The betting odds for this upcoming men’s college basketball season have been released. As is the case with every basketball year, by mid-January, you can break the contenders to win it all down into groups.
This far ahead of the season, this is a more challenging task because we don’t know the full capabilities of any team. With that in mind, we will ride with what we know and dissect what we can.
2025 March Madness Odds
Below, you will find the current odds for the top college basketball teams to win this season’s national College Basketball Championship.
Tier 1 Group
Purdue (+900)
Not exactly sure, Purdue is the most talented team available this upcoming campaign. Nonetheless, they have a veteran, proven cast led by seniors Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn.
There are ample sharpshooters, and more defensive speed and quickness were added to the Boilermakers’ roster. Recent natty champs are more veteran squads, which Purdue fits perfectly. The addition of big man Oscar Cluff (South Dakota State transfer) might be the finishing touch.
Houston (+1100)
Some sportsbooks have Houston as their top choice after coming up three points short in the title game against Florida last season. The Cougars lost stalwarts L.J. Cryer and J’Wan Roberts, yet brought back guards Milos Uzan and Emanuel Sharp. Coach Kelvin Sampson has top recruits in forward Chris Cenac Jr. and guard Isiah Harwell. Plus, Joseph Tugler is a defensive stud in the frontcourt. Houston is a true threat to get back to the Final Four.
Duke (+1200)
Coach Jon Scheyer saw three players head to the NBA, including top pick Cooper Flagg.
But don’t feel sorry for Duke. Remember Carlos Boozer at Duke and from the NBA? He has twin sons heading to Durham in Cayden and Cameron Boozer, the latter a potential star. They have other holdovers and talent-laden freshmen. The Blue Devils are bluebloods, but collectively the Dukies seem a touch overrated.
Connecticut (+1500)
Nobody truly expected UConn to engineer a three-peat, especially after seeing the Huskies last December, with too many holes.
Liam McNeeley will be missed, but coach Danny Hurley has brought in an extremely talented class that fits his style of play in Eric Reibe and G Braylon Mullins, and Jacob Furphy (Australia). Georgia transfer Silas Demary is Hurley’s kind of point guard. Veterans Alex Karaban and Solo Ball solidify the complete package.
Florida (+1600)
You don’t replace Final Four MVP Walter Clayton and expect to run it back and win another championship. However, coach Mike White isn’t going to just savor last season and brings in two terrific transfers in Boogie Fland (Arkansas) and Xaivian Lee (Princeton).Â
With Thomas Haugh, Micah Handlogten, Alex Condon, and Rueben Chinyelu all back in the Gators frontcourt, the expected fall to a Top 15 or lower club might have to wait.Â
Tier 2 Group
BYUÂ (+1800)
BYU reached the Sweet 16 for the second time in 44 years this past season. That achievement has most believing the Cougars are no worse than a Top 15 outfit, while some see even more.
BYU looks like an FBI gun range, with no shortage of sharpshooters. The Cougs have size inside the paint to score and play defense, and heralded freshman AJ Dybantsa might have the skill to lift BYU higher.
Kentucky (+1800)
Mark Pope had a successful first year at Kentucky, altering the culture.Â
Where the Wildcats could be overrated is at the defensive end. From the middle of the SEC season on, Kentucky was haphazard in defensive transition and gave up WAY too many easy points. Pope has said this is fixed, but the preference is to see it, rather than hear about it and wager on it.
If sophomore transfer Jayden Quaintance (Arizona State) is 100 percent back from injury, that speeds up the Wildcats’ defensive ambitions.Â
Michigan (+1800)
Dusty May is a modern-day college basketball coach. He immediately understood you play for that season, don’t consider the past or future. He lost his top three players from a year ago in his first go-round at Michigan, and just went and got replacements who fit his style from the portal and traditional recruiting. Expect a great Big Ten battle between the Boilers and Wolverines this campaign.
St. John’s (+1800)
Rick Pitino has installed a benchmark of effort required for all 94 feet if you want to play at St. John’s. The Red Storm forced a torrent of turnovers, but when forced to play half-court hoops, they lacked accuracy outside 20 feet.Â
Pitino believes he has more shooters who will still play frantically, which could lead to a deeper tournament run. Not 100% sold. It’s best to wait and see about St. John’s shooting percentage outside the paint. Â
Kansas (+2000)
As great a recruiter as Bill Self has been since his days at Illinois before Kansas, his message isn’t as convincing to those in the portal.
Kansas is not attracting the same quality of players who play both ends of the floor. The Jayhawks these days are Top 20, not Top 5 material. Top recruit Darryn Peterson is a complete package, but like last year, Kansas’ shooting prowess remains a question mark.
Tier 3 Group
Louisville (+2200)
Pat Kelsey did a shockingly good job in his first year at Louisville and jazzed up the fan base again.Â
If his new players are willing to help build the same team culture as those who departed, the Cardinals won’t suffer a first-round tournament exit and will be a much higher seed.
Texas Tech (+2200)
Big 12 Player of the Year JT Toppin and G Christian Anderson decided to stay at Texas Tech. With four significant transfers that fit the Red Raiders’ needs, Texas Tech could surpass last year’s Elite 8 club that lost late to eventual champion Florida.
Arkansas (+2500)
Coach John Calipari’s squad came together down the stretch late, making it to the Sweet 16. Arkansas played vintage Calipari basketball, mentally unwavering and physically imposing.Â
Razorbacks D.J. Wagner and Karter Knox learned their lessons and will teach the younger Hogs the way to win.
Auburn (+2800)
It doesn’t feel like Auburn belongs here after losing their entire starting unit, along with super bench player Chad Baker-Mazara. That doesn’t suggest Auburn turns into South Carolina in a single season. These Tigers, with all the new faces, appear more of a Top 20ish contingent.
Arizona (+2800)
Arizona seemed destined to become a perennial Top 10 unit after Tommy Lloyd’s first two years. However, after Lloyd’s past two seasons, that number could be revised to Top 20.
Lloyd’s six freshmen are among the seven new additions. (Dwayne Aristode and Koa Peat are most notable) Guard Jaden Bradley could be All-12, but a lot has to meld for the Wildcats to be thought of as a national contender.Â
College Basketball Betting FAQs
Where can I bet on the 2025 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 and Bet365. All offer a wide variety of NCAAB 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 and Bet365Â 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.
