Many bet365 customers had a picture-perfect start to March Madness betting, scoring massive payouts on Siena and McNeese thanks to the sportsbook’s early payout promotion.
Key Takeaways
- One Siena moneyline bettor won more than $19,000 thanks to the sportsbook's early payout on +2,200 odds.
- McNeese was a +550 underdog but went up by 11 points in less than five minutes.
- bet365 locked moneyline odds for two 16-seeds following the early results.
Siena was one of March Madness' largest underdogs, with +2,200 pregame moneyline odds ahead of its Round of 64 showdown with Duke. Those odds translated to an implied 4.4% chance to win the game.
It took less than 10 minutes for the Saints to surge ahead to a 10-point lead, going up 26-16 with 10:21 remaining in the first half. They also became the first 16-seed ever to take a double-digit advantage into halftime, entering the break ahead 43-32.
Duke’s twin pairing of Cameron and Cayden Boozer ultimately led the Blue Devils back to secure their spot in the next round with a 71-65 victory. However, bet365 customers who picked Siena got to watch the final 30 minutes sweat-free.
That included one user who turned an $835 wager into more than $19,000 in winnings.
WOW!!!🤯 https://t.co/pnq9mR1seW pic.twitter.com/TcuNRiESAD
— bet365 Canada (@bet365ca) March 19, 2026
bet365 showed its generosity again during 12-seed McNeese’s showdown with SEC runner-up Vanderbilt.
The Cowboys were +550 on the moneyline in March Madness odds just before tipoff. It didn’t take long for those to age poorly, as McNeese only needed 4:47 to race ahead to a 16-5 lead.
Like Siena, the underdogs were competitive all game but failed to close out their opponent. Still, their hot start resulted in huge cashouts for brave customers.
When you bet every underdog ML on the board because of the @bet365_us 10-point early win payout 💡
— Covers (@Covers) March 19, 2026
McNeese ML +550 ✅
Siena ML +2200 ✅
Sign up now with bet365 to take advantage 🚨
🔗 https://t.co/1XbQVFtSRF https://t.co/nn98iPqOLE pic.twitter.com/BgNbaHZXc9
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bet365 customers rake in winnings
bet365 is known for offering early payouts for moneyline markets in multiple sports. However, it normally sets the required threshold much higher than just 10 points.
By 5 p.m. ET on Thursday - about five hours after the first Round of 64 game got underway - the sportsbook had locked moneyline odds for 16-seeds Howard (facing No. 1 Michigan) and Long Island University (against No. 1 Arizona).
No. 16 Prairie View A&M, taking on defending champion and No. 1 seed Florida, briefly had its moneyline odds locked, although they reopened at +2,500.
bet365’s early payout promotion is and remains available to customers for every team all throughout March Madness. That includes underdogs and favorites.
EARLY PAYOUT UPDATE 🚨
— Covers (@Covers) March 19, 2026
✅ TCU (+112 ML)
✅ Nebraska (-1400 ML)
✅ Louisville (-170 ML)
✅ Wisconsin (-650 ML)
If you put a $100 parlay on these teams to win, you would already have won $316 🤝
What a promotion at @bet365_us 💰pic.twitter.com/rQqjy1zyUQ https://t.co/zW4sRZidG5
Starting with the Round of 32 on Saturday through to the final, the 10-point minimum will increase to 15. This was always included in the terms and conditions of the promotion.
Moneyline bets for college basketball games outside the NCAA Tournament are also eligible for early payouts if a team goes up by 18 points. This will remain in place until March Madness ends on April 6.
Early upsets
Last year’s NCAA Tournament was a historic year for favorites. Four No. 1 seeds, three 2-seeds, and one No. 3 seed reached the Elite Eight, and there was a general lack of upsets across the board.
While early-payout heroes Siena and McNeese failed to win their matchups, the most unexpected early Thursday matchup involved 12-seed High Point, which never held a double-digit lead against 5-seed Wisconsin. The Panthers, who were about +400 underdogs, squeaked out a one-point win behind 23 points and 10 rebounds from Rob Martin and a game-winner from Chase Johnston.
The only other upset of the early period came in the first matchup as TCU, a 2.5-point dog, took down Ohio State, 66-64.
