Betting odds released for 2025 NCAA men's basketball national championship
Following the tremendous run by the Connecticut Huskies to consecutive NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament victories, bettings odds have been released for 2025’s iteration.
The Huskies will be among the favorites, as they’ll be hoping for a three-peat in 2025. However, they’ll have plenty of competition among the rest of the nation, as super programs such as the Duke Blue Devils, North Carolina Tar Heels and Kansas Jayhawks will be looking to return to the top of the mountain.
There’s a long way to go, and there’s a lot that could change between now and next March. Nevertheless, DraftKings Sportsbook has released their odds for 2025’s national champion of the college basketball world. Here’s where they stand at the moment.
Duke Blue Devils (+1200)
Duke finished the 2023-2024 regular season with a record of 27-9, while amassing a 15-5 record in the ACC. As for the 2024 NCAA Tournament, the Blue Devils made it all the way to the Elite Eight, but they fell to NC State when the time came.
As the Blue Devils look to reload for 2024-2025, Duke has the top recruiting class, according to On3’s Industry Rankings. Leading the charge will be forward Cooper Flagg, the top recruit in the nation, hoping to bring a title back to Durham in 2025.
Connecticut Huskies (+1200)
What more could be said about the Connecticut Huskies? The job Dan Hurley has done is nothing short of magnificent, dominating consecutive NCAA Tournaments on their way to two national titles in two seasons.
Will the Huskies be able to complete the three-peat? That’s the million dollar question. One thing is for sure, there won’t be a ton of people betting against the Huskies next season, even with the difficulty of winning three consecutive titles staring UConn in the face.
North Carolina Tar Heels (+1400)
North Carolina didn’t have the run they wanted in the NCAA Tournament. After missing the 2022-2023 iteration, the Tar Heels captured a No. 1 seed for this season’s competition, but they fell to the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Sweet 16.
Moving forward, the Tar Heels will have plenty of talent to get the job done next season. Five-star recruit Ian Jackson is one name to watch for North Carolina next season, as they look to win another national title.
Kansas Jayhawks (+1400)
Many believed Kansas was UConn’s biggest competitor entering the 2023-2024 season. What followed were some uneven performances, as it seemed like the Jayhawks’ talent never meshed throughout the campaign.
Nevertheless, as long as Bill Self is leading the charge, the Jayhawks have a shot at a title. He’ll add five-star recruit Flory Bidunga to his rotation next season, as well. We’ll see if Kansas can get back to their standard.
Houston Cougars (+1600)
Perhaps no team is more sour at the way their season turned out than Houston. It looked like the Cougars had a massive chance at winning a national title, but they were snakebitten by injuries throughout the season.
It all came to a close at the hands of Duke, but Houston will be motivated for more next season. Hopefully Kelvin Sampson’s squad can stay healthy, and show what they’re made of in 2025.
Arizona Wildcats (+1600)
No matter how you slice it, the Wildcats disappointed many over the 2023-2024 campaign. Tommy Lloyd’s bunch was a popular championship selection over the course of the season, but they ran into a buzzsaw in NC State.
Thankfully, Arizona will reload with some major talent for 2024-2025. Lloyd was able to land five-star Carter Bryant for the campaign, who could be a star for the Wildcats when the time comes to show his stuff.
Alabama Crimson Tide (+1600)
After disappointing during the 2023 NCAA Tournament, Nate Oats was able to right the ship and bring Alabama to the Final Four in 2024. It was an unexpected run, but the Crimson Tide’s offense was incredible throughout.
They gave UConn a game, something many teams can’t say over the past two seasons. With a top five recruiting class coming to Tuscaloosa, 2024-2025 could be a fruitful season for Oats’ squad once again.
Baylor Bears (+1800)
Baylor is only a couple seasons removed from standing tall above the field in college basketball. That’s been motivating their organization to get back to the top of the mountain. The 2024 NCAA Tournament wasn’t kind to them though.
Still, Baylor has the chance to regroup and reload for next season. Led by Scott Drew, the Bears will also welcome On3’s third-ranked recruiting class to Waco when the time comes.
Kentucky Wildcats (+2000)
It’s a testament to the Kentucky brand that their odds are still some of the best after what’s transpired for them over the last month. The Wildcats were upset by Oakland in the NCAA Tournament, and now they’re beginning a coaching search.
In a shocking twist, John Calipari is headed to Arkansas to takeover the Razorbacks. Who replaces him is anyone’s guess, but the Wildcats will swing big, so it looks like DraftKings is splitting the difference for now.
Iowa State Cyclones (+2200)
Iowa State arrived this past season, but they fell short of their ultimate goal. Regardless, the Cyclones put the college basketball world on notice, and now everyone outside the Big 12 recognizes how dangerous they could be.
Their recruiting class for next season isn’t among the top in the country, but that’s never mattered to the Cyclones. They’ve done more with less, and Iowa State will look to continue that tradition next season.
Gonzaga Bulldogs (+2500)
You can never count out Gonzaga when March rolls around. The Bulldogs made an unexpected run at the Final Four this past season, but it fell short when the ran into Purdue, who of course went all the way to the national title game.
Gonzaga always seems to find a couple of stars and they’ve begun utilizing the transfer portal to their advantage, as well. Mark Few is their steady captain, and all Gonzaga needs is a ticket to the dance to make it interesting.
Auburn Tigers (+2500)
Auburn was perhaps the most disappointing team during the 2024 NCAA Tournament. After winning the SEC Tournament, the Tigers were a popular Final Four pick, even with UConn in their region.
However, it was the Yale Bulldogs that Auburn would fall victim to in the competition. That’s going to stick in Bruce Pearl’s craw all offseason. Leading his recruiting class this offseason is four-star Tahaad Pettiford, who will be looking to help return Auburn to their new standard
Purdue Boilermakers (+2800)
What will life after Zach Edey look like for Purdue? That’s the question that’ll be on everyone’s mind as Purdue enters the 2024-2025 campaign. The big man will move on to the NBA after leading the Boilermakers to the NCAA Tournament finale.
Although Purdue fell short, the future remains bright for the Boilermakers. No five-star recruits are coming in for them next season, but four-star Kanon Catchings leads a top 20 recruiting class for Purdue.
Arkansas Razorbacks (+3000)
The wild card on the list is the Arkansas Razorbacks. Would they be on this list if Eric Musselman was simply returning? They’d certainly be lower, but they received an amazing boost with the hire of the aforementioned John Calipari.
The Razorbacks are making a major swing, and Calipari is going to be supremely motivated to remake the team in his image, and go on a run with Arkansas. They’ll have a ton of eyeballs on them when the time comes next season.
2025 NCAA men’s basketball national championship odds continued:
- Michigan State Spartans (+4000)
- Illinois Fighting Illini (+4000)
- Texas Longhorns (+4000)
- Tennessee Volunteers (+4000)
- Miami Hurricanes (+5000)
- Marquette Golden Eagles (+5000)
- Creighton Blue Jays (+5000)
- Florida Gators (+5500)
- Saint Mary’s Gaels (+6000)
- Saint John’s Red Storm (+6000)
- Ohio State Buckeyes (+6000)
- BYU Cougars (+6000)
- UCLA Bruins (+6000)
- Michigan Wolverines (+7000)
- Maryland Terrapins (+7000)
- Wisconsin Badgers (+7000)
- Villanova Wildcats (+7000)
- San Diego State Aztecs (+8000)
- USC Trojans (+8000)
- Texas Tech Red Raiders (+8000)
- Missouri Tigers (+9000)
- Mississippi State Bulldogs (+9000)
- Memphis Tigers (+9000)
- Texas A&M Aggies (+9000)
As you can see, there’s a fascinating mix of teams that have been running the sport over the last couple of seasons, and ones that are looking to break through their glass ceiling and make it to the next level in the sport. Whether the Huskies are able the three-peat or not remains to be seen, but it’s going to be a heck of a ride getting there.