The 2025 March Madness betting odds have been somewhat steady since the start of the men’s NCAA Division 1 Tournament. The big guns are still alive after the first two rounds, so picking the winner is tough!
I’ll take a look at the NCAA championship odds for the 2024-2025 season, and break down the favorites and the sleepers. Then, I’ll give you my March Madness predictions at the end of this article!
2024-2025 NCAA Championship Odds
The following men’s March Madness odds are courtesy of Bovada:
| TEAM | ODDS |
|---|---|
| Duke Blue Devils | +220 |
| Florida Gators | +375 |
| Auburn Tigers | +500 |
| Houston Cougars | +500 |
| Alabama Crimson Tide | +1600 |
| Tennessee Volunteers | +1600 |
| Michigan State Spartans | +2200 |
| Texas Tech Red Raiders | +2200 |
| Maryland Terrapins | +3000 |
| Arizona Wildcats | +3500 |
Following the Round of 32, not much has changed at the top of the odds board at college basketball betting sites! As was the case when in the pre-tournament prices, there are four teams who are a cut above the rest.
The Duke Blue Devils (+220) remain the team to beat, as they hold a 31.3% implied probability to win it all this season. Duke had +250 odds to win March Madness 2025 before their first game, so not much has changed! Following Duke, the Florida Gators (+375) check in with a 21.1% chance of winning.
Florida opened the tournament at +300, so they’ve regressed slightly. Meanwhile, the Auburn Tigers (+500) have slid down a bit from +550 to +500, while the Houston Cougars (+500) March Madness odds have improved from pre-tournament odds of +650.
You can find these NCAA Tournament odds at Bovada by going to Sports > Basketball > College Basketball Futures > Men’s Basketball Tournament.
Top March Madness 2025 Favorites
Let’s tip things off by looking at the favorites in this season’s March Madness odds!
Duke Blue Devils (+230)
The Blue Devils finished 31-3 for the season, 19-1 in the ACC, and they won the ACC Tournament for the 23rd time! Despite missing star freshman Cooper Flagg, Duke beat Georgia Tech, North Carolina, and Louisville to prove they’re the class of the conference.
Sweet 16 up next‼️
🍬🍭🍫🍩🍭🍫🍬🍫🍭🍩🍪🍩🍫🍩🍬🍪🕺😈 pic.twitter.com/qJymcRqlOB
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) March 23, 2025
With Flagg back on the floor for the NCAA Tournament, the Blue Devils have been cooking teams. Through the first two rounds, Duke blew out Mount St. Mary in an epic performance for a 93-49 win. Against tougher competition in the Round of 32, the Blue Devils torched Baylor, 89-66.
Duke is rolling and there are no indications that Flagg is bothered by his ankle injury. The ankle has held up well through the first two rounds for Flagg, which is a tremendous sign for Duke’s chances moving forward in the tournament.
In two games, Flagg has scored 16 points per game while shooting 47.8% from the field. He’s also collected eight rebounds and 5.5 assists in the tournament. Flagg has also showcased his defense, with 1.5 blocks per matchup!
Road to the Final
The Devils have a great path to Championship Monday in the East Region! They should be able to give Flagg minimal work over the first weekend, if any at all. Arizona could provide a test in the Sweet Sixteen, but I don’t think Duke will be pushed until the Elite Eight, where they could run into Alabama’s high-powered offense.
I think Duke meets Houston in the Final Four, where they’ll have too much offense for the Cougars, and I have them slated for a meeting with Florida in the final!
Florida Gators (+375)
The Gators should feel like they have a strong shout to capture the NCAA title in April. They had a record of 30-4, they won at Auburn on February 8, and took the SEC Tournament by beating Missouri, Alabama, and Tennessee by an average of 11.7 points.
movin’ on mood 😤 pic.twitter.com/WgQz97CkEJ
— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) March 23, 2025
Florida handled their First Round opponent in the NCAA Tournament. They pulled away from Norfolk State to KO the Spartans in a 95-69 final. However, the Gators hit a big speed bump against the UConn Huskies in the Round of 32.
The back-to-back champions gave Florida everything they could handle in a 77-75 basketball game. With the victory, the Gators ended the Huskies’ bid at a third straight national championship!
Great teams rise to the occasion in the clutch and that’s exactly what the Gators were able to accomplish versus a pesky Huskies squad. Nevertheless, Florida’s March Madness odds regressed after the close loss from +300 to +375.
Walter Clayton Jr. is a player to watch in the Sweet Sixteen and possibly deeper into the tournament. He’s hot from the field and playing confident basketball right now. Clayton Jr. scored 23 points in back-to-back assignments while shooting 48% overall and 52.9% from three through the first two rounds!
Road to the Final
I see Florida rolling through the West Region rather easily! They have a favorable matchup against the Maryland Terrapins in the Sweet Sixteen. Maryland is a tough team, but Clayton Jr. pushes the edge squarely in favor of the Gators.
Following the Sweet Sixteen, the Gators will potentially have a tricky assignment versus either Arkansas or Texas Tech. Nevertheless, Florida should once again have the edge in either of those games.
Auburn Tigers (+500)
The Tigers won the top overall seed, despite losing to Tennessee in the SEC Tournament semifinal, and they dropped three of their last four games of the season.
Auburn finished 28-5, including 15-3 in the conference, and they’ve seemed to get their confidence back in the NCAA Tournament after the defeat to the Vols.
STAMP IT‼️ pic.twitter.com/ne3UesXUwc
— Auburn Basketball (@AuburnMBB) March 23, 2025
Auburn made easy work of Alabama State in an 83-63 final in the First Round of the tournament. They followed up with a solid 82-70 victory over the Creighton Bluejays in the Round of 32. The Tigers recorded textbook wins and looked like a team showing up for a business assignment.
There really weren’t any huge surprises for Auburn. They defeated a No. 16 seed by 20 points, and then pulled away from a No. 9 seeded Creighton team. However, they didn’t look the part in the first half, as Creighton carried a 37-35 lead into halftime.
A lapse like that against one of the top teams in the tournament could come back to bite Auburn, so they’ll have to start cleaner in the Sweet 16 and beyond! Auburn is the top overall seed, but Duke has looked more like it.
Road to the Final
This late-season slump was worrying for the Tigers, but they did what they had to do to reach the Sweet 16! It could get tricky in the nexy matchup against the Michigan Wolverines.
Michigan is a hot and cold team, who could catch fire at the right moment. If the Wolverines find their stroke, the Tigers could be going home early. That said, I expect Auburn to find an extra gear to edge past Michigan.
That could lead to a clash against another SEC team, Ole Miss, in the Elite Eight. If not Ole Miss, Tom Izzo’s Michigan State Spartans could push Auburn to the brink. Michigan State is a well-coached team and is always a threat this time of the year.
If they do get to the Final Four, their most likely opponent will be Florida, who are quite formidable. This isn’t an easy trip to the national title game in the least!
Houston Cougars (+500)
The Cougars finished 30-4, including 19-1 in the Big 12, and then beat Colorado, BYU, and Arizona to win the conference tournament. Houston hasn’t lost since falling 82-81 in overtime at home to Texas Tech on February 1. They’re off to the Sweet 16 after blasting SIU Edwardsville away by 38 points and edging past the Gonzaga Bulldogs.
How sweet it is 🍭
SURVIVE AND ADVANCE#ForTheCity x #GoCoogs pic.twitter.com/oylvtMJOV1
— Houston Men's Hoops 🏀 🐾 (@UHCougarMBK) March 23, 2025
Armed with a tough-as-nails defense, Houston is first in the NCAA with 58.4 points against per game. Over the last decade, the Houston basketball program has etched out a defensive identity and it’s led to some special seasons. However, it wasn’t the defense that beat Gonzaga in the Round of 32.
The Cougars showed that they can win high-scoring matchups, too. They defeated the Bulldogs in an 81-76 win behind a huge performance from L.J. Cryer.
Cryer, like Clayton Jr., is capable of leading his team to the promised land! It’s important that Houston has the talent to win games with defense or offense.
The Cougars are another team I wouldn’t want to see if I was the opposition. They play defense really hard for all 40 minutes, and you don’t get a break. And, now, the offense is heating up. I think Houston’s 2025 NCAA Tournament odds offer some great value for you!
Road to the Final
With the win over Gonzaga, Houston advances to the Sweet Sixteen to battle the Purdue Boilermakers. The Cougars are eight-point favorites, though nothing is a given against a Purdue team featuring Trey Kaufman-Renn and Braden Smith.
Houston could run into additional issues in the Elite Eight, where they have a potential matchup against the Tennessee Volunteers or Kentucky Wildcats. The March Madness odds point to it being Tennessee.
It all depends on which Tennessee team shows up that day, but I’m giving the nod to the Cougars. Defense should win out in that matchup!
Even if they win, they will likely have to face Duke in the Final Four, and that’s where the ride should end. Duke is just as good defensively as Houston, and Flagg will figure out their offense. But you never know what will happen in March Madness!
2024-2025 March Madness Odds Sleepers
Next, let’s check out the odds to win the NCAA championship for a couple of sleepers, although they’re big names in the college hoops world!
1. Alabama Crimson Tide (+1600)
The Crimson Tide have been around the top of the SEC all season, finishing 25-8, including 13-5 in the SEC regular season. But they got thumped by Florida in the SEC semifinal, after beating Kentucky by 29 points.
Today's Hard Hat Winner: Clifford Omoruyi#RollTide | #BlueCollarBasketball pic.twitter.com/b0naqNCv5z
— Alabama Men’s Basketball (@AlabamaMBB) March 24, 2025
I’ve been skeptical of Alabama’s defense this season, and for good reason. The Crimson Tide are 357th in the country in points allowed, out of a total of 364 teams! I don’t know if they need to bring legendary football coach Nick Saban out of retirement to coach up the defense. But Alabama can’t seem to stop anyone, especially when they need to.
That being said, I liked what we saw from the Round of 32 against Saint Mary’s! The Gaels aren’t a pushover offensively and the Crimson Tide held them to 66 points in an 80-66 victory. If Alabama can find any semblance of a defense for the rest of the tournament, they are going to be in business!
An average Alabama defense paired with their dangerous offense makes for a team that could reach the Final Four and win the national title. With this in mind, Alabama is worth a look for your March Madness picks at +1600.
2. Tennessee Volunteers (+1600)
The Volunteers are one of the most confounding teams of the season! They were 27-7 this season, including 12-6 in the SEC. They beat Auburn in the SEC Tournament semifinal, and also played them close in a two-point regular-season loss.
The Vols have also beat Florida and Alabama at home, but they got thumped in Gainesville, lost at Kentucky, and lost to Florida again in the SEC Tournament final.
Tennessee is headed to the Sweet 16 for the third straight year. @Vol_Hoops pic.twitter.com/dGKB48bmyP
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 23, 2025
Tennessee is heading back to the Sweet Sixteen after edging away from the UCLA Bruins in the Round of 32! They made quick work of Wofford for a 77-62 in the tournament opener, and then were too much to handle for UCLA this past weekend.
Tennessee is 11th in points allowed, and their defense is usually solid. It’s their offense that struggles at times. But they’re 149th in points scored. Outside of Chaz Lanier and Zakai Zeigler, I don’t know where the Vols are going to get a bucket when they need to.
When they’re on, Tennessee can play with anyone in the country. That said, the Vols have an inconsistent offense that can’t be trusted against the top teams in the nation! It’s why Tennessee has +1600 odds to win March Madness. But, I must admit, that is still a strong price worth considering!
2024-25 NCAA Basketball Championship Predictions
I’ve been high on Florida as one of the 2025 March Madness predictions since conference play started, and I continue to be. The Gators can play any style their opponents want and beat them at it. I’m also not looking past Houston at +500, and even Alabama at +1600.
Still, it’s really hard to go against the main favorite. The Duke Blue Devils are my March Madness pick for 2025! Having a healthy Flagg was the final roadblock for this team, I believe. Although Flagg may not be at 100%, he’s certainly running around and facing no setbacks. You wouldn’t know that he is coming off the injury based on his current form.
At +220, let’s stick with the chalk and take the Blue Devils’ March Madness odds! You won’t be able to get this price on Duke for very much longer, so consider locking them in before the Sweet Sixteen tips off.
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