In just over four weeks, college basketball fans across Iowa and the rest of the country will eagerly await to see which 68 teams will comprise the fields for the men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournament for 2023.
With both the men’s and women’s basketball teams at Iowa and Iowa State likely to earn high seeds in the field (and Iowa’s women possibly in the mix for a No. 1 seed) and Drake’s men leading the Missouri Valley, there’s a lot for basketball fans in the Hawkeye State to look forward to on Selection Sunday for the men and Selection Monday for the women.
One chief question among basketball fans in Iowa involves placing wagers on the NCAA tournament. The concept of selecting a bracket in your office pool is a time-honored tradition in the United States, but only recently have basketball fans gotten in on the fun for betting on individual games. Here’s a look at the kinds of bets you can make on March Madness in Iowa!
Where Can I Bet On Individual March Madness Games in Iowa?
Since 2019, people in Iowa have been allowed to bet on college sporting events at both brick-and-mortar casinos and with online sportsbooks. Online sportsbooks, such as ClutchBuzz, allow you to place bets whenever you would like, so long as your geolocation software can confirm that you’re physically located within Iowa’s borders when you make the wager.
Out of Iowa’s neighbors, only Illinois allows legal sports betting, so it’s a common practice for people from Nebraska, South Dakota, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin to cross into Iowa and place a legal bet. This is permitted as long as you’ve established an account in Iowa and your computer or mobile device’s location software confirms that you’re placing the wager within Iowa’s jurisdiction.
Also of note: to place bets in Iowa, you must have an established Iowa account with the sportsbook you wish to use, even if you opened an account in another state where sports betting is legal.
For example, if you signed up with a sportsbook in Illinois, your account would not work when you crossed into Iowa; you would need to sign up for an Iowa-based account with the same sportsbook. Prior to 2021, you had to sign up for an account at a brick-and-mortar casino, but now you can sign up on your computer or mobile device.
Can I Bet on Games Played in Iowa?
This question is important this year, because Des Moines’ Wells Fargo Arena was chosen as one of the host sites for the men’s first and second round games in 2023. Additionally, with Iowa’s women on track to land a top-four seed, Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City will likely host first and second-round games in the women’s tournament.
The good news for fans planning to attend games is that Iowa law permits you to bet on any college games played in the state of Iowa. As long as you’re in the state, you can legally wager on any college basketball game played in the state, regardless of the teams involved.
Can I Bet on Games Involving Iowa Teams?
Some states opt not to allow bettors to place bets on games involving in-state teams, in order to limit the risk of players doctoring the outcome of the game to affect the spread or total. Iowa does not place this restriction on bettors. Whether it’s the Iowa Hawkeyes, the Iowa State Cyclones, the Drake Bulldogs or the Northern Iowa Panthers playing, you are legally permitted to make a wager on or against any of these teams whenever they play.
If you think the Iowa women can put up 100 points on their first opponent, you can make that bet. If you think Iowa State’s men can cover seven points in round 1, you’ll be able to make that bet as well. However, you want to bet a game and the teams involved are up to you.
Can I Make Futures Bets on the NCAA Tournament?
Absolutely. Making futures bets works out a lot like building a bracket for the tournament. Unlike with a single-game bet, a futures bet will tie up your money with one team for the duration of your bet. You can make futures bets on individual regions as well as winning the entire tournament, with different payouts for each.
For this tournament, a futures bet essentially works like a four or six-game parlay bet on a team that you think can make the Final Four or win the national title. You have to get them through all of the games to reach that level in order to cash your bet. If you’re looking for a specific team to root for or you just want to back your favorite team with some money, a futures bet can be a great way to put your faith in them.
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— ClutchBet (@ClutchBetSB) February 25, 2023
What Bets Can’t I Make In Iowa?
When it comes to what bets aren’t legal, Iowa has only one main rule: absolutely no individual prop bets on college sporting events. If you want to bet on Iowa shooting ace Caitlin Clark to score 25 points in her team’s first-round game, you cannot do that in Iowa. If you like Tamin Lipsey to get five assists for Iowa State, you cannot make that bet either.
Iowa law prohibits wagers on college player prop bets because of the worry that an individual player could fudge their own stats in a subtle manner if such bets were allowed. In the pros, players are paid large salaries tied directly to their performance during the game, so this problem isn’t a concern. But in college, a marginal player could be tempted to alter a player’s stats just enough to mess up bets, so the state does not take that risk with college games.
There’s one exception: you can bet on college players to win individual awards based on their performances at the end of the tournament. But these fall under futures plays rather than individual prop plays, so they’re very different even though you’d be betting on one player in either scenario. Bottom line: in Iowa, team bets are perfectly fine, but bets on individuals are not allowed.
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— ClutchBet (@ClutchBetSB) February 25, 2023
Are Live Bets Allowed in Iowa?
Let’s say the Hawkeyes come up against Utah State in the first round of the men’s NCAA tournament and plays poorly in the first four minutes. The Hawkeyes came into this game as a 3-point favorite, but their 3-point defense has lacked early on and they’re now down 12-4 at the first media timeout. However, you aren’t worried. You’ve seen the Hawkeyes all season, and you’re confident that they can come back. Can you make that bet?
Absolutely. Iowa law permits you to bet on the outcome of any college basketball game during the action, with the line constantly moving in accordance with the flow of the game.
If you think Iowa State’s going to get rolling after a cold start, you can make that play and get the Cyclones at a better number. If you think Drake’s going to struggle to hold on down the stretch, you can make a wager against them. At any point in the game, you can get some kind of action.
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— ClutchBet (@ClutchBetSB) February 25, 2023
What Bets Are Most Popular For the NCAA Tournament?
If you’re like most Iowans who will make a bet on an individual game, you’re most likely going to bet either the spread or on the total number of points for the game. Spread bets are common because they make it possible to bet on either team, regardless of the difference in their skill levels.
A great example is the 1 vs. 16 matchups in the first round. In your office pool, it’s automatic to advance all four No. 1 seeds to the second round. Until UMBC’s upset of Virginia in 2018, no No. 1 seed had ever lost to a No. 16 seed in the men’s tournament, and even now, No. 16 seeds are 1-147 vs. No. 1 seeds straight up. But against the spread, either side is a reasonable play. Over the past seven years, No. 16 seeds are 14-14 ATS against No. 1 seeds. In the first and second rounds especially, when big-name teams face lower-level conference champions, large spreads will be quite common. That can give you an edge if you like a lower seed to do well.
Totals bets are also great options when you get two teams that play a similar way. If Iowa and Utah State meet, for example, the game might turn into a track meet, with lots of points at both ends. If Virginia and Rutgers play, there might not be 100 points total in the game. Knowing the teams’ styles can make a world of difference on totals.
Moneyline bets can also be popular plays, especially among people who aren’t worried about trying to win a lot as much as they just want something to root for. Not everyone understands how spreads work, but everyone can understand who won and lost the game. A moneyline bet takes the spread out of the equation, making it a simple case of who advances and who doesn’t.
Team totals bets are also popular plays. During the course of the tournament, certain teams will play against opponents that offer bad matchups for them. For example, a team like Iowa State doesn’t do well against a defense that forces opponents to shoot jumpers. If the Cyclones play that kind of defense, their offense might do worse than expected.
Regardless of how you look at it, you’re likely to find a legal bet in Iowa that catches your attention. Once you’re signed up and ready to bet, you’ll have all you need to maximize your chances for a win in March Madness!
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— ClutchBet (@ClutchBetSB) February 26, 2023
Credits on Featured Image: Allan Besselink
