The 2025 March Madness betting odds features two teams at the front of the pack, but the rest of the country is hot on their heels! The Connecticut Huskies are chasing a three-peat, but can they come out on top of March Madness once again?
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, and where you can find the odds!
2024-2025 NCAA Championship Odds
| TEAM | ODDS |
|---|---|
| Auburn Tigers | +800 |
| Duke Blue Devils | +850 |
| Gonzaga Bulldogs | +1000 |
| Alabama Crimson Tide | +1400 |
| Kansas Jayhawks | +1500 |
| Houston Cougars | +1500 |
| Connecticut Huskies | +1800 |
| Iowa State Cyclones | +2000 |
| Tennessee Volunteers | +2000 |
| Kentucky Wildcats | +2200 |
| Cincinnati Bearcats | +3500 |
| North Carolina Tar Heels | +4000 |
A month into the season, we have a new favorite at March Madness betting sites! Auburn (+800) currently has an 11.1% implied chance to win the national title. The Tigers were +2000 when the season began, and they’ve done well with a tough schedule to start the season.
They’re just ahead of Duke (+850), who have an implied probability of 10.5% to stay on the Tigers’ heels. More importantly, the two teams met at Cameron Indoor Stadium on December 4, and the Blue Devils came away with an 84-76 win! That could see these NCAA title odds shift in the next week or two.
But it’s still early, and there are plenty of contenders. Gonzaga (+1000), Alabama (+1400), Houston (+1500), Kansas (+1500), and Connecticut (+1800) are all still in the mix. The Jayhawks dropped from +1000 in our first update of the season.
But the biggest drop came from the two-time defending champions from UConn, who opened at +800, just behind Duke, who opened at +750. The Huskies are all the way down to +1800 after a three-game losing skid. However, UConn’s pedigree makes them worth a look down the board!
You can find these college basketball title odds at Bovada, by going to Sports > Basketball > College Basketball Futures > NCAA D1 Men – 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!
Auburn Tigers (+800)
As I referred to earlier, the Tigers shot up the rankings, and at the online sportsbooks, with wins over ranked teams Houston, Iowa State, and North Carolina.
Big 4😤 pic.twitter.com/jaAgZktDXN
— Auburn Basketball (@AuburnMBB) December 5, 2024
While the Tigers did lose to the Blue Devils, it’s no shame to lose to an excellent Duke team at Cameron, arguably the toughest place to play in college basketball. Auburn has a high-powered offense ranking 17th in the country in points per game, and Johni Broome is at the heart of that. The senior forward is averaging 20.6 points and 12.8 boards this season, and he has added 3.3 assists, which is second on the team.
But Auburn does have to tighten up on the defensive end, where they are 97th in points allowed. The Tigers have one more test before SEC conference play tips off in January as they host Purdue on December 21.
Duke Blue Devils (+800)
The Blue Devils continue to be ranked high at NCAA basketball betting sites, and they evened up their record against ranked teams to 2-2 after beating the Tigers. Duke had previously beaten Arizona on the road, but lost to Kansas and Kentucky.
OUR HOUSE #DukeDUB pic.twitter.com/y7fHiPkRYL
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) December 5, 2024
Cooper Flagg is living up to the hype as the probable #1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, averaging 16.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists. The freshman forward leads the team in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and he’s second in steals.
He is going to need a stable running mate, which could come from Kon Knueppel, Tyrese Proctor, and Isaiah Evans, who had 18 points off the bench against Auburn. They should have an easy slate leading up to ACC conference play. But this is a solid Duke team whose NCAA title odds will likely shorten as the season goes on!
Gonzaga Bulldogs (+1000)
The Bulldogs have beaten their first two ranked opponents, and they routed Baylor by 38 points in their season opener! Gonzaga also beat Indiana by 16, but they do face Kentucky and UConn on December 7 and 14, respectively.
No. 3⃣ in the first NET ranking of the season pic.twitter.com/n9kSD8DxBB
— Gonzaga Basketball (@ZagMBB) December 2, 2024
Those games will be significant for the Bulldogs because once West Coast Conference play tips off, they might play one ranked opponent if Saint Mary’s can sneak into the Top 25. However, that also means that Gonzaga will likely be a high seed, which is par for the course. Over the last 10 Tournaments, the Bulldogs have been a #1 seed four times, and lower than a #5 seed just twice.
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!
Kansas Jayhawks (+1500)
If you’re going to jump on the Jayhawks’ March Madness odds, now is the time to do it! They were +1000 to open the season, and have dropped to +1500, despite wins over North Carolina and Duke. Kansas was upset at Creighton on December 4, but that shows how strong college hoops is now.
𝟐,𝟒𝟎𝟎 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐬. pic.twitter.com/ehUbDk4dob
— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) December 1, 2024
But one loss won’t count the Jayhawks out, as they’ll have a tough Big 12 schedule to navigate. Hunter Dickinson is one of the best big men in the country, averaging 14.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 1.6 steals. I do worry about their three-point shooting. Kansas is 124th in the nation, making 34.6% of their shots from deep. That has to improve going into conference play.
Connecticut Huskies (+1800)
The Huskies are still figuring out what their best lineups are after three losses to Memphis, Colorado, and Dayton. But they did defeat Baylor on December 4 to keep themselves in the Top 25 rankings.
BIG WIN FOR THE HUSKIES 🐾
No. 25 UConn takes down No. 15 Baylor in Storrs 👀 pic.twitter.com/5AtXnihnRO
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) December 5, 2024
UConn could easily be 8-1 as the Memphis loss was by two points, and the Colorado loss came by a single point. So, it’s not all doom and gloom in Storrs just yet. Alex Karaban leads a balanced group with 15.9 points. The Huskies are 20th in points per game, and 32nd in points allowed, and they’ve got a great mix of youth and experience. Don’t count out UConn’s NCAA basketball title odds at offshore sportsbooks just yet!
Tennessee Volunteers (+2000)
The Vols dumped Baylor, and they still have to face a ranked team at Illinois. But Tennessee could be undefeated heading into SEC conference play! The 15-point win over Baylor was their closest game thus far.
he’ll heat up quick
26 PTS / 4 REB pic.twitter.com/vtXrB5HDfm
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) December 5, 2024
Chaz Lanier transferred from North Florida and is an absolute stud. The Tennessee native is averaging 18.8 points and hitting a wild 47.7% of his three-point attempts. The Vols have a miserable defense as well, which should translate as they move into SEC play. I’d still like to see a little more against good teams, but this seems to be a good Tennessee team!
2024-2025 NCAA Basketball Predictions
We’ll know more about these teams once conference play begins, but it is fun to see the big schools scheduling each other more frequently.
My preseason pick was Alabama at +1000, and they’ve moved to +1400. The Crimson Tide has lost twice already, but they do have ranked wins over Illinois, Houston, and North Carolina. Their defense is poor so far, ranking 274th in points allowed.
But they’re seventh in points scored, and I have confidence that their defense will improve. I’m sticking with Alabama, and they have a little more betting value now than before!
Who’s Winning March Madness 2025?
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