The UConn Huskies are heading into the 2025 college basketball season looking for a three-peat.
The Huskies added a National Championship in the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 seasons and will look for the three-peat this year.
Ultimately, UConn didn’t just win both championships with the same guys. After a complete turnaround from the 2022-2023 team, the Huskies still added another championship with a completely different roster.
Of course, some players stayed, but the core of the 2022-2023 season was not the same core of the 2023-2024 season.
This season, the core also won’t be the same. After the first championship, the Huskies lost Adama Sanogo, Jordan Hawkins, and Andre Jackson. After this year’s championship, they watched Donovan Clingan, Stephon Castle, Tristen Newton, and Cam Spencer leave.
But you know who didn’t leave? Dan Hurley, UConn’s head coach. The Los Angeles Lakers threw a hail mary at Hurley, asking him to be the storied franchise’s next head coach. Although he took some time to think about his decision, Hurley decided to stay at UConn and try for a three-peat.
With that said, let’s break down the new UConn roster and see if the Huskies have what it takes to win another National Championship.
March Madness Odds
Below, you will find the current odds for the top ten college basketball teams to win this season’s national College Basketball Championship.
All updated odds are courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook (check our Caesars Sportsbook Review).
| Team | Opening Odds | Current Odds |
|---|---|---|
| UConn Huskies | +1200 | +700 |
| Kansas Jayhawks | +1100 | +1000 |
| Duke Blue Devils | +1100 | +1000 |
| Alabama Crimson Tide | +2000 | +1200 |
| Houston Cougars | +1400 | +1600 |
| Gonzaga Bulldogs | +2000 | +1800 |
| North Carolina Tar Heels | +1600 | +2000 |
| Baylor Bears | +2000 | +2200 |
| Arizona Wildcats | +2000 | +2200 |
| Iowa State Cyclones | +3000 | +3000 |
2025 Favorites!
Once Dan Hurley announced his return to UConn, the Huskies jumped back to the top of the odds board. The UConn Huskies are currently the favorite to win this year’s NCAA Tournament.
The odds have varied across the top sportsbooks. But you’ll find the Huskies anywhere from +700 to +1000 to win the National Championship. Though, every site has the Huskies favored to win it all.
Again, the Huskies have to rebuild their roster, which won’t have four of the five starters from last season. The Huskies convinced Alex Karaban to stay and earned the commitment of former St. Mary’s transfer Aidan Mahaney.
Mahaney averaged nearly 14 points per game for St. Mary’s last season and figures to be an intriguing fit with Hurley this season.
In addition to Mahaney and Karaban, Hassan Diarra announced his return in late April and should play a big part for the Huskies this season.
Other Expectations
Sometimes the best gets are guys you’ve already got.
Jayden Ross played just 102 minutes last season and averaged .7 points per game. However, he was a freshman just waiting for his opportunity last season.
In this day and age, if someone doesn’t play, they typically bounce right into the transfer portal. However, Ross didn’t do that. He’s sticking it out for his sophomore season. Therefore, not only does Ross think he’ll play a role with UConn, but it seems like he always believes he’ll develop with the Huskies.
Meanwhile, Jaylin Stewart is more of a recognizable name. He played nine minutes a game as a freshman. Like Ross, he’s still on the roster this season and figures to make a bigger impact this year. He’ll have to improve his three-point shooting but has all the tools to be successful for the Huskies.
The Huskies will also welcome back Soloman Ball. Again, he’s a former freshman who is capable of nailing multiple threes. If he matures into a better play, Ball will also be an important piece to the potential three-peat.
Plus, we can’t forget about Samson Johnson. Johnson made 73% of his shots last year and is one of the best defenders and rim protectors that UConn has. He’s already made tremendous strides over the last couple of seasons and figures to take an even bigger leap this season with more minutes.
What Has To Happen For A Three-Peat?
The UConn Huskies’ starting lineup will likely consist of Hassan Diarra, Adian Mahaney, Liam McNeeley, Jaylin Stewart, and Samson Johnson.
The lineup has a bunch of leadership and guys who have played and started in many games throughout their careers. Liam McNeeley would be the lone freshman, but he’s already thought to be more mature for his age. McNeeley is the No. 9 freshman on ESPN’s 2024 top 100 recruiting database rankings and will probably fit just as well as Stephon Castle did as a freshman last season.
Mahaney will have to take on the role of Cam Spencer, and Diarra will need to be better all around. But that’s why the Huskies are in the middle of practicing now. This team has plenty of potential and absolutely looks like a team that can win it all again in 2025.
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*The line and/or odds referenced in this article might have changed since the content was published. For the latest information on line movements, visit OddsTrader’s free betting odds tool.
College Basketball Betting FAQs
Where can I bet on the 2024 NCAA Basketball National Championship?
Answer: The best online sportsbooks are the safest online sportsbooks, which are those licensed in jurisdictions where online sports betting is legal in the United States.
The top-rated books are BetMGM, Caesars, PointsBet, Bet365, BetRivers, DraftKings and FanDuel. All offer a wide variety of NCAAM props, futures and point spreads.
What types of bets are popular with NCAA Basketball?
Answer: The most popular bet is the point spread bet where the underdog is getting points or the favorite is giving points. However, moneylines, where no point spread is involved have grown increasingly popular, as have over/under, or total bets, where bettors can wager over or under on the combined total of the two teams in that game.
Do I have to bet a lot?
Answer: No, the minimum bet is as low as $1 and accounts can be funded with as little as $10 at many of the books across the nation.
Props and Bonuses
You can find a list of prop bets at all of the best U.S.-licensed online sportsbooks found right here at OddsTrader. Online sportsbooks like BetMGM, Caesars, PointsBet, Bet365, BetRivers, DraftKings and FanDuel all feature props and futures like conference winners, Final Four participants and national champions, as well as offering generous signup bonuses.
Shop for Odds
If you want to compare the various NCAA Basketball odds, then click on the link and you will see the point spreads, moneylines and totals at all of the best books in the industry. Remember, it’s important to be able to compare and contrast lines at a glance so that you get the best odds for your betting buck.
NCAA Basketball Power Rankings
Getting keen insight into how each of the playoff teams stacks up is easy when you check out the OddsTrader NCAA Basketball Power Rankings page. Here you will see the average line, the power line suggested by OddsTrader’s AI algorithms and Bettor’s Edge, which is the difference between the two.
NCAA Basketball Computer Picks
If you go to the OddsTrader NCAA Basketball Computer Picks section you can see what the OT algorithms project and how the results compare to those predictions.
