It's important to remember that even though moneylines are expressed in units of $100, you do not have to bet that much money. The moneyline will work just as easily with a $5 or $10 wager as it does with $100. About: TheSpread.com is the largest sports betting news site in the United States. We provide point spread news, odds, statistics and information to over 175 countries around the world each year. Our coverage includes all North American College and Professional Sports as well as entertainment, political and proposition wagering news.

The No. 3 Michigan Wolverines (15-1 overall, 10-1 Big Ten) visit the fourth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes (18-4, 12-4) Sunday afternoon. Tip-off for the conference showdown is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Below, we analyze the Michigan-Ohio State college basketball odds and lines, with picks and predictions.

Rankings courtesy of the Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.

This is bigger than your typical Michigan-OSU rivalry game as it involves two of the top four teams in the country.

With a 10-1 conference record, the Wolverines sit atop the Big Ten. Buckeyes (12-4) and Illinois Fighting Illini (11-3) are both a half-game back.

Michigan at Ohio State: Odds, spread and lines

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 8:05 a.m. ET.

Money line: Michigan -120 (bet $120 to win $100) Ohio State +100 (bet $100 to win $100)Against the spread/ATS: Michigan +1.5 (-110) Ohio State -1.5 (-110)Over/Under: 146.5 (O: -110 U: -110)

Michigan at Ohio State: Three things to know

This is the only regular-season meeting between the rivals. Ohio State swept Michigan last season, covering the spread in both victories. The Buckeyes won at home 77-63 as 10-point favorites last March and eked out a 61-58 thriller as 3-point road underdogs a month earlier.Michigan enters on a 4-game win streak. Following their first and only Big Ten loss at Minnesota Jan. 16, the Wolverines claimed double-digit victories vs. Maryland (Jan. 19) and at Purdue (Jan. 22) before COVID-19 issues shut things down for nearly three weeks. They returned Valentine’s Day with a 67-59 win at Wisconsin. Four days later, they defeated Rutgers 71-64 but were backdoored as 9-point home favorites when the Scarlet Knights received a fortunate bounce on a 3-pointer with 9 seconds left. Freshman C Hunter Dickinson leads UM in scoring (14.6 points per game), rebounds (7.8 RPG) and blocks (1.6 BPG).The Buckeyes, winners of their last 7 games, are the hottest team in the Big Ten. Four of those victories were by double digits and they’ve outscored opponents by 10.5 PPG in the 7-game streak. The most recent win was a 92-82 decision as 4.5-point road favorites at Penn State Thursday. Sophomore F E.J. Liddell, who scored 23 points vs. the Nittany Lions, leads OSU in scoring (15.5 PPG), rebounds (6.6 RPG) and blocks (1.3 BPG).

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Michigan at Ohio State: Odds, lines, predictions and picks

Prediction

Ohio State 76, Michigan 70

Money line (ML)

OHIO STATE (+100) is the STRONGEST PLAY – 1½ times your usual wager. If the line moves above -110, change the focus to the spread and lay the points, no matter how many.

The Buckeyes are the better team. They’re 10-1 straight-up and 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games. Plus, they’re at home.

They’re also more battle-tested, notching wins against the Big Ten’s other top two teams in Illinois and Iowa. Michigan hasn’t played either yet and only has two wins over No. 21 Wisconsin to really brag about.

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Against the spread (ATS)

PASS unless Ohio State’s ML moves above -110 as mentioned above.

ATS: Michigan 12-4 Ohio State 14-7-1

Over/Under (O/U)

PASS. My projected score is too close to the O/U line 145.5 (-110) to make a play. However, if you must, the lean is to the OVER.

O/U records: Michigan 7-9 Ohio State 13-8-1

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JOHNNY PARLAY’S RECORD	W-L	SP	ROI
2020-21 College hoops	69-57-1	30-32	+4.525
College hoops since Jan. 1	54-40-1	25-22	+11.25
2021 record (all sports)	69-49-1	35-24	+22.55
*–SP: Strongest plays; ROI: Return on investment

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

The 2020-21 NCAA basketball season is well underway with 351 Division 1 teams vying to land one of the coveted 68 spots in the annual tournament. NCAA college basketball games are available every day for betting, as are a selection of NCAA basketball futures bets that could pay off along the way. Below you’ll find betting college basketball odds for today’s games, along with advice on how to how to pick a winner.

College basketball odds for March 11, 2021

The latest college basketball odds from the top US sportsbooks.

Things to watch this week

1. A loaded Big Ten: The field in the Big Ten tournament is one of the deepest fields in the country. It’s led by #2 Michigan, #4 Illinois, and #5 Iowa; with ranked Purdue, Ohio State, and Wisconsin cleaning up the group. Don’t overlook Michigan State, who has largely struggled this year– the Spartans finished the season with huge wins over Illinois, Ohio State, and Michigan.

2. Race for the Big 12: Similar to the Big Ten, the Big 12 has a ridiculously loaded field this year. Seven out of the ten teams are ranked and only two teams (Kansas State, Iowa State) are more than a game below 0.500. Baylor has dominated the conference all season long, though Kansas proved that the Bears aren’t untouchable. Even six-seed Texas Tech is capable of making a tournament run, as is seven-seed Oklahoma. Anything can happen this week.

3. SEC contenders or pretenders? Both Alabama and Arkansas came out of seemingly nowhere this season behind offensive barrages. The Tide ride voluminous and efficient three-point shooting while the Razorbacks use up-tempo, high-probability shooting to bury their opponents. However, neither team has a recent track record of success in the NCAA Tournament, making these two teams worthy of keeping an eye on.

4. The field shapes out: There’s tons of autobids up for grabs and hopes for struggling teams to sneak into the NCAA Tournament are very much alive. For Blue Bloods like UNC, Duke, and Kentucky, they have to secure their conference’s autobid by winning the conference tournaments. Other conferences will produce champions that are hopeful to be the nation’s next Cinderella team.

NCAA basketball futures 2021

With the college basketball betting season underway, it’s a great time to be speculative and look for a price in the futures betting market.

The prices on the top teams will become “shorter” as the core of the conference schedule gets underway, and teams establish their performance and form.

So, if you really like one of the traditional public favorites, their current national title odds may not be around for that long.

It’s also a great time to shop around for a school that you feel is being overlooked or underpriced in the market.

In 2019, a bettor had a belief in Texas Tech with futures bets placed in November 2018 at 200-1 and 125-1 and watched the Red Raiders make a great postseason run, only to lose in the national championship in overtime to Virginia.

Looking at where there may be some value, here’s how online sportsbooks have priced their national title contenders currently:

Why bet NCAA basketball online

The experience of betting college basketball online via a top US sports betting site or sportsbook is much more convenient than a retail sportsbook. From a betting perspective, there are three advantages of betting online versus waiting in the teller line at a retail sportsbook:

1. Open 24/7: Once the game’s odds have been posted, you can decide which bets or parlays to make for the evening’s game while sipping your coffee in the morning. There isn’t a need to make a trip to a retail book.
2. Freedom of Choice: While you may have to drive a length of time to get to a retail book, you can shop around for your best odds across all of the multiple sportsbooks. Provided you registered and verified in your state via geolocation, you can go ahead and place your bets.
3. In-Game Bets: Online betting offers you the ability to make live, in-play wagers once the game is underway. Most online sportsbooks, including DraftKings and FanDuel, offer in game bets on select college basketball games.

Watching the action live on TV with the ability to assess a wager for the second-half or final-game result is a great advantage, especially as the point spreads and totals change in real-time with the game action.

Best NCAA basketball betting sites

NCAA live betting

While college basketball’s in-game betting options are less extensive compared to, say, the NBA, there are still opportunities to make in-game bets in college hoops.

In this example from DraftKings, California is at home versus Prairie View. The pregame line was California -15.

Early in the first half, the live, in-game line has moved slightly to California -14.5:

In the Cal-Prairie View matchup, DraftKings posts full-game total points over/under totals for each team:

DraftKings also offers live point spreads for the first half:

For a live bettor, it’s important to place your live bets as quickly as you can. The odds will fluctuate in real-time as illustrated by increase/decrease in the Cal-Prairie View totals below from FOX Bet Sportsbook:

In addition to the futures betting referenced earlier, here are the additional types of bets you can expect to see on individual NCAA basketball games:

• Game props (i.e., player points, rebounds, assists)

Men's College Basketball Money Lines

Moneyline, point spreads and over/under wagers can also typically be built into:

NCAA basketball betting tips 2020-21

There is a lot to consider when placing a futures bet, especially in the early months of the season.

Determinants include the team’s previous year’s record, returning starters, key adds/losses/transfers and the impact of any coaching changes.

You can identify some value in teams’ future pricing by overlaying the current top 25 schools with current future book odds for the national title and, where available, conference titles.

How are NCAA basketball lines set?

The process for setting NCAA basketball lines is consistent with other sports including the NFL and college football.

Essentially, casinos and bookmakers try to set a line that balances the dollars being wagered on each side of the proposition so that they are somewhat equal, and the casino has no (or minimal) principal risk.

After an opening point spread is set, the line will fluctuate as money comes in on either side of the bet.

A line may open as Syracuse is a -5 favorite versus Duke.

If the public feels that Duke has a great chance to cover the spread (or even win the game outright) a majority of the money might come in at Duke +5 and, to balance out the line, the book would likely adjust the line down (e.g., Syracuse -4.5 or -4) to even out the money totals.

What’s the difference between Vegas NCAA lines and other lines?

For the reasons noted above, each bookmaker must manage their specific market and liability circumstances.

So, DraftKings Sportsbook could potentially have a different balance of the money for a West Virginia-Indiana matchup versus what William Hill Sportsbook is handling, resulting in different betting lines at each sportsbook.

College Basketball Money Lines

NCAA March Madness

March Madness generates phenomenal betting interest across the United States every year

According to Forbes, about 47 million people — one in five American adults — are expected to bet an estimated $8.5 billion during the tournament this year. Of that, $4.6 billion will be bet in bracket/tourney pools and $3.9 billion bet on individual games.

As a frame of reference, there is an estimated $6 billion in wagers on the Super Bowl.

An NCAA selection committee of 10 decides which 68 schools will be in March Madness. Of the 68 schools, 32 qualify automatically by winning their conference tournament, with the other 36 at-large schools selected by the committee.

• Selection Sunday: March 14
• First Four: March 16-17
• First Round: March 18-19
• Second Round: March 20-21
• Sweet 16: March 25-26
• Elite Eight: March 27-28
• Final Four: April 3
• National Championship: April 5

The Final Four will take place at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Check our free NCAA tournament bracket contests page for the latest contests when March Madness rolls around again.

NCAA FAQ

Where is NCAA basketball betting legal in the US?

Futures betting on college basketball will be available in every legal sports betting state.

Retail and online sportsbooks also post daily game lines, NCAA futures and live in play betting. The exact types will vary from state to state.

As the market pricing can fluctuate daily due to a school’s improved performance, an injury to a key player or a player being ruled academically ineligible, it makes sense to watch the sports betting apps and online sportsbooks for up-to-date pricing. The online approach is more convenient, flexible and timely.

One legal exception to note in college basketball futures betting (as well as game-by-game betting) is in relation to New Jersey.

While you can freely bet on NCAA basketball while in the Garden State, state rules do not allow betting on any NJ-based schools. These include and extend to all games that are part of any regular-season or postseason tournaments.

How many times has the preseason No. 1 team won the national championship?

Six, since the field expanded to 64 in 1984-85. North Carolina was the last school to do this in 2008-09. This year’s preseason consensus No. 1, Michigan State, is worth considering as part of a futures bet “to Make the Final Four.”

Just under 50% of the 35 preseason No. 1 teams since 1984-85 have advanced to the Final Four. Here’s the full breakdown of how the preseason No. 1 teams have performed in the NCAA tournament:

• Six won the national championship (17.1%).
• Seven lost in the national championship (20%).
• Seventeen reached the Final Four (just under 50%).
• Twenty-two achieved at least the Elite Eight (62.9%).
• Twenty-seven made it to the Sweet 16 (77.1%).
• One lost in the first round.

Source: NCAA.com

How many regular-season games are there in the NCAA season?

Teams can play 29 regular-season games, or they can play 27 regular-season games plus no more than four games in one multi-team tournament for a maximum of 31 games.

Conference and other postseason tournaments do not count against the limit. In 2019, Virginia’s national championship team had a final record of 35-3 (38 games).

College Basketball Money Lines

What is the NET rating in NCAA?

The NCAA evaluation tool, aka the NET, relies on game results, the strength of schedule, game location, scoring margin, net offensive and defensive efficiency, and the quality of wins and losses.

The NET tool is now the primary tool used by the NCAA tournament committee to evaluate and seed the 36 at-large schools in the tournament. A deeper dive into NET ratings can be found on the NCAA website.

What are the best upset picks in NCAA tourney?

In terms of historical performance, here’s a summary of lower-seeds performance in the opening round of the tournament:

• No.16 defeated No. 1: 1
• No. 15 defeated No. 2: 8
• No. 14 defeated No. 3: 21
• No. 13 defeated No. 4: 27
• No. 12 defeated No. 5: 50

What are the other postseason tournaments besides March Madness?

Two other postseason tournaments invite schools that do not make the March Madness field of 68:

College Basketball Money Lines Today

• National Invitation Tournament (NIT): 32 schools. Played at on-campus sites with semifinals/finals at Madison Square Garden, New York
• CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT): 20 to 26 schools. All games are played at on-campus sites.

What is RPI in NCAA Basketball?

Note: RPI was replaced prior to the 2018-19 season by NET ratings as the primary sorting tool for evaluating teams during the Division I men’s basketball season.

The rating percentage index (RPI) was used by the NCAA men’s basketball committee as supplemental data to help select at-large teams and seed all teams for the NCAA tourney.

Women's College Basketball Money Lines

Three components comprise a school’s RPI:

• The Team’s Division 1 winning percentage is 25% of the RPI. Home wins are weighted 0.6, neutral wins 1.0, and road wins count 1.4; road losses are 0.6, neutral losses 1.0 and home losses 1.4.
• Team’s division opponents’ winning percentage, or the team’s schedule strength, excluding results against the team in question. It is 50% of the RPI.
• The team’s opponents’ Division I winning percentage, or the team’s opponents’ strength of schedule, excluding results against the team in question. This is 25% of the RPI.