Online sports betting in North Carolina is now in play. That means top sportsbooks are offering betting markets for all major sports and many lesser popular ones online for Tar Heel bettors.
For those just getting started, it’s important to understand that the odds are at the heart of sports betting. Sports betting odds and betting lines are set by experienced professionals and are subject to adjustments leading up to the contest. They also affect the amount of potential winnings on any given bet.
Below, we lay out the basics of NC sportsbook odds, how they work and how to find the best lines before placing a bet.
What Sports Betting Odds Are Available In North Carolina?
North Carolina loves its sports. From the NFL, NBA, and NHL to soccer, auto racing, golf, and college football and basketball, the state has everything a sports lover would want to bet on.
Major Professional Sports
All major sports are represented in North Carolina except for the MLB. The Panthers (NFL) and Hornets (NBA) both play in Charlotte, while the Hurricanes (NHL) call Raleigh home. Charlotte is one of just three cities that have teams in the NFL and NBA, but not the MLB. It’s certainly an attractive location should Major League Baseball decide to expand in the future.
With young superstars like Christian McCaffrey, LaMelo Ball, and Sebastian Aho, North Carolina pro sports have a bright future, and are attractive for locals to place bets.
Soccer Odds
Soccer is a true global sport, and has deep roots in North Carolina. Legendary coach Anson Dorrance built the greatest women’s NCAA soccer program of all-time at UNC, and the College Cup is regularly hosted in Cary, NC. The North Carolina Courage have been part of the NWSL since 2017 also play in Cary, and Charlotte FC recently brought MLS to the state for their first season in 2022.
NASCAR and PGA Odds
Auto racing runs in North Carolina’s blood. The state is home to NASCAR headquarters, and also hosts the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Charlotte Motor Speedway sits 13 miles outside Charlotte in Concord, NC and regularly hosts the Coca-Cola 600 and Bank of America Roval 600. The track also regularly hosts all manner of auto races including NHRA, and truck races.
North Carolina is also home to world class golf. Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte hosted the PGA Championship in 2017, and will do so again in 20225. It recently hosted the President’s Cup in 2022. The Wyndham Championship is the state’s oldest professional golf event, and continues to be a popular PGA Tour stop. It is annually hosted by Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C.,
College Sports Odds
If the state sport of North Carolina isn’t auto racing, then it is probably college basketball. Tobacco Road is famous for its college hoops powerhouses including Duke, UNC, North Carolina State, and Wake Forest. Betting on March Madness in North Carolina is very popular, as the state always has several local colleges participating.
In total, there are a whopping 19 NCAA Division 1 basketball teams in the state. Besides the previous four powerhouses, there are Davidson, Campbell, High Point, UNC- Wilmington, UNC-Asheville, UNC-Greensboro, Charlotte, East Carolina, Elon, Gardner-Webb, North Carolina A&T, North Carolina Central, Queens University.
The state also features college football at the highest levels, although not quite as successfully as their basketball counterparts. Duke, UNC, NC State, and Wake Forest all compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference for football. Appalachian State in Boone, NC is a smaller school, but is a powerhouse football program having beaten the likes of Michigan and Texas A&M in recent seasons.
What Affects Sports Betting Odds Throughout A Season?
Oddsmaking is both an art and a science, and it’s why sportsbooks employ professionals to set and adjust the numbers they post. It’s important to remember that the primary goal for a sportsbook is to take in equal amounts of money on both sides of any line. This way, the book never loses money as they charge bettors a small percentage to make any bet known as the vig.
Once lines are set, adjustments are made based on any number of factors, both qualitative and quantitative. Things like recent performance obviously factor in as do significant changes like a major trade, injury, or severe weather in the forecast. Other things like major travel, game time, or rest differences are often overlooked by casual bettors, but are certainly factored in by oddsmakers.
The other major reason lines move is the flow of money by bettors. If too much money is coming in on one side, say the favorite, it signals to the oddsmakers that the line should be changed so more bettors will pick the underdog. In other words, If money continually comes in only on one side, it signals that the line has been placed incorrectly or should be changed.
Types Of Sports Bets
It’s natural for prospective bettors to feel excited, but also intimidated about making their first venture into North Carolina sports betting. One place to begin is by differentiating between a straight bet and a futures bet.
A straight bet is a wager on a single game. A futures bet is a wager on a team winning something, as the name implies, in the future like a division, conference, or championship. Futures odds are released early in the offseason, often the day after the championship concludes.
It’s important for new bettors to have a strong grasp of the basics before making any betting picks or predictions. And just as important as the sports gambling odds is knowing what different types of bets are available.
Moneyline
Perhaps the simplest type of wager, a moneyline bet requires a bettor to pick the winner of a contest. Sometimes a draw is among the options, and is something for to check on for sports that can end in a tie.
In moneyline wagers, the team considered most likely to win will have a minus (-) sign associated with its odds, i.e. -120. In this case, a bettor would pay $120 dollars in order to net $100 in the event of a win. The team considered most likely to lose will be denoted with a plus (+) sign. In this case, a bettor would pay $100 for the chance to net $120.
The larger the number, the likelier a suggested outcome will ultimately occur. For example, a team favored at -1000 is more likely to win its matchup than a team favored at -120. The same concept applies to underdogs.
Point Spread
A point spread bet has similarities to moneyline wagers, but goes a step further. In this wager, a bettor doesn’t just pick a winner. A bettor must pick a team to finish within or outside of a set range or “spread”.
Underdogs and favorites are still represented with a plus or minus sign, respectively. If a team is favored at -4, it must win by five points or more. Conversely, an underdog listed at +4 must lose by three or fewer in order to “cover.” If the difference in either scenario is exactly 4 points, the game is a “push” and the bettor would neither win nor lose any money.
Over/Under (Totals)
In an Over/Under — or “totals” — wager, a bettor will make a prediction on whether the combined score between two teams in a single game will combine to finish above a set number (over) or below that set number (under).
If the Over/Under for an NFL game is 48.5, a bettor siding with the Over wants to see both teams combine for 49 or more points. Someone less bullish on the offensive exploits will want to bet that the final tally will finish no higher than 48. This is another bet that can end in a push depending on the line.
Parlay Bet
Parlay bets offer an exciting degree of excitement, but with increased risk. A parlay ticket involves multiple bets, and each one must hit in order for a ticket to win. The potential monetary earnings increase in line with the number of bets added to a ticket. In other words, the higher the reward, the higher the risk and the lower the chances of actually winning.
Even one losing bet on a ticket — even if it’s by half a point — equates to a parlay loss. This is what makes parlays inherently more risky than a straight bet. Different sportsbooks allow for different bets to be included together in a parlay such as moneylines, spreads, totals, or even individual player or team props.
Parlay calculators are a helpful tool for those looking to keep track of the changing odds on a ticket.
Prop Bets
In a proposition or “prop” wager, someone bets that a certain event will occur in a game or that events will occur in a certain order. Prop bets are often a great way for bettors to place wagers on individual players.
For instance, in a football game someone could bet on a player scoring a touchdown at any point during the game or even that a certain player will be the first to score in a game. These types of bets offer variety and a fun outlet for bettors who want to dive into games from different angles.
Prop bets can be made for a single game, or even an entire season. For example, one could bet on a football player rushing for over 90.5 yards in a single game, or over 950 total yards in a season.
Live In-Game Betting
Live in-game betting odds is a feature that is rapidly growing in popularity among sports bettors. Mobile sportsbook apps have seen how excited the market is about live in-game betting and are anxious to offer the feature on their platforms.
This feature allows bettors to wager on odds that adjust in real time as a sporting event is taking place. Bettors should be sure to understand the fine print on whichever app they are using as there may be certain restrictions associated with this relatively new feature.
Live betting often requires the use of an app or device, and is not always available at all sportsbooks.
NC sportsbooks with the best odds
Here’s a look at some of the best NC sportsbook bonuses currently available and what North Carolina sports bettors can expect in the future.
DraftKings Sportsbook North Carolina
- Promo offer: DraftKings Sportsbook NC new customer offer: Get up to $1,300 in Bonuses. It’s a 3-part deal:
- $50 Bonus Bet with $5 deposit
- $250 in Bonus Bets with $5 opening wager;
- 20% Match up to $1,000
- Available platforms: Users of both iOS and Android will be able to find the app in each operators’ respective app stores.
- How are the odds? Like other successful sportsbooks, DraftKings Sportsbook will offer attractive odds. As one of the major online sportsbooks, they are becoming market setters in the oddsmaking department.
- Learn more in our DraftKings North Carolina review
BetMGM Sportsbook North Carolina
- Bonus offer: BetMGM dubs itself the “King of Sportbooks” and offers new users Up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets if your First Bet Loses
- One New Customer Offer Only. Add’l terms apply.
- Available platforms: BetMGM is available on Android and iOS platforms.
- How are the odds? As one of the major players in the industry, BetMGM offers competitive odds on all major American sports and more.
- Learn more in our BetMGM North Carolina review.
Caesars Sportsbook North Carolina
- Promo offer: Caesars Sportsbook offers new NC customers Bet $10, Get $250 in bonus bets.
- Your first bet after registration must be $10 or more to qualify; Bonus is awarded as five $50 bet credits.
- Available platforms: Caesars is accessible to both iOS and Android users via each platform’s app store.
- How are the odds? Caesars provides competitive odds on a variety of sports. Whether North Carolinians want to bet on the Charlotte Hornets, Carolina Panthers, or even New Zealand in a cricket match, they will be able to find odds via Caesars.
- Learn more in our Caesars North Carolina review
Fanatics Sportsbook North Carolina
- Promo offer: Fanatics Sportsbook offers new NC customers the chance to Bet and Get up to $1,000 in Bonus Bets
- Your first bet after registration must be $5 or more to qualify.
- Available platforms: The Fanatics app is available for both iOS and Android devices. Note that Fanatics Sportsbook has no web-based browser site available, which means it is only accessible via the app.
- How are the odds? Fanatics’ odds are generally close to what you find at other books without too much divergence. Whether North Carolinians want to bet on the Charlotte Hornets, Carolina Panthers, or even New Zealand in a cricket match, they will be able to find odds via Caesars.
- Learn more in our Fanatics North Carolina review
North Carolina Sports Betting Odds FAQs
Betting lines, gambling odds, or whatever term one wants to use, is the core of NC sports betting. The betting line is the number on which someone placing a wager will base his or her decision. Whether it’s the spread, moneyline, futures odds, or something else, the betting line is the foundation of the action.
Odds and scores for upcoming sports contests are available online and on apps. Individual sportsbooks will have their odds for bettors to use. Scores can be found through a number of outlets, both mobile and desktop. League apps and sports media apps are reliable places to find scores.
Since the odds for an event or occurrence within an event are constantly changing and subject to adjustments, we wouldn’t suggest that any particular sportsbook has the “best” odds. Bettors are encouraged to take some time to peruse the market’s offerings to find the best price on a particular bet as they can vary from book to book.
Unfortunately, no. Online sports betting is not yet legal in North Carolina. There are three retail sportsbook locations in the state where you can place bets in person: Harrah’s Cherokee Casino, Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino, and Catawba Two Kings Casino.
You have to be 21 years of age or older to enter the retail casinos, which is also the age you need to be to place a bet. This is the typical age across most of the United States.
Live betting odds and lines change in real time during a sporting contest. For example, if a team enters a game as a -150 favorite, but falls into a first-quarter deficit, the odds may adjust to -105. If a bettor still likes the same team, he or she can bet on that team at a much friendlier price.
No, not at this time. The three retail sportsbooks in North Carolina currently do not offer live betting. You can only place bets before a game starts at an in-person booth or a self-service kiosk at the sportsbook on the casino floor.
There are a number of places to find Las Vegas betting odds and lines. Bettors do not need to concern themselves with the “best” place, however, as the book with the best odds one day may not be the book with the best odds the next. The best thing for bettors to do is to utilize multiple sportsbook apps, and compare odds across those platforms.
Yes. These aren’t the most common types of wagers, but for many big events, bettors can often find prop bets that are not game-related offerings. For instance, Super Bowl betting is so popular that a bettor can find prop bets on the coin toss or even if a particular celebrity will be shown throughout the broadcast. These bets will vary from sportsbook to sportsbook.
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