Up for betting on college baseball? NCAA baseball is one of the many sports you can legally wager on in the US and we look at everything you need to know to begin betting.
Find out about the best sportsbooks for college baseball betting, what bet types are available, how to read odds, and also some hints and tips that might help you find a winner.
Best College Baseball Betting Sites
There are a lot of different college baseball betting sites out there and each one offers both good and bad aspects to bettors. That is to say, no sportsbook is perfect at everything.
You might want to have a wide variety of college baseball markets, like to utilize live betting, or simply want the best NCAA baseball betting odds, which are all factors we consider when writing our sports betting reviews.
Most importantly, every college baseball betting site we recommend is licensed to operate in the US.
College Baseball Betting Bonuses
It is common to see college baseball betting sites offer bonuses to you, such as free bets, odds boosts, and matched deposits. These are usually available both as a new customer and as an existing one.
Bonus amounts can vary radically by betting site with some offering bonuses as high as $5,000, whilst others a more modest $100. It’s crucial that you don’t just jump on the bonuses worth the most money as they could have incredibly unfavorable terms such as high wagering requirements.
Free bet and bonus fund stakes aren’t included in returns, so a $20 free bet wager on a +300 market would return $60 in total.
College baseball betting sites often have promotions for you to get stuck into. There are usually fewer available than other sports simply because NCAA baseball is less popular, but there’s some around if you look hard enough.
There are regular free bets available at BetMGM on many sports including NCAA basketball, and the best part is that these bonuses aren’t complicated at all.
One of the leading college baseball bonuses is One Game Parlay insurance, which gives bettors money back as a free bet on same game parlays if one leg misses.
You can receive $25 back if exactly one leg lets you down in your college baseball same game parlay. The wager must have at least four legs to qualify for the promo.
FanDuel Sportsbook is the best for reload bonuses as they provide deposit matches that give you extra money as bonus funds when you deposit.
They’re quite rare bonuses and FanDuel usually email them directly to you, or sometimes show it in your promotions.
Always read the terms as reload bonuses sometimes require you use a specific method, and are worth between $10-50 but this value could change depending on how frequently you deposit.
Live betting is popular and DraftKings Sportsbook sometimes offer in-play betting bonuses for college baseball, amongst other sports, to enhance your returns on certain markets.
This gives you better odds and as DraftKings have some of the best prices on NCAA baseball anyway, it makes them an even better sportsbook.
It’s not often that DraftKings Sportsbook have these bonuses but it should be used when it is there if you’re planning to live bet on college baseball.
Caesars Sportsbook has some great boosted odds on college baseball games and tournaments, providing enhanced singles and parlays, ensuring you get better returns than normal on winners.
The boosts section of Caesars is available from the homepage and the tabs at the top make it easy to navigate to NCAA baseball, which is listed under ‘Baseball’.
Some boosts are quite generous, such as from +1000 to +14000, whereas others are only enhanced a little bit from +100 to +110. This ensures you have the best odds across all sportsbooks.
Top College Baseball Apps
Almost all college baseball sportsbooks have native iOS and Android apps, allowing you to place bets and track them on your phone instead of needing to be at a computer.
Every NCAA baseball sportsbook app has been reviewed and tested by our team of betting experts, ensuring that only the very best ones are recommended.
The Caesars Sportsbook app is one of the best and most efficient mobile sports betting apps and runs smoothly, making it easy to bet on college baseball. Unlike many other sportsbook apps, Caesars’ rarely has issues like location verification and random crashes.
Caesars also boast strong college baseball odds, on top of regular enhanced singles and parlays that increase your returns on NCAA baseball wagers.
Another top mobile app experience comes at FanDuel Sportsbook, who make it simple to navigate and place bets so you don’t have to waste time looking for NCAA baseball.
Tabs at the top of the app means you can to popular sports such as baseball, and the “All Sports” button takes you to the full list so you can see all sports.
Early cashout is popular and FanDuel shows you which college baseball markets are available for it, with values displayed in your open bets after the bet has been placed.
BetMGM offers a solid college baseball betting app thanks to their reliability and good odds, allowing you to place NCAA bets both pre-game and live.
As well, there is a good variety of markets available in most states so you’ll always be able to find something to bet on. Remember, not all states allow player prop bets which limits betting opportunities in certain locations.
Google Play rating: 4.4⭐️
App Store rating: 4.6⭐️
Top features: Early cashout, same game parlay
Download app now View more
Every college baseball sportsbook available is rated against a series of strict criteria to determine how good or bad it is, with our team of experts thoroughly testing each betting site.
All the factors are just as important as each other to ensure that only the best NCAA baseball betting sites are recommended to you, with aspects like college baseball odds, mobile betting capability, and range of payment methods all scrutinized.
This gives you peace of mind that all our recommended college baseball betting sites are recommended for good reason.
Security
If a college baseball betting site isn’t licensed in the US, then you won’t find it on our recommendations list. All licensed and legal sportsbooks are safe to use, so those are the only ones you should sign up with.
Bonuses
The best NCAA baseball betting sites run regular promotions and bonuses that offer rewards such as free bets and odds boosts for wagering with them. College baseball bonuses are quite rare and are only offered during the postseason, when they’re worth up to $50.
Mobile apps
Many sportsbooks have an app that gives you the ability to place wagers on your phone in a state where that betting site has a license. The best college baseball sportsbook apps are available for both iPhone and Android, and run smoothly to ensure it’s simple to place sports bets.
College baseball odds
Better odds means higher returns on winning wagers, so it makes sense to use sportsbooks that give you good college baseball odds. No site has the best odds on every game so it’s important that they remain competitive.
Markets
A larger number of college baseball markets gives you more options when placing bets and allows you to diversify wagers. State restrictions plus general lack of interest in college baseball, at least compared to other sports, means the best sites have around 25 markets.
Live betting
Live betting allows you to wager on a game as it happens and the best online betting sites have good odds combined with a solid number of markets for in-play college baseball wagering. Some states do not allow live betting on college events so you should check whether yours does before trying to live bet.
Payment methods
There are many different deposit methods available to US bettors, such as VISA, Mastercard, PayPal, VIP Preferred, and Play+, and ideally you should be looking for a sportsbook that offers a wide range of ways to pay. Sites with three or more of the above methods get rated higher.
How to Bet on College Baseball
There are a few different concepts to wrap your head around before you start actually betting on college baseball, many of which can look confusing or daunting. Thankfully, we’re here to help you out.
All the information you need to bet on college baseball can be found here, such as what bet types are available, how to read NCAA baseball betting odds, plus a few tips to keep in mind.
Alternatively, use the links to jump directly to the section you want to read about.
Having a bet on college baseball is straightforward once you break it down into manageable steps – which is exactly what we have done with our guide below.
1
Choose legal US betting site
Select a college baseball sportsbook from our list of recommended betting sites and register with them.
2
Find the game you want to bet on
College baseball will usually be listed under the ‘baseball’ section of a sportsbook, with each Division I game generally available to bet on.
3
Decide which market
Analyze the two teams involved using freely available stats and decide what college baseball bet to place.
4
Compare odds
Shop around some other NCAA baseball betting sites to make sure you’re getting the best odds, or at least competitive ones.
5
Place your bet
Hit the ‘place bet’ button and then once the game has been played, it will be settled as a win, loss, or push.
How to Read College Baseball Odds
The default odds display is American style, which can lead to all manner of confusion for new bettors as they try to figure out what +275 means and whether -150 is good or bad. Thankfully, it’s not as complicated as it looks.
Odds that have a plus (+) in front of them shows the amount you would theoretically win from a $100 wager. This designates the underdog in a market.
The favorite side of the market has odds that begin with a minus (-) sign. This show how much you need to bet to win $100.
A popular alternative to American odds is the decimal format, which shows your total returns from a $1 wager. For example, +250 is 3.50 in decimal.
-110
Wager $110 to win $100 profit
+200
Wager $100 to win $200 profit
1.91
Wager $1 to win $1.91
3.0
Wager $1 to win $3
It is common to see -110 as a standard betting line for college baseball spreads and totals. You can read more about spreads and totals further down.
College Baseball Odds Comparison
College baseball odds differ depending on which sportsbook you use and even the same markets can have vastly different prices.
Most betting sites open markets with similar or even identical odds, then these fluctuate depending on a range of factors, such as whether there are injuries and how much money a site takes on a market.
We compared the odds for Ole Miss Rebels vs Oklahoma Sooners at four sportsbooks, looking at the moneyline and the run line.
bet365 offer the best odds on Ole Miss to win, with their +120 slightly outshining the +115 and +116 available at other sites. However, bet365’s -150 is a worse price than at the other three sportsbooks.
The run line offers a similar story, with Caesars, FanDuel, and DraftKings all -170 on the Rebels to cover -1.5 runs, but bet365 make up for this with the best price on the Sooners +1.5 runs at +145.
Caesars
FanDuel
bet365
DraftKings
Home – Ole Miss Rebels
+115
+116
+120
+115
Away – Oklahoma Sooners
-145
-142
-150
-145
Home run line
+1.5
-170
+1.5
-170
+1.5
-175
+1.5
-170
Away run line
-1.5
+140
-1.5
+138
-1.5
+145
-1.5
+140
Margin
4.7%
5%
4.4%
4.7%
Bet Types
It’s important to familiarize yourself with the various types of college baseball bets available to you as there are only a few, largely due to the lack of popularity of NCAA baseball combined with various state restrictions.
The main college baseball bet types you’ll encounter include the spread, points total, moneyline and player props, which is true of many sports that you can bet on in the US.
Run line
The run line is a handicap applied to the team you bet on, with the favorite starting on a negative and the underdog on a positive. This bet is usually called the spread in other sports and you may see it referred to as such on some college baseball betting sites.
Totals (over/under)
Totals is betting whether the number of runs scored in the game will be over or under the projection offered by the college baseball sportsbook. These markets are great if you’re not sure who’s going to win the game but you fancy it to be particularly high or low-scoring, then totals betting may be for you.
Moneyline
The moneyline is simply which team will win the game. It doesn’t matter if they win 1-0 or 10-0, all that matters is that the team you back wins. As with other college sports, NCAA baseball has reasonably heavy favorites in most games so there’s not usually much profit to be made from betting on college baseball moneylines unless you pick out an upset.
Player props
Player props are wagers on how well a specific player performs in a category, such as runs scored or number of times got on base. Like totals betting, you are given a projected line by the college baseball sportsbook and you decide whether the actual total will be over or under it.
Parlays
Parlay bets consist of selections from multiple, which gives you higher winnings than if you played them all as singles. However, whilst each added leg increases the return, it also decreases the chance of success. All selections have to win for a college baseball parlay to be successful.
Futures
Futures are bets that span the entire season rather than just a single game, allowing you to wager on the winner of a competition and maintain interest throughout it. The main college baseball futures that people like to bet on is the College World Series.
College Baseball Betting Tips and Advice
When betting on college baseball or any other sport, you should try to develop a strategy for your wagering otherwise it is extremely difficult to find winners with any sort of consistency.
Our tips and advice can help you out with this, but you have to understand that there is no guaranteed way to win every NCAA baseball bet and that losing is simply a part of the process.
Research both teams: College baseball stats are easy to access so at the very least you should be analyzing the teams playing in the game, including their best hitters and their ERA.
Stay disciplined: Don’t bet on something just because you like the look of it or because it’s your team. Try to objectively decide whether it’s a good value wager and don’t get carried away.
Know what you’re betting on: Make sure you understand exactly what outcome(s) you need for your bet to be successful. If you’re unsure, the sportsbook’s FAQs or live chat should be able to help you out.
Line shop: Get the best, or at least highly competitive, odds on your chosen college baseball betting markets as this ensures you get the most money from winning bets.
Avoid big parlays: It can be tempting to put a few heavy college baseball favorites into a parlay to create a bet with decent returns from a small stake, but every leg added decreases the chance of a successful parlay.
College Baseball Live Betting
Live betting ups the ante by allowing you to place bets whilst a college baseball game is happening, with every NCAA college betting site offering in-play capabilities to utilize.
Betting in-play offers you different markets and opportunities that aren’t really available pre-game as you can see how a team is playing and use that influence your wagers.
Odds will change often during games so if you want to live bet college baseball, you’ve got to be on the ball and ready to go. Betting sites impose a delay of a few seconds on live bets so this could lead to your bet being rejected if you’re not quick enough.
Some of the popular live college baseball betting markets include:
The College World Series is the ultimate prize in NCAA baseball and the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament, which runs throughout June.
A total of 64 from the 300 eligible colleges are selected to compete in the tournament through regional qualifiers, with the 16 winners advancing to the final brack to determine who will play in the College World Series.
Sportsbooks don’t put much stock into college baseball during the regular season but this changes for the College World Series, where there are plenty of futures including the overall winner and Most Outstanding Player award.
As well, betting sites offer regular boosted odds throughout the tournament that enhance your returns on pre-selected wagers.
Caesars Sportsbook is the best College World Series betting site in the US thanks to their consistently competitive odds and variety of markets available. They also run regular promotions that allow you to get money back as a free bet.
The Caesars mobile app is one of the best out there as it runs smoothly and efficiently, and is particularly good for live betting.
Top features: Early cash out, live streaming, same game parlay.
Available in: AZ, CO, IL, IN, IA, LA, MI, NJ, NY, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY
As with all sports, college baseball betting is legal in every state that offers online sports wagering. The unfortunate issue with NCAA sports is that many states restrict the markets available and colleges that can be bet on.
This means that a bet that is allowed in one state may not be legal in another one. Use the table below to find out if there are any college baseball betting restrictions where you are.
These laws only apply to the state you want to bet in, not the state where you registered or the state you live in (if they are all different).
State
College baseball betting restrictions
Arizona
No live betting; No player props
Arkansas
None
Colorado
No prop bets
Connecticut
No betting on CT college teams
Illinois
No mobile betting on IL college teams (in-person allowed).
Indiana
No in-play player props
Iowa
No player props
Louisiana
None
Michigan
None
Nevada
None
New Hampshire
No betting on NH college teams
New Jersey
No betting on NJ college teams; No betting on college games played in NJ.
New York
No betting on NY college teams, including futures; No player props on any game; No live betting
Oregon
No mobile betting on OR college teams (in-person at tribal casinos allowed)
Pennsylvania
None
Rhode Island
No betting on RI college teams; No betting on college games played in RI.
Tennessee
No player props; No in-play betting
Virginia
No betting on VA college teams; No player props
Washington DC
No betting on DC college teams; No betting on college games played in DC.
West Virginia
None
Wyoming
None
College Baseball History
The roots of college baseball go all the way back to the 1850s when the first intercollegiate game was played, although the rules have changed greatly since then.
The formation of the NCAA led to more organized competition and developed rules that shaped the way baseball is played not only in college, but professionally as well.
Unlike other sports, playing college baseball doesn’t propel young players straight into the major leagues. Instead, it provides the first step of development before the minor leagues and, eventually, MLB.
First college baseball game
Amherst College beats Williams College 73-72 in the first ever intercollegiate baseball game in 1859. This was played under “Massachusetts rules”, which was much more batter-friendly than today’s rules and resulted in high-scoring games.
Yale crowned first national champion
A tournament held at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago is won by Yale, who become national champions.
First College World Series
The first NCAA-organized tournament ends with California Golden Bears beating Yale 17-4 and 8-7 to take the College World Series crown.
College baseball attendance record set
The opening of Petco Park, home of MLB’s San Diego Padres, attracts 40,106 people to see San Diego State Aztecs beat Houston Cougars 4-0.
College Baseball Betting Sites to Avoid
The main thing to know when looking to bet on college baseball is to only ever use licensed and legal US sportsbooks. This ensures you can place wagers in the knowledge that your money will be safe and secure.
Offshore sportsbooks, usually based in the Caribbean, are allowed to accept US bettors but they have no legal obligations to the country – meaning they can simply keep your money or make you jump through hundreds of hoops to get it.
They often charge extortionate fees for depositing and withdrawing as well as usually only allowing you to use Bitcoin or other unstable cryptocurrencies to fund your account.
College baseball sportsbooks to avoid
Bovada
No US license
High deposit and withdrawal fees
No app
BetOnline
No US license
High minimum deposit
Withdrawal fees
MyBookie
No US license
High transaction fees
Withdrawals take over a week
Conclusion
College baseball is a popular US sport despite general declining viewership of baseball itself. Whilst the regular season isn’t always great for betting, the postseason presents plenty of wagering opportunities and good bonuses.
The College World Series is the main attraction by far, with over 1.5 million viewers every year, and this is the time when sportsbooks offer the best variety of betting markets as well as promos worth up to $100.
Every College Baseball Tournament game is available for betting, both pre-game and live, but state restrictions apply. For example, Arizona doesn’t allow live betting whilst bettors in Colorado can’t wager on player props.
FAQs
Where to bet on college baseball?
Many online betting sites offer college baseball, with the likes of DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook, and BetMGM the best ones available. You can find our list of recommended legal college baseball sportsbooks at the top of this page.
How to bet on college baseball?
Pick a legal college baseball betting site from our recommended list and register, following the steps to sign up and use the welcome bonus. Head to baseball section and choose ‘college’ or ‘NCAA’ to find the game, decide which market you want to bet on and choose your stake, then hit ‘place bet’.
Where can I bet on College World Series?
Individual College World Series lines are available ahead of each game, with sites such as DraftKings Sportsbook, BetMGM, and FanDuel Sportsbook offering moneyline, spread, and totals odds as well as futures.
What to look for when betting college baseball?
Ideally you should look for value bets, which are wagers that have a greater chance of coming in than the odds suggest. These bets give you the best chance of making long-term profit due to the positive expected value of them.
Where is college baseball betting legal?
College baseball betting is legal in every US state that offers online sports wagering, but there are some restrictions set out by each state. For instance, some states do not allow betting on in-state teams whilst others don’t let you bet on player props.
