bet365 is offering full payouts to March Madness bettors whose teams go up by 10 points during the First Four and the Round of 64, no matter the final score.
All bets placed from the Round of 32 through the championship game will also be graded as winners if the bettor’s team goes up by at least 15 points.
Key Takeaways
- The deal applies to pre-game moneyline bets and parlay legs.
- Losing teams will still be graded as winners if they go up by the required amount.
- Michigan, Duke installed as tournament favorites.
Winning is Everything. pic.twitter.com/UNTECntUmG
— bet365 US (@bet365_us) March 17, 2026
The annual college basketball tournament is renowned for its untamed unpredictability.
bet365 is taking some of the guesswork out of the tournament predictions with its new early-cash feature that pays customers whose teams jump out to an early lead, even if they go on to lose the game.
The deal is available to all customers who place pre-game moneyline bets for any matchup in March Madness. Customers only need their team to take a 10-point lead during the First Four and the Round of 64, or a 15-point lead in all of the following rounds through the national title game, to win their wager.
Action on college basketball games outside of March Madness will also be counted as a success if the selected team takes an 18-point lead.
So, if Siena does the unthinkable and takes an early 12-2 lead on Duke as a +1,900 underdog, Siena moneyline bettors will still receive a “win” on their bet slip even if the national championship favorites end up cruising to victory.
If Florida leads Houston 40-24 at halftime of the Elite Eight but capitulates and is knocked out of the bracket, Florida moneyline bettors will receive their winnings as if UF had won the matchup.
Parlay bettors who include moneyline legs will also have their selection graded as a win, with the remaining selections left to settle based on their outcome.
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Rewarding customers
bet365 is known for offering early payouts in various sports.
The sportsbook has previously offered full payouts for moneyline bets on any NFL team that went up by 17 points, also regardless of the final outcome. It has done the same in soccer (two goals), NBA (20 points), MLB (five runs), and NHL (three goals).
The only instance in which a March Madness bettor will not receive an early payout if their moneyline selection takes the appropriate lead is if the bet was already cashed out.
Under its terms and conditions, bet365 “will aim to settle all qualifying bets and have funds credited into account(s) within 15 minutes.”
The offer will be available to college basketball bettors until tip off in the March Madness national championship game on April 6. The sportsbooks also plans to offer additional promotions throughout the tournament.
Tight March Madness odds
This is shaping up to be one of the closest tournaments of all time.
Under bet365’s March Madness odds, Duke (+325), Michigan (+350), and Arizona (+400) are the betting favorites. Last year’s defending champion, Florida (+750), is the only other team with odds shorter than +1,000.
Houston (+1,000), Iowa State (+1,800), Illinois (+2,200), and Purdue (+2,000) are next, followed by the 2023 and 2024 March Madness winner, UConn (+2,800).
