2024-25 Men’s College Basketball Championship Odds and Predictions

With the 2024-25 NCAA Men’s basketball season about to tip off, the top sports betting sites are starting to heat up over debates and wagers on which team will win the 2024-25 NCAAB Championship.  

Since the odds were released nearly six months ago, these lines have shifted some with player movement, practices, injuries and more.

The Alabama Crimson Tide opened as the odds-on favorites to win the NCAAM Championship but those odds have shifted and it’s now the Duke Blue Devils who are favored to win it all, as we get ready for the season to begin.

Let’s dive into the latest 2024-25 Men’s College Basketball Championship odds and make our 2024-25 NCAAB Championship predictions.

Men’s College Basketball Championship Odds

For a complete list of NCAAB odds, check out Scores and Stats latest Men’s College Basketball odds:

As we approach the start of the season, the Duke Blue Devils have seen a sizable shift in their odds from an opening line of +1400 to the betting favorites at +900.

The two-time defending champs UConn Huskies, Houston Cougars and Alabama Crimson Tide are all right on Duke’s heels. The Kansas Jayhawks round out the Top 5, but have also seen their odds take a slight dip.

One of the biggest risers on the boards is the Iowa State Cyclones who saw their odds cut in half as they went from an opening line of +2800 to a season starting line of +1400. The Baylor Bears had the opposite experience as their odds fell from an opening line of +2500 down to +4000.

Men’s College Basketball Championship Favorites

The following NCAAB teams are considered the odds-on favorites to win the 2024-25 NCAAB Championship:

Duke Blue Devils +900

As mentioned, the Duke Blue Devils have moved up to the top spot on the boards and have become the odds-on favorites to win the 2024-25 NCAAB Championship. They were expected to contend for the title last year, but fell in the Elite Eight.

The roster has seen a sizable turnover with players transferring like Jeremy Roach and others heading to the NBA like Kyle Filipowski and Jared McCain.

With that said, Duke has dunked on the rest of the country with an excellent recruit class that includes the #1 recruit in forward Cooper Flagg. The highly versatile freshman is already pegged as the #1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Additionally, I’m already tanking one of my NBA Dynasty teams to select Flagg.

Joining him in the frontcourt is the #3 recruit in the nation Khaman Maluach. The five-star center will make this Duke frontcourt the best in the nation once the Big Dance begins.

In addition to those talented big men, Tyrese Proctor, Caleb Foster and Kon Knueppel are expect to be in the starting five once the season begins. Coming off the bench will be players like Tulane transfer Sion James and the highly recruited Isaiah Evans.

Duke is better than they were last season, deeper, and have the go-to players to defeat any other program in the country.

Yet, the preseason polls have Duke ranked 7^th as we start the season. That’s a bit shocking considering the level of talent on this team. I guess the so-called pollsters want to see Duke prove it before they move them higher.

UConn Huskies +1000

The back-to-back NCAA Men’s Basketball Champions still get no respect despite winning two championships in a row. You would think this team should be the odds-on favorite, but that’s not the case.

The UConn Huskies were behind Alabama when the odds first came out, and they’re now behind Duke as we start the season. With that said, the Polls do have UConn ranked third, which is more respectful than what the sportsbooks and top handicappers are giving them.

The Huskies are trying to become the first team to three-peat since the legendary UCLA Bruins of the 1960s and 70s.

Dan Hurley will have his work cut out for him this year. After rejecting the Los Angeles Lakers’ offers to become their head coach, Hurley returned to his program to improve on a roster that lost key players to the NBA and eligibility.

With that said, Hurley and the team were fortuned to get Alexa Karaban back as the forward decided to withdraw from the NBA Draft to return to the school. He will be a foundational piece to this roster especially in the starting lineup.

In addition to Karaban, Hassan Diarra is expected to be the starting point guard. Samson Johnson is expected to move from the bench to the starting five. Aidan Mahaney decided to bolt from St. Mary’s to join the reigning champs. And, one of the Top 10 freshman recruits in Liam McNeeley will round out the starting five.

This team might not have the talent that Alabama and Duke do, but they do still have plenty of championship experience and arguably the best coach in the sport.

Houston Cougars +1000

Houston’s first season in the Big 12 was a successful one. They went 15-3, won the regular season title and made it all the way to the Conference Title game before coming up short.

In the Big Dance, the Cougars went all the way to the Sweet 16 before losing to Duke. Yet, it should be noted that their best player, Jamal Shead, injured his ankle in that game and it ultimately cost them the victory. Following the season, Shead left for the NBA, which means the Cougars will need to find players to fill in that void.

One player that Cougars’ nation is excited for is Milos Uzan. The point guard left Oklahoma for Houston and will start at the PG position. He will be joined by one of the top Big 12 players this season in guard L.J. Cryer who averaged 15.5 points per game last season. Cryer is expected to lead this team in scoring.

J’Wan Roberts and Emanuel Sharp also return and will join both Uzan and Cryer in the starting five. The fifth player expected to start at the center position is Ja’Vier Francis who is expected to be one of the top defensive big men in the conference.

The Cougars are a rugged team that plays elite level defense. They allowed the fewest number of points last year at 57.6 ppg. It’s not unreasonable to think that Houston will be a Top 5 defense this year and, once again, contend for the Big 12 Conference Title.

Alabama Crimson Tide +1000

The Alabama Crimson Tide opened as the odds-on favorites to win the 2024-25 NCAAB Championship. They certainly have the talent to contend for the title, but their odds dipped from +800 to +1000 as the season begins.

The Crimson Tide are returning most of their starting roster that made it to the Final Four last year. Most notably, their star player Mark Sears withdrew from the NBA Draft to return to Alabama for one more season.  

Last year, Sears averaged 21.5 ppg and 43.6% three-point shooting. He upped those numbers by scoring 24.2 ppg on 45.5% three-point shooting in the tournament.

Joining Sears in the projected starting five are transfers Aden Holloway (Auburn) and Clifford Omoruyi (Rutgers). Latrell Wrightsell Jr. and Grant Nelson will both return to the team and join the starting unit as well.

In addition to those players, Alabama also has some talented freshmen joining the roster in Labaron Philon, Derrion Reid, Aiden Sherrell and Nass Cunningham.

Sears’ return was the biggest news, but don’t overlook the addition of Omoruyi. He was a two-time Big 10 All-Defense selection at Rutgers and he will anchor this defense.

This team is loaded with experience, talent and a bench filled with freshman that have the potential to be all-Conference players this year or next. It’s no surprise that Alabama is one of the top teams in the country and should be the favorite to win the SEC Conference.

Kansas Jayhawks +1100

Heading into the upcoming season, the Kansas Jayhawks are ranked #1 in the polls. That shouldn’t be a surprise considering the wealth of talent they have on their team. Yet, they were also ranked #1 heading into last season and for the Big Dance. And, we all know how they choked last year and let us down.

The return of Hunter Dickinson has really pushed this team back into the Championship window. He’s one of the best big men in the country and really solidifies this team as its anchor and best player.

Kansas also landed two highly touted transfers in Zeke Mayo (South Dakota State) and AJ Storr (Wisonsin). Storr was one of the top players in the Big Ten last year and will be a fantastic addition to this starting five.

Joining Storr, Mayo and Dickinson in the starting five are Dajuan Harris Jr. and K.J. Adams Jr. who both return from last year’s team. They combined to average 21.1 ppg last year, which will be helpful in supporting roles this year. But make no mistake about it, this offense will run through Dickinson and Storr.

More than likely Rylan Griffen will be the first player to come off the bench, which is a huge luxury for Kansas as Griffen was a key starter on Alabama’s Final Four team last year.  

Kansas is more well-rounded this year than last, and they have better depth that will contribute on both sides of the ball. With the disappointment of last year leaving a bad taste in their mouth, I fully expect Kansas to rebound this year and be the frontrunner to win the Big 12 Champions this season.

With that said, I am very hesitant to pick them to win it all, especially after they let me down last year.

Best Men’s College Basketball Championship Betting Value

The following NCAAB teams are my picks for the best betting value to win the 2024-25 Men’s College Basketball championship:

Gonzaga Bulldogs +1800

As a longtime Gonzaga Bulldogs fan, this year’s roster is loaded with talent and they’re going to make some noise. In fact, they should be significantly better than last year’s squad that made it to the Sweet 16.

The only player that Gonzaga lost from last year’s starting unit was Anton Watson who graduated. He was an incredibly versatile player and arguably the best defender. With that said, the team has added more depth and overall talent to this squad. I don’t see the loss of Watson hurting Gonzaga at all.

In fact, the preseason #6 team, according to the polls, got a highly talented player from the transfer portal in Michael Ajayi. The former Pepperdine star was an All-WCC player who averaged 17.2 ppg and 9.9 rpg last year.

Ajayi will slot in next to the returning backcourt starters in Ryan Nembhard and Nolan Hickman who combined for a total of 26.6 ppg last year. In particular, Nembhard could end up as one of the sport’s top point guards after a strong first season with the Bulldogs. He not only scored 12.6 ppg, but he also averaged 6.9 assists per game and 1.2 steals per game.

Ben Gregg will return as one of the starting five after his strong performance to close out the year. Longtime head coach Mark Few put Gregg into the starting lineup last season and the Bulldogs team found some momentum to close out the regular season. Gregg does a lot of the dirty work, which is a perfect role player alongside these other scorers in Nembhard, Hickman and Ajayi.

Lastly, Graham Ike could become one of the best big men in the nation this year. Ike put up solid numbers in a breakout campaign last season as he averaged 16.5 ppg, 7.4 rpg and 0.7 blocks per game. Ike was a star for Gonzaga in the Big Dance and I expect the impressive center to be a force with all the talent around him this year.

Along with the scoring and offensive threat of Ajayi, the inside-outside combo of Ike and Nembhard will be one of the best duos in the country. This could be the year that Gonzaga gets back to the title game. At +1800 odds, this is incredible value for a team that could earn a #1 seed in the 2025 NCAAB tournament.

Iowa State Cyclones +1400

When we first broke down the NCAAM Basketball Championship odds, I jumped on the Iowa State Cyclones as a tremendous value bet. In fact, my exact words were:

“I love the betting value for Gonzaga, but Iowa State’s odds of +2800 are mouthwatering. In fact, I’m drooling on my keyboard as I type this article out.”

Since then, the Cyclones’ odds have been cut in half as sports betting sites and handicappers have discovered that Iowa State is actually going to be a good team once again.

The Cyclones won the Big 12 Championship last season, after going 29-8. They earned a #2 seed in the NCAAB Tournament and made it all the way to the Sweet 16 before being eliminated.

What makes this team so dangerous heading into the season is that they brought back their top four scorers from last year in Keshon Gilbert, Tamin Lipsey, Curtis Jones and Milan Momcilovic. These players combined to score an average of 48 ppg.

The duo of Lipsey (12.4 ppg) and Jones (11.0 ppg) make this backcourt one of the best in the Big 12. However, head coach T.J. Otzelberger also added some talented players in the transfer portal which will make this Cyclones squad even more loaded than last year.

Iowa State added St. Mary’s talented forward Joshua Jefferson who’s coming off an injury. They also added some top-shelf big men in Brandton Chatfield (Seattle) and Dishon Jackson (Charlotte).

Of that trio, Jackson is expected to have the biggest impact on the team. The former Charlotte 49ers center will start for the Cyclones. That means Chatfield and JT Rock will come off the bench to give Iowa State a wealth of frontcourt players to rotate in and out.

Do not sleep on this ISU squad. They will rival Kansas, Houston and Baylor in the Big 12. In fact, they could threaten to win the conference tournament for a second straight season.

Top Men’s College Basketball Championship Longshots

When I first broke down the odds, I had Baylor as a value bet. However, since then, the Bears’ odds have fallen from +2500 to +4000. Yes, they still offer betting value, but they have now become more of a longshot bet based on their latest odds.

It’s rather surprising that Baylor’s odds fell so far considering that they’re ranked 8^th in the polls. This is a team that finished third in the Big 12 last year and have absolutely improved the overall talent on this roster. In fact, this is the best team they have had since their National Title three years ago.

Two of the team’s top scorers return, as Jayden Nunn (10.5 ppg) and Langston Love (11.0 ppg) will be key starters this year. However, they will be joined by three new faces after Baylor was very successful in the transfer portal and recruiting. These new additions bring plenty of talent and will certainly help the Bears become a true contender in the conference this year.

The first new addition is former Duke point guard Jeremy Roach who averaged 14.0 ppg, 3.3 apg, and 2.5 rpg last year. He started over 100 games for Duke the last four years, and will provide a veteran leadership to this squad.

Also joining Roach and Baylor from the transfer portal is center Norchad Omier. Omier is a double-double machine after averaging 17 ppg and 10 rpg last season. He was an All-ACC selection in his two years with the Hurricanes. Prior to that, Omier earned the Sun Belt Player of the Year award in 2022 when playing for Arkansas State. He will anchor the frontcourt and truly help a team that lacked this kind of player last year.

Lastly, Scott Drew and the Baylor Bears landed a highly touted five-star recruit in V.J. Edgecombe. A native of the Bahamas, Edgecombe brings scoring and shooting to the Bears as he averaged 17.3 ppg in his senior year of high school. That average also earned him the Gatorade New York State Player of the Year award and the NIBC Player of the Year honors. ESPN had him ranked #3 in their Top 100.

With most of the attention being on Kansas, Houston, and Iowa State, Baylor is in the perfect position to play under the radar until their on-court success becomes too hard to ignore. If there’s a sleeper team that can bump off Houston or Kansas for the Big 12 title, it’s the Baylor Bears.

Who Wins The 2024-25 NCAAM Basketball Championship?

It would be easy for me to pick my favorite team in Gonzaga to win the 2024-25 Men’s College Basketball Championship. They should have a Top 10 roster, win the WCC Conference and contend for a #1 seed in the Men’s Tournament.

With that said, I believe the Bulldogs are one of a handful of teams like Kansas, Alabama, Duke, UConn and Iowa State that can contend for the National Championship.

However, we can only pick one winner for this bet. Back in June, when I first analyzed this wager, I jumped on the Duke Blue Devils bandwagon due to the amount of talent they brought in this year.

Sure, there was a huge roster turnover but the additions of Maluach and Flagg are going to be unstoppable especially by time we get to the Big Dance. These were two of the Top 5 recruits in the nation and they could be two of the Top 5 picks in the 2025 NBA Draft if all goes to plan.

In fact, their five top recruits were all in the Top 18 ranked incoming freshmen with Flagg being #1, Maluach being #3, and the overlooked Kon Knueppel being #18. Give this team until February to fully gel and they’re going to be unstoppable come March Madness.

Bet: Duke Blue Devils +900

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Who won the Men’s College Basketball Championship?

The following is a list of the most recent Men’s College Basketball Championship winners: