March Madness Round 1 delivers four compelling matchups between 12 and 2 PM ET on Friday, March 20, featuring potential upsets like Santa Clara challenging Kentucky and Akron taking on Texas Tech. New users can capitalize on these early tournament games with the bet365 bonus code offer, which provides $365 in bonus bets when you wager just $10 on any of these March Madness contests.
This welcome promotion requires the bonus code COVERS in most states or CVSBONUS in Colorado, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee, making it an ideal opportunity to explore sportsbook promos during college basketball's most exciting tournament.
Bet $10, Get $365, Win or Lose
Code: COVERS
Code: CVSBONUS (CO, IL, NJ, PA & TN only)
bet365 bonus code delivers $365 in March Madness betting credits
The bet365 bonus code promotion offers new users $365 in bonus bets after placing a qualifying $10 wager on Friday's March Madness games, win or lose. This welcome offer requires entering COVERS during registration in most states, while users in Colorado, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee must use CVSBONUS instead. Your initial bet must include at least one selection with odds of -500 or greater and settle within seven days of claiming the offer.
Key terms for this promotion include:
- Minimum $10 qualifying deposit required
- Initial wager must be placed within 30 days of activation
- Bonus credits expire seven days after being issued
- Available to legal gambling age residents in eligible states
For example, if you bet $10 on Kentucky to cover the spread against Santa Clara and win, you receive your original stake plus winnings, along with $365 in bonus bets to use on future March Madness games. If your Kentucky bet loses, you still receive the full $365 in bonus credits, providing excellent value for exploring tournament betting opportunities like the Akron-Texas Tech upset special or Arizona's dominant opener against Long Island University.
What our experts say about Friday's games
In addition to the picks below, be sure to check out all of our expert NCAAB picks.
Santa Clara vs. Kentucky: Otega Oweh o22.5 Points (-110)
Kentucky’s transition offense is elite, scoring an absurd 1.44 points per play (99th percentile). That’s where Oweh thrives as he’s responsible for team-leading 7% of Kentucky’s transition scoring. Santa Clara, meanwhile, allows 1.28 points per play in transition (one of the worst nationally).
Santa Clara vs. Kentucky predictions
Akron vs. Texas Tech: TTU -8.0 (-116)
Try to find somewhere for Akron to go on offense. Transition where they are overly reliant? Texas Tech clamps that at the 99th percentile. Other key tenets of their offense, like attack and kick actions, are also shut down at the 90th percentile.
Akron vs. Texas Tech predictions
Long Island vs. Arizona: Shadrak Lasu o5.5 Rebounds (-120)
In what should be a blowout, there's value in backing LIU players on their props. The Wildcats play at a blistering pace and once they build a big lead, they could rest some of their top players and won't be quite as locked in. LIU forward Shadrak Lasu has grabbed at least six boards in 11 of his last 15 games, averaging 7.1 rpg over that span.
The Sharks have an extremely small lineup, and Lasu is easily their biggest player at 6-foot-9. They'll need him on the court as much as possible against Arizona's imposing frontcourt.
Long Island University vs. Arizona predictions
Wright State vs. Virginia: Wright State u63.5 Team Total (-120)
The Wright State offense is so rim-driven, and you’re looking at a team in UVA that has been one of the elite teams in the country this season defensively at the rim. Ask Duke’s Cam Boozer, who went 3/17 against them in the ACC Tournament Championship game.
Wright State vs. Virginia predictions
Use the correct bet365 bonus code for your state
| bet365 Bonus Code | Eligible States |
| COVERS | AZ, IN, IA, KA, KY, LA, NC, NJ, OH, VA |
| CVSBONUS | CO, IL, MO, NJ, TN, PA |
Best bet365 NCAA Boosts
All Users
- Santa Clara vs Kentucky: Both teams to score 35+ points in the 1st half (+140 -> +200)
- Covers 'All Day Parlay' Boost: Santa Clara, Akron, Tennessee, and Miami (FL) all to win (+1488 -> +1780)
- NCAAB Early Payout: Get your moneyline bet paid out if your team goes up by 10 points on all First Round games
How to claim your March Madness bet365 promotion
Claiming your bet365 welcome offer for Friday's early March Madness games follows a straightforward four-step process that gets you betting quickly on these compelling tournament matchups.
- Register for a new bet365 account using bonus code COVERS in most states or CVSBONUS in Colorado, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee
- Make a minimum $10 qualifying deposit using your preferred payment method
- Place your first $10 wager on any of Friday's 12-2 PM games, ensuring at least one selection has odds of -500 or greater
- Receive $365 in bonus bets within seven days, regardless of whether your initial wager wins or loses
Once you complete these steps, you can use your bonus credits on additional March Madness markets throughout the tournament. For detailed information about bet365's features and betting options, check out our comprehensive bet365 review.
More bet365 Sportsbook promos, bonuses, and offers
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