common during March Madness as they are in other major sporting events such as the Super Bowl. This is where you bet on an individual player or team to achieve something. For example, you could bet on which player scores the most points or win the outstanding player award.
• Live bets are wagers placed during the games. This adds a sense of dynamism to the betting, as the odds are updated while the game is played. If the result is going as you predicted but you don’t want to wait until the end to collect your winnings, then you can look to see if there’s a cash-out option.

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— ClutchBet (@ClutchBetSB) February 3, 2023

Who Are the Favorites To Bet on March Madness in Iowa?

The Iowa Hawkeyes team have not made the March Madness 2024. Their best year to date was in 1956 when they lost to the University of San Francisco in the championship game. Apart from that, the Hawkeyes have played in the semifinals on two other occasions.

The Iowa State Cyclones are at lower odds just now, as they’ve been building up well to the big event. They reached the Final Four way back in 1944 and got to the Elite Eight Stage in 2000. The Cyclones are ranked 7th in the nation and they are priced at 2800+ according to ClutchBuzz.

[clutchbuzz_betnow id=’302566′]

The last Iowa team to be in the NCAA March Madness 2024 is the Drake Bulldogs, who are priced at 15000+.

[clutchbuzz_betnow id=’302529′]

As we get closer to March Madness, the odds for the teams are becoming clearer. So, who do you think will win it this year if it isn’t a team from Iowa? Let’s take a look at some of the teams you’re going to find listed among the favorites before the action starts but bear in mind that the odds are likely to change a lot before the action begins.

Purdue (+100) is the favorite to win the B1G Tournament 🔥 pic.twitter.com/sxjHtEuBGJ

— ClutchBet (@ClutchBetSB) March 11, 2024

UConn Huskies

After winning last year’s March Madness, the UConn are as expected the favorites to win the tournament this year. The Huskies are priced at +500 in ClutchBuzz sportsbook.

2023 was the 5th title for the Connecticut Huskies, after being no. 4 seed in the West region. They clinched a victory against Providence in the quarterfinals but faced defeat against Marquette in the semifinals. Despite this setback, they earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament as the No. 4 seed in the West region.

Throughout their journey, they triumphed over Iona, Saint Mary’s, Arkansas, and Gonzaga, securing their school’s sixth Final Four appearance and marking their first since 2014. Their path to glory continued as they emerged victorious against Miami and San Diego State in the national championship game, claiming their school’s fifth championship since 1999. Remarkably, they became only the fifth men’s team to win all six of their tournament games by a margin of 10 points or more.

This season they are 18-2, with an average number of points per game of 81.1 and they are expected to be top 5 seed.

The Houston Cougars

At the top of most lists, the Cougars are at about +600 or +650. Houston is second on the AP Top 25 men’s basketball poll at the time of writing. This program holds the record for most Final Four appearances without winning the national championship, and UH fans will be hoping that 2024 sees them finally win it for the first time.

The Purdue Boilermakers

Iowan bettors can currently get odds of about +800 on Purdue winning the championship. This program is still ranked number one in the nation, although they recently lost to their main rivals, the Indiana Hoosiers.

Purdue has a proud record of sending over 30 players to the NBA, but this would be their first NCAA championship if they manage it this year. Previously, they were runners-up in 1969 and last reached the Final Four in 1980.

Alabama Crimson Tide

Expect to find Alabama at odds of 900+ and above. While the University of Alabama has been best-known for its football program in the past, its basketball team is having a strong season.  To date, their best performance in this event was when they reached the Final Four in 2004.

The Arizona Wildcats

At odds of +1000 or so, Arizona is another of the teams expected to have a good chance of winning the trophy. They’re currently number four in the AP Top 25 after climbing in the build-up to March. The Wildcats had their best spell at the turn of the century, winning their only NCAA tournament in 1997 and finishing as runner-up in 2001.

Will You Look for Underdogs?

The programs we just looked at are all highly rated and thought to have a good chance of winning the championship this year. It would certainly be a massive shock if any of the programs at the bottom of the list won it.

The Iowa teams are followed by the likes of the North Carolina Central Eagles, the Indiana State Sycamores, and the Seattle Redhawks all at very generous odds to emerge from March Madness triumphant.

Yet, you might decide to look for a Cinderella team that wins at least one game at long odds. Many factors can point toward a team having a stronger tournament than the odds suggest. Maybe they’re extremely well prepared or have a unique style of play that higher-ranked programs can’t cope with. Or maybe they have some sort of meaningful cause this year that helps them to dig deep.

A team that has a strong offense or one outstanding star player could shock a team that looks better on paper. But it’s extremely difficult for any Cinderella to go all the way and win the tournament, which is why most people decide to wager on them for a single game. For some people, looking for a team at long odds makes March Madness more exciting, but others prefer to stick to betting on their favorites.

Iowa State (+1.5) gets a HUGE win against #8 Kansas ✅ pic.twitter.com/Cp3yvPg5gJ

— ClutchBet (@ClutchBetSB) February 4, 2023

How to Find a Sportsbook In Iowa?

Finding a way to bet on March Madness and other big sporting events has never been easier. That’s because gambling in Iowa is now fully regulated.

This means that you can look for a sportsbook, like ClutchBuzz, that you trust and open an account.

It’s then a question of heading to the basketball section and seeing what bets on the NCAA tournament catch your eye.

ClutchBet Sportsbook supports responsible gambling for all players.

If you think you or a loved one may be experiencing a problem with gambling, call 1-800-BETS OFF or text 855-895-8398 to reach Your Life Iowa for free, confidential support. pic.twitter.com/J8QH4lPYzC

— ClutchBet (@ClutchBetSB) February 5, 2023

Credits on Featured Image: NCAA March Madness at Moda Center Portland

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