When it comes to betting on your favorite in-state college teams, some states allow it — and others, well, it’s complicated.
Fortunately, Maryland sports fans are free to bet on any and all Maryland college teams, no matter where they play. With March Madness right around the corner, that fact is more important than ever.
Maryland allows betting on college sports
Maryland sports betting has been legal for more than a year now, though online sports betting only became available last November. And from the start, bettors in The Old Line State have been able to place wagers on in-state colleges and universities.
Maryland bettors have it pretty good. There are no restrictions when it comes to betting on sports. Well, except one. High school games are all off limits. You’ll find that restriction in every state that allows betting on sports.
Several states prohibit betting on college teams. For example, in New Jersey, you can bet on college sports, just not on any games involving college teams from New Jersey. The state even prohibits betting on New Jersey teams when they’re playing in other states.
Similar states include New Hampshire, New York, Oregon and South Dakota. Others allow betting on college sports only at retail venues, while others prohibit all online betting.
Maryland Terrapins a popular bet
Maryland bettors love to place bets on the University of Maryland Terrapins — mainly football and basketball. Other sports at the university are available at certain times of the year or at specific sportsbooks. For instance, DraftKings and FanDuel both offered odds and lines for University of Maryland baseball games during the regionals of the NCAA Tournament. And thanks to the PointsBet partnership with U of M, bettors can take advantage of plenty of Terrapin-specific promos in 2023.
The University of Maryland is a Big Ten school known for its competitive men’s and women’s basketball teams. College basketball betting lines and odds can be found on any of the legally sanctioned sportsbooks available in the state. They all also offer betting on Terrapin football, a team that posted a surprising 8-5 record last season.
The most basic way to get involved in all the action is to bet on a team’s money line. But that’s not all. Sports bettors can also bet on point spreads, player props and futures bets.
College sporting events that interest sports bettors
From hometown teams to national sporting events, Maryland’s sports scene has got it all for spectators. There are nine local colleges and universities in Maryland playing NCAA Division I sports.
- Coppin State University
- Loyola University Maryland
- University of Maryland
- University of Maryland Eastern Shore
- Morghan State University
- Mount St. Mary’s University
- United States Naval Academy
- Towson University
- University of Maryland Baltimore County
March Madness
Last March was the first year Marylanders were allowed to bet on March Madness games. Casino kiosks and betting windows were packed with sports betting fans.
Expect the same this year, though Maryland bettors can now place wagers online as well.
Terrapins basketball betting got off to an electric start in the early part of the season, when the team scored at least 70 points in each of their first three wins. Forward Julian Reese and guard Jahmir Young lead the team. The team still faces heavyweights like Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio State. Still, Maryland’s chances look good. They have a solid roster, and we all know that anything can happen in the month of March.
The Maryland women’s basketball team is also one of the top teams in the nation and should pose a credible threat come March.
Bowl season
Since its establishment in 1892, the University of Maryland has appeared in 29 bowl games. Included in these games are three appearances in the Orange Bowl, one in the Sugar Bowl, and one Bowl Championship Series (BCS) game appearance in the 2002 Orange Bowl.
College football betting in Maryland and beyond will explode when the BCS playoff expands to 12 teams in the 2024 season.
National Invitation Tournament (NIT)
The NIT is an annual postseason tournament in college basketball for teams that don’t make it into the NCAA Tournament. The NIT is formatted as a single elimination bracket. Thirty-two teams compete in it and there are five rounds of action.
The Basketball Classic
This sporting event, formerly known as the Collegeinsider.com tournament, is a postseason Division I college basketball tournament. It consists of 32 men’s college basketball teams that did not make the NCAA or NIT tournaments.
Other betting opportunities
Of course, there are a multitude of other college sports available to wager on in Maryland, like volleyball and soccer.
Incidentally, the Maryland Terrapins men’s soccer team is among the winningest programs in NCAA history, creating even more appeal lately for wagering on college sports.
