College Basketball Odds: How to Bet on Opening Day of the CBB Season

College Basketball Odds: How to Bet on Opening Day of the CBB Season

The 2025-26 college basketball season officially opens in style this week with marquee matchups and a full slate of games to kick things off.

Two headline contests include BYU Cougars vs Villanova Wildcats and Florida Gators vs Arizona Wildcats - both of which will draw national attention as teams look to start strong.

The opening stretch of the season is always full of intrigue: new rosters, fresh coaching philosophies, and early indication of which programs are taking major leaps this year.

To help you join the action, several major sportsbooks including DraftKings, FanDuel, Bet365, and BetMGM are offering standout new-user promos.

Here’s a breakdown of the top offers followed by how to bet these Opening Day games - including the specific markets you’ll find and what to look out for.

DraftKings Promo – Bet $5, Get $300 + 3 Months NBA League Pass

See below how you can claim the DraftKings epic new-user promo for today's opening day slate:

Step One: CLICK HERE or head to DraftKings to register a new account.

Step Two: Deposit $5 or more into your DraftKings account.

Step Three: Place a $5 bet on any CBB market (you can use this on one of the Opening Day games).

Step Four: If your bet wins, you’ll receive $300 in bonus bets instantly.

Step Five: If your first qualifying wager is at minimum odds of -500 or longer, DraftKings will issue your NBA League Pass code (good for three months of free access).

FanDuel Promo – Bet $5, Get $150

FanDuel is also offering one of the best new customer promotions right now. See below how to claim it:

Step one: CLICK HERE or Visit FanDuel and register a new account.

Step Two: Deposit at least $5 into your FanDuel Sportsbook account.

Step Three: Wager $5 on any market - including one of the Opening Day CBB games.

Step Four: If your wager wins, you’ll receive $150 in bonus bets via the promo.

Bet365 Promo – $200 Bonus for New Customers

New customers ate Bet365 can use code 'CHECK' to unlock $200 in Bonus Bets:

Step One: CLICK HERE or head to Bet365’s website to make sure you qualify.

Step Two: Register a new Bet365 account using the promo code ‘CHECK’.

Step Three: Deposit $10 and then wager $5 on any CBB market.

Step Four: If your wager wins, you’ll receive $200 in bonus bets.

BetMGM Promo – Bet $10, Get $150 (MI/NJ/PA/WV) / First-Bet Offer Up to $1,500 (All Other States)

For Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia:

Step One: CLICK HERE or Register a new account at BetMGM.

Step Two: Deposit $10.

Step Three: Place your first $10 bet on any Opening Day CBB market.

Step Four: If that bet wins, you receive $150 in bonus bets in addition to your cash winnings.

For all other states (First-Bet Offer):

Step One: Visit BetMGM (enter bonus code OCMAX1500 if prompted).

Step Two: Deposit between $10 and $1,500.

Step Three: Place your first qualifying wager (straight, parlay, SGP etc).

Step Four: If it wins: you keep your profits + original stake. If it loses: BetMGM refunds your original wager as bonus bets (up to $1,500).

Odds for Gators vs Wildcats Opening Day Game

Here are the latest odds for the Florida vs Arizona matchup today:

Florida Gators vs Arizona Wildcats

• Spread: Gators -3 (-110), +3 (-110)
• Total: O164 (-110), U164 (-110)
• Moneyline: Gators -165, Wildcats +143

How to Bet – Popular Betting Markets for College Basketball

Here are the main markets you’ll see and how to approach them:

• Moneyline – Simply pick the team you believe will win the game outright.
• Point Spread – One team will be giving (-) points or getting (+) points; e.g., Villanova -4 means they must win by 5+ for a winner ticket.
• Total Points (Over/Under) – Bet on whether the combined score of both teams will be over or under a set number.
• Player Props – These include individual player performances: points scored, rebounds, assists, three-point makes, etc.
• Same Game Parlays (SGPs) – Combine multiple bets from the same opening-day game (e.g., BYU to win + Over 145.5 points + Player X 18+ points) for higher potential payout - but every leg must hit.
• Live Betting – As conference season begins, watch for momentum swings, early foul trouble or injuries that open up second-half live-bet value.