March Madness 2025 Gambling Thread

[albionmoonlight]

This year, I fully detached from college basketball. Not some protest thing. Real life just took over. So I have no idea about any of the teams.

But I live in the heart of college bb country, so the games will be on the office TVs, etc. And it's always fun to have a rooting interest, so I started this thread.

Feel free to discuss whatever gambling you would like as the thread evolves.

For now, I'd love it if people threw me a couple of good upsets to root for. A few "bet $10 to win $50 and go to a nice lunch" games or parlays during the first rounds.

I'm empty headed enough that I won't get in my own way with my own predictions, so I might actually have a shot this year :-)

[Lathum]

My advice from decades of sports betting is don’t bet parlays.

[Lathum]

Watching the selection show the one that stood out to me was Grand Canyon vs Maryland. The
Terps suffered a rough loss in the conference tournament. Grand Canyon is really athletic and won 30 games this year. They have a Florida gulf coast feel from a while back.

[Lathum]

Grand Canyon is +420

[bhlloy]

I’ll be in Vegas for the first time after nearly 20 years of wanting to go, so keep the advice coming.

I was all on on UCSD (wife is an alum and it’s just a cool as hell story) but Michigan coming off the big ten title has dampened that a bit. With that being said I can still see 12 v 13 there with Yale and them going to the sweet 16, convince me I’m crazy.

[Lathum]

Me and my friends used to do March madness in Vegas every year. Where you staying? You doing any watch parties?

[bhlloy]

Yeah, we are staying and doing the watch party for Thurs/Fri at the Cosmo. Eyewateringly expensive trip, but something I've wanted to do since I first moved to the US so shrug.

[NobodyHere]

I don't follow basketball at all but I run a game at the office where you get assigned random teams and as they win then you win money.

It's entirely luck based and I like it because it gives people who normally don't watch basketball teams to cheer for.

[B & B]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

Yeah, we are staying and doing the watch party for Thurs/Fri at the Cosmo. Eyewateringly expensive trip, but something I've wanted to do since I first moved to the US so shrug.

Cosmo has a great central location to most anything on the Strip. The table games at night used to come with entertainment which was fun and uhhh distracting. Decent poker room too but that was around the time that we had the world Covid meltdown. Have a blast.

[Lathum]

I'm not the biggest fan to the Cosmo, too fancy for me. Not sure when you are getting in to town but if you are looking for a fun spot with relatively low table limits take an Uber to the Southpoint. They have a nice sportsbook and poker room as well.

If you venture off property I like watching games at the Times Square Bar in NYNY and TAP in MGM Grand.

The Westgate is also really fun. Huge sportsbook and the energy is always great, especially with the first to 15 bets, which are super fun to do.

[B & B]

Goes without saying if youre doing any serious betting, westgate is a mandatory stop. Actually had some decent luck at the tables there and the rooms are comparable. By far the best odds on futures or outrights for the tourney, MLB, or even next years SB.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

Yeah, we are staying and doing the watch party for Thurs/Fri at the Cosmo. Eyewateringly expensive trip, but something I've wanted to do since I first moved to the US so shrug.

So how was the weekend?

[bhlloy]

Honestly not worth the money we spent on it. Not sure if it was the crowd or the fact that it was the most chalky and least exciting first two days I can remember, but it was very subdued and not at all what I expected. I’ve had much more fun watching it with coworkers in a Buffalo Wild Wings in the past.

Live and learn and glad I did it, scratch one off the bucket list. But doubt I’ll do it again.