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How to Bet on March Madness in TX | Best Texas Sports Betting Sites

Gia Nguyen

Sports Editor

Updated 1 year ago on April 6, 2022 • 16 min read

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March Madness First Round tips off on Thursday afternoon. The Texas Longhorns enter as a No. 6 seed with an impending matchup versus No. 11 Virginia Tech. Texas sports betting remains a longshot but opinions are starting to shift in the Lone Star State. While it’s still a work-in-progress, sports betting in Texas has gained some momentum and could be legal by 2023. Still, that doesn’t mean Texans can’t bet on the Texas Longhorns during the 2022 NCAA Tournament. In this article, we’ll go over how to bet on March Madness in Texas with the top sports betting sites, which are giving away free bets and bonus cash for the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Best Texas Sports Betting Sites for March Madness in 2023

The best Texas sportsbooks are featuring some of the best March Madness bracket contests on the US sports betting market. With top prizes of $75,000, Bitcoin, and NFTs, March Madness bracket contests are the easiest way to make money on the NCAA Tournament.

Below, we’ll go over some of the best March Madness betting websites and the sports betting bonuses available for the 2023 NCAA Tournament..

BetOnline – $1,000 Sports Betting Bonus + 2 Free Bets for March Madness
XBet – $500 in Free College Basketball Bets for the NCAA Tournament
MyBookie – $1,000 Sportsbook Bonus to Bet on March Madness
BetUS – $3,125 in Free Bets for March Madness Games
Bovada – $750 Bitcoin Betting Bonus for the 2022 NCAA Tournament

RELATED: March Madness Betting Websites

How to Bet on March Madness in Texas

Even though Texas sports betting is not legal, Texans can still bet on March Madness at safe and regulated offshore sportsbooks.

Below, we’ll walk new users through how to bet on March Madness in Texas and claim free college basketball bets.

Pick a TX betting site from this page
Click the button to get your college basketball betting bonus for the NCAA Tournament
Sign up to get your Texas sports betting bonus for March Madness
Place your free March Madness bets on the NCAA Basketball Tournament in TX

RELATED: How to Gamble on March Madness

March Madness Schedule | How to Watch the NCAA Tournament in Texas

🏀 March Madness: NCAA Tournament 2022
⛹ March Madness Betting Favorite: Gonzaga Bulldogs
📅 NCAA Tournament Start Date: Round 1, March 17th, 2022
🔒 Final Four: April 2nd, 2022
🏆 National Championship Game: April 4th, 2022
📺 TV Channel: TruTV, CBS, TNT, and TBS
🎲 March Madness Odds: Gonzaga +285, Arizona +700, Kentucky +800

NCAA Tournament Odds | Best Odds to Win March Madness

With the bracket released, Texans have a better idea of potential matchups during the NCAA Tournament. Gonzaga is the favorite heading into Thursday with +285 odds. However, on the road to the Championship, they will have to beat Mike Krzyzewski and the Duke Blue Devils at +1600. Meanwhile, the dark horse in the tournament Texas Tech has attractive odds at +2000.

Below, we’ll break down the NCAA Tournament odds from BetOnline, one of the best March Madness betting sites.

NCAA Basketball Teams	Odds to Win NCAA Tournament	Play
Gonzaga	+285
Arizona	+700
Kentucky	+800
Kansas	+1100
Auburn	+1200
Baylor	+1400
Duke	+1600
Tennessee	+1600
Houston	+1800
Texas Tech	+2000

RELATED: Best Odds to Win March Madness

March Madness Betting Trends

During the NCAA Tournament, certain trends emerge that can help college basketball bettors earn a profit during March Madness.

With the first round of March Madness expected to generate plenty of upsets, we’ll break down some of the hottest March Madness betting trends over the last five years.

For a complete breakdown of the best March Madness betting trends, check out the chart below.

Timeframe	Bet	Winning Percentage	Win	Loss	Push	ROI %
Since 2021	Under	62.5%	20	12	0	19.38%
Since 2021	Underdogs ATS	59.4%	19	13	0	13.41%
Since 2019	Underdogs ATS	60.9%	39	25	0	16.39%
Since 2019	Under	54.7%	35	28	1	6.02%
Since 2018	Underdogs ATS	57.3%	55	40	1	10.47%
Since 2018	Underdogs ATS	55.2%	53	42	1	6.49%
Since 2017	Underdogs ATS	54.7%	70	56	2	6.02%
Since 2016	Underdogs ATS	53.8%	86	72	2	3.91%
Since 2016	Over	53.1%	85	74	1	2.09%

March Madness Betting | Odds, Lines, and Point Spread for First Round March Madness 2022

The first round of the NCAA Tournament tipped off on Thursday afternoon and there were a handful of upsets in the first round. Saint Peter’s (+1500) shocked the college basketball world with an upset over No. 2-ranked Kentucky while Richmond (+400) earned a classic No. 12 vs No. 5 upset with a win over Iowa.

For a glimpse of potential first round upsets, we’ll break down the March Madness odds for every game in the first round of the NCAA Tournament below.

All odds are taken from BetOnline, one of the best Texas sports betting sites for March Madness

Ohio State vs Loyola Chicago Odds, Point Spread, and Total

Ohio State comes into the Big Dance as a No. 7 seed but will have a difficult first round matchup against No. 10 Loyola Chicago. The Ramblers have made deep runs in the NCAA Tournament before and could be another potential underdog that could do some damage in the opening round. For the latest Ohio St vs Loyola Chicago odds, check out the NCAA Tournament lines from BetOnline below.

Bet	Loyola Chicago	Ohio State
Moneyline	-110	-110
Point Spread	PK (-110)	PK (-110)
Total Points	Over 132.5 (-108)	Under 132.5 (-112)

Interested in betting on the Ohio State team? – Don’t miss out on reading our guide about sports betting in Ohio first!

Auburn vs Jacksonville State Odds, Point Spread, and Total

Auburn comes into the opening round of March Madness as the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region. The Tigers are favored by 15.5 points over Jacksonville State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and should be able to cruise to an easy win here. Can Auburn take care of business in the Round of 64 versus Jacksonville St?

Bet	Jacksonville State	Auburn
Moneyline	+870	-1600
Point Spread	+15.5 (-110)	-15.5 (-110)
Total Points	Over 138.5 (-115)	Under 138.5 (-105)

Texas Tech vs Montana State Odds, Point Spread, and Total

Texas Tech is another team that will be heavily favored to win in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Red Raiders enter March Madness as a No. 3 seed in the West Region and will be favored by 15 points against No. 14 seed Montana St. For the latest Texas Tech vs Montana odds, check out the chart from BetOnline, one of the best Texas sports betting sites.

Bet	Montana State	Texas Tech
Moneyline	+870	-1500
Point Spread	+15 (-112)	-15 (+108)
Total Points	Over 132.5 (-105)	Under 132.5 (-115)

Purdue vs Yale Odds, Point Spread, and Total

Purdue suffered a disappointing loss in the Big Ten Tournament but still enters March Madness as the No. 3 seed in the East Regoin. The Boilermakers enter the first round of the NCAA Tournament as 16 point favorites over Yale. For the latest Purdue vs Yale odds, check out the March Madness lines from BetOnline below.

Bet	Yale	Purdue
Moneyline	+950	-1800
Point Spread	+16 (+100)	-16 (-120)
Total Points	Over 142.5 (-110)	Under 142.5 (-110)

Villanova vs Delaware Odds, Point Spread, and Total

Villanova enters the first round of the NCAA Tournament as the No. 2 seed in the South Region and will be heavy favorites over No. 15-seed Delaware. The Wildcats come in as 15-point favorites over the Blue Hens in the first round of March Madness. For the latest NCAA Tournament odds, check out the chart from BetOnline below.

Bet	Delaware	Villanova
Moneyline	+870	-1500
Point Spread	+15 (-110)	-15 (-110)
Total Points	Over 133.5 (-115)	Under 133.5 (-105)

USC vs Miami Odds, Point Spread, and Total

The ACC didn’t get a lot of respect from the Selection Sunday committee. Despite playing well during ACC play, Miami enters the opening round as a No. 10 seed. While Miami is a No. 10 seed, it finds itself as only 1.5-point underdogs against No. 7 seed USC in the first round. For the latest USC vs Miami odds, check out the NCAA Tournament lines from BetOnline, one of the top Texas sports betting apps.

Bet	Miami Florida	USC
Moneyline	+105	-125
Point Spread	+1.5 (-105)	-1.5 (-115)
Total Points	Over 140 (-110)	Under 140 (-110)

Texas vs Virginia Tech Odds, Point Spread, and Total

While Texas was rewarded with a No. 6 seed, the Longhorns drew one of the toughest first round matchup against ACC Tournament Champion Virginia Tech. The Hokies impressed by beating Duke to win the ACC Tournament title and should be able to put up a fight against the Longhorns. The best March Madness betting sites seem to think so too, as BetOnline has Virginia Tech vs Texas odds as a pick’em.

Bet	Virginia Tech	Texas
Moneyline	PK (-113)	PK (-107)
Point Spread	PK (-113)	PK (-107)
Total Points	Over 123.5 (-112)	Under 123.5 (-108)

Chattanooga vs Illinois Odds, Point Spread, and Total

The Fighting Illini enter as a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Illinois comes into the first round against No. 13 seed Chattanooga as eight-point favorites in the first round of March Madness. For the latest Illinois vs Chattanooga odds, check out the NCAA Tournament lines from BetOnline below.

Bet	Chattanooga	Illinois
Moneyline	+275	-330
Point Spread	+8 (-105)	-8 (-115)
Total Points	Over 136 (-110)	Under 136 (-110)

Duke vs Cal State Fullerton Odds, Point Spread, and Total

The No. 2 seeded Duke Blue Devils come into this matchup as 18.5 point favorites in the first round versus No. 15-seed Cal St Fullerton. Duke’s odds to win March Madness have been slipping since being placed in the same region as No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga. For the latest March Madness odds, check out the chart from BetOnline below.

Bet	CS Fullerton	Duke
Moneyline	+1250	-3000
Point Spread	+18.5 (-105)	-18.5 (-115)
Total Points	Over 145.5 (-110)	Under 145.5 (-110)

LSU vs Iowa State Odds, Point Spread, and Total

The Tigers fired head coach Will Wade before the NCAA Tournament but will still try to make a deep March Madness run. LSU enters the Big Dance as a No. 6 seed while Iowa State comes in as a No. 11 seed in the first round. The Cyclones come in as four-point underdogs versus LSU at BetOnline, one of the best March Madness betting websites.

Bet	Iowa State	LSU
Moneyline	+155	-175
Point Spread	+4 (-110)	-4 (-110)
Total Points	Over 127.5 (-115)	Under 127.5 (-105)

Houston vs UAB Odds, Point Spread, and Total

Despite being a No. 5 seed, Houston has been one of the most popular dark horses to win March Madness in 2022. The Cougars come in as eight-point favorites in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against UAB. For the latest Houston vs UAB odds, check out the March Madness lines from BetOnline.

Bet	UAB	Houston
Moneyline	+305	-375
Point Spread	+8 (-109)	-8 (-111)
Total Points	Over 136 (-110)	Under 136 (-110)

Michigan State vs Davidson Odds, Point Spread, and Total

After a strong finish to the Big Ten season, Michigan State was rewarded with a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Spartans come into the first round as slim one-point favorites against No. 10-seed Davidson. Check out the latest Michigan St vs Davidson odds from BetOnline, one of the best Texas sports betting sites for the NCAA Tournament.

Bet	Davidson	Michigan State
Moneyline	-108	-112
Point Spread	+1 (-112)	-1 (-108)
Total Points	Over 140.5 (-110)	Under 140.5 (-110)

Wisconsin vs Colgate Odds, Point Spread, and Total

No. 3 seed Wisconsin comes into the opening round as only 7.5-point favorites over Colgate, which enters as a No. 14 seed. If they can advance, the Badgers will play the winner of LSU vs Iowa State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Bet	Colgate	Wisconsin
Moneyline	+275	-330
Point Spread	+7.5 (-110)	-7.5 (-110)
Total Points	Over 139 (-105)	Under 139 (-115)

Seton Hall vs TCU Odds, Point Spread, and Total

Seton Hall comes in as the No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Pirates are slim one-point favorites in the first round against No. 9 seed TCU. For the latest Seton Hall vs TCU odds, check out the March Madness lines from BetOnline, one of the top March Madness betting sites.

Bet	TCU	Seton Hall
Moneyline	-102	-118
Point Spread	+1 (-115)	-1 (-105)
Total Points	Over 129.5 (-115)	Under 129.5 (-105)

How To Pick March Madness Upsets in the NCAA Tournament

The 2022 NCAA Tournament first round is set to tipoff on Thursday. College basketball fans can expect a handful of upsets in the opening round of the Big Dance. On average, there have been more than six first round March Madness upsets per year.

For a complete breakdown of the March Madness upsets by round since the tournament moved to 64 teams in 1985, scroll down below.

	Average Upsets by NCAA Tournament Round	Fewest March Madness Upsets by Round	Most March Madness Upsets by Round
First Round	6.2	2	10
Second Round	3.7	0 (four times)	8
Sweet 16	1.7	0 (five times)	4
Elite Eight	0.5	0 (10 times)	2
Final Four	0.2	0 (25 times)	2
Total	12.4	4	19

The first round of the NCAA Tournament features more upsets than any other round, but which seeds tend to bust the most brackets?

The chart below details how each seed line has performed in the first round of March Madness.

To learn more about how lower seeds have performed during the first round of March Madness, scroll down below.

NCAA Tournament First Round Upsets	Frequency of March Madness Upsets	Percentage of March Madness Upsets
No. 10 seed vs No. 7 seed	57	39.5%
No. 11 seed vs No. 6 seed	54	37.5%
No. 12 seed vs No. 5 seed	51	35.4%
No. 13 seed vs No. 4 seed	31	21.5%
No. 14 seed vs No. 3 seed	22	15.3%
No. 15 seed vs No. 2 seed	9	6.3%
No. 16 seed vs No. 1 seed	1	0.7%

The Best Texas March Madness Betting Sites| TX Sportsbooks for the NCAA Tournament

With three college basketball teams from Texas, No. 3 seed Texas Tech, No. 6 seed Texas and No. 9 seed TCU, the best offshore sportsbooks are giving away free Texas sports betting bonuses to the Lone Star State.

To learn more about the best Texas sports betting bonuses available for March Madness, scroll down below.

1. BetOnline — $1,000 Sports Betting Bonus + 2 Free Bets for March Madness

🏆 Founded	2004
⭐ Expert Ranking	#1 out of 5
💰 Welcome Bonus Offer	50% Deposit Bonus, Up To $1,000
✅ Recommended For	Free Bets for March Madness in Texas
💳 Payment Methods	Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, MoneyGram, Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin
💸 Payout Time	Within 48 Hours
📃 License	Panama
📲 Mobile Betting	Yes

With a wide variety of free NCAAB bets and big Texas sports betting bonuses, BetOnline offers the best March Madness betting experience in the Lone Star State. Texans can cash in two college basketball bets including a free NCAAB players props and live bet during the first weekend. New members also receive $1,000 in March Madness betting bonuses on their first qualifying deposit. Texans just win at BetOnline. For the 2022 NCAA Tournament, BetOnline is featuring a March Madness betting contest with $250,000 in cash prizes. College basketball fans can enter their bracket for a shot at a $75,000 grand prize.

BetOnline Promo Code Terms and Conditions

Must Deposit using BetOnline Promo Code BOL100
Minimum Deposit of $55
10x Rollover Requirement
Free Bets expire in 30 days

To claim your free Texas sports betting bonuses at BetOnline, click on the button below.

Get Free NCAAB Bets in TX at BetOnline

2. XBet — $500 in Free College Basketball Bets for the NCAA Tournament

🏆 Founded	2013
⭐ Expert Ranking	#2 out of 5
💰 Welcome Bonus Offer	100% Deposit Bonus, Up To $500
✅ Recommended For	Live NCAA Tournament Betting In Texas
💳 Payment Methods	Visa, Mastercard, Person2Person, Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple
💸 Payout Time	Within 48 Hours
📃 License	Curacao
📲 Mobile Betting	Yes

College basketball fans can dunk their way to the best Texas sports betting bonuses for March Madness at XBet. Texas residents can claim up to $500 in March Madness betting bonuses on their first deposit during the first round. Compared to other Texas online gambling sites, XBet offers the best live NCAA Tournament odds allowing Texans to maximize their profits during March Madness. XBet is also offering a free bracket entry to their March Madness betting contest. Texas residents can enter their March Madness bracket for a chance at $10,000 in cash prizes.

XBet Promo Code Terms and Conditions

Must Deposit using MyBookie Promo Code XBET50
Minimum Deposit of $45
7x Rollover Requirement
Maximum Texas Sports Betting Bonus of $500
TX Sportsbook Bonus Awarded in Free Bets

Click on the button below to receive your free college basketball bets at XBet, one of the best March Madness betting sites.

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3. MyBookie — $1,000 Sportsbook Bonus to Bet on March Madness

🏆 Founded	2003
⭐ Expert Ranking	#3 out of 5
💰 Welcome Bonus Offer	100% Deposit Bonus, Up To $1,000
✅ Recommended For	The Best March Madness Odds In Texas
💳 Payment Methods	Visa, Mastercard, Person2Person, Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple
💸 Payout Time	Within 48 Hours
📃 License	Curacao
📲 Mobile Betting	Yes

MyBookie is making a splash on the Texas sports betting market with some of the best March Madness bonuses. First-time customers in Texas receive $1,000 in March Madness betting bonuses on their first deposit. With the best NCAAB betting odds, sharp bettors win more money at MyBookie. The online sportsbook is also giving away cryptocurrency prizes during their March Madness bracket contest. Texans can enter their bracket for a shot at Bitcoin, NFTs, and more. For every two bracket entries, MyBookie is handing out one free bracket entry to the Lone Star State.

MyBookie Promo Code Terms and Conditions

Must Deposit using MyBookie Promo Code MYB50
Minimum Deposit of $50
10x Rollover Requirement
Maximum Texas Sports Betting Bonus of $1,000
TX Sportsbook Bonus Awarded in Free Bets

Click on the button below to enter your March Madness bracket at MyBookie, one of the best Texas sports betting apps.

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Best March Madness Bets | Best Upset Picks for March Madness 2023

With the No. 1 ranked defense in the nation, Texas Tech is a force to be reckoned with in the NCAA Tournament. After losing to Kansas in the semifinals of the Big 12 Conference Tournament, the Red Raiders look to bounce back with an easy matchup against Montana State. Take Texas Tech to make it to the Sweet 16.

Click on the button below to place your free NCAA Tournament bets at BetOnline, one of the best Texas sports betting sites.

Bet on the NCAA Tournament at BetOnline

The Best College Basketball Betting Sites for March Madness

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Gia Nguyen

Gia is a Basketball Insiders contributor based in Canada. She graduated from the University of Windsor with a Bachelor of Science, so she knows the make-up of a winning bet. Gia uses her analytical background to tell stories using the latest data and statistics. Her work has been sourced by Entrepreneur, Inquirer, and more. Gia is also interested in health, wellness, and yoga.