When March comes, it is all hype after hype for sports betting enthusiasts all over the country. The biggest college basketball event of the year, NCAA March Madness, comes to the screens. And being realistic, there is no event in the whole country that comes close to the intensity that this tournament carries. Just three whole weekends of the most intense hoops among college students.
David Forman, the American Gaming Association VP of research, once stated that March Madness is the biggest kind of individual event of the year for sports betting. This statement is quite true considering that there are many intense games set across just a few days.
You can look at it this way. Even if the Super Bowl draws in big bets, it is just one game between two NFL teams. On the other hand, March Madness features a total of 136 teams playing 134 games in the course of three weeks. Over that intense period, it is Christmas for bettors. If you want to bet, it does not get better than this.
The popularity of the tournament
Currently, the tournament has been drawing in millions of fans, both television viewers and physical fans. Interestingly, March Madness has been breaking viewership records, year after year, proving that this tournament is only getting bigger.
For example, in 2025, the viewership of the first two rounds hit a 32-year high, according to the networks carrying the tournament. In the second half of the round of 32, viewership averaged 10.1 million. According to the networks, these were the best viewership numbers since 1993.
As if that is not enough, the game between the first-seeded Florida and Houston brought together at least 18.1 million viewers. This was the highest since 2019 and a 22% increase from the previous year. During the Gators’ amazing win, viewership peaked at 21.1 million, capping a record-breaking Final Four Weekend.
Such popularity is what gives bettors the zeal to even bet more. The more popular a tournament is, the more you have different sportsbooks offering odds. This makes the odds very competitive, which is advantageous to the bettors.
The thrill of a single-elimination format
One of the things that makes March Madness quite thrilling is its single-elimination format. Once beaten, just wait for the next year!
In professional sports leagues, teams are given multiple chances to prove themselves throughout the competition. A team might be at its worst form at the beginning of the season. But as time goes on, they regain their form and even end up winning. However, March Madness does not offer any chance of making a mistake. Each game is a battle for survival, and every team gives everything they have in order to avoid elimination.
In this format, anything is possible, as all matchups are high intensity. Top-seeded teams can be sent home by lower-seeded opponents at any given moment. The unpredictable nature of the games keeps fans engaged from start to finish.
For bettors, this is the perfect time to capitalize on value bets. Many bookies are always coming up with odds that match the popular opinion. However, it is not always the popular opinion that wins the game. Bettors who are good at doing research and finding out about the intricate details of games end up winning more than expected. You just need to get your value bet and capitalize on it.
Underdog magic at its best
As mentioned above, the unpredictability of this tournament is quite unmatched. Every year, lower-tier teams defy all odds and capture the attention of everyone. For example, in 2023, No. 15 seed Princeton went ahead and beat No. 2 Arizona 59-55. This was one match that kept everyone on their feet until the very last minute. In this tournament, you get to see teams from schools you have never heard of before, like Wichita State and Butler, making tremendous finishes on big teams.
It has become interesting to see No.11 seed teams in the Elite Eight and even the Final Four. These kinds of surprises make you want to watch all the games at the same time so you don’t miss out on anything.
Some of the legendary underdogs that have made history in this tournament include:
- No. 10 Davidson Wildcats in 2008: Managed to beat No. 2 Georgetown Hoyas, No. 7 Gonzaga Bulldogs and No. 3 Wisconsin Badgers to get to the Elite Eight.
- No 15. Saint Peter’s in 2022: Beath No.3 Purdue, No. 2 Kentucky Wildcats and No.7 Murray State Racers to reach the Elite Eight.
- No. 11 VCU Rams in 2011: made history by getting to the Final Four after beating No.11 Trojans, No. 6 Georgetown, No. 3 Boilermakers, No. 10 Seminoles and No.1 Kansas.
After putting on such extraordinary fights, these teams become the talk of the nation for the whole year. If you had identified a value bet with an underdog, then you would end up having Christmas at the beginning of the year.
It is clear that March Madness is truly “madness” at its best. And for those who love to bet, it is the one tournament that keeps your blood rushing at all times. And if you play your cards right, you might end up having more wins than you had ever anticipated.
