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

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The 2024-25 men’s college basketball season is now deep into its conference schedules. Teams are now hitting the home stretch as they get ready to head into March and the madness that comes with it. Before long, we’ll be watching conference tournaments and watching teams automatically qualify for the NCAA tournament.

It’s a great time of year as both the college basketball and NBA seasons heat up at this time of year. For college fans, it’s the time of year when we start looking at bracketology and preparing for March Madness. Picking an NCAA tournament champion is something even our Scores & Stats experts are preparing for right now.

At the start of the season, Alabama was the betting favorite (+800) to win this year’s national championship. As happens in most seasons, that has changed, though the Crimson Tide are still among the top favorites to win it all this season. Alabama remains ranked No. 2 in the latest AP Top 25 rankings with in-state rival Auburn No. 1.

According to the top sports betting sites, it is now the Tigers that are tops on the betting board for the NCAA championship. How does the rest of the board look? Let’s take a look at the current favorites and contenders for the NCAA men’s college basketball championship. We’ll also break down where to find betting value, a solid NCAA title longshot pick, and our Scores & Stats experts predictions.

Men’s College Basketball Championship Odds

Check out the latest NCAAB Basketball Championship odds, courtesy of Scores and Stats:

The Auburn Tigers were +2800 odds to win the National Championship but now this team has soared up the boards to become the odds-on favorites to win the title along with the Duke Blue Devils. Conversely, a team like the Gonzaga Bulldogs have fallen from +1800 to +5500 and are now considered longshots.

The two-time defending National Championship, UConn Huskies, entered as one of the favorites to cut down the nets in April, but they’re now sitting at +4000 odds after falling from +900. In other words, what you see now, could definitely change when the odds come out at the start of the Big Dance. So, this could be a great time to find betting value.

Men’s College Basketball Championship Favorites

The following NCAAB Men’s teams are considered the odds-on favorites to win the 2024-25 College Basketball Championship:

Auburn Tigers +400

The Tigers lost an early season game to Duke, which we’ll talk about momentarily. Since then, Auburn has just one other loss, a 90-81 setback to a very good Florida team that is also among the top 10 on the latest betting board.

Auburn is ranked No. 1 in the country and rightfully so. Head coach Bruce Pearl’s team ranks first in Offensive Efficiency and the Tigers are equally as good defensively, ranking 10th in the nation in Defensive Efficiency.

Johni Broome is Auburn’s leading scorer, averaging 18.1 points per game. He also leads the team in rebounds (10.7) and is a candidate for the Naismith Award that goes to the nation’s best player. The Tigers have six players that average in double figures. Auburn is fifth in the country in scoring averaging 84.8 points per game.

Auburn was ranked 11th in the preseason polls, but the Tigers have proven they are a championship caliber team. Bettors can see that in Auburn’s record against Quadrant 1 teams. Q1 teams are those ranked No. 1 through No. 30 in the NCAA’s NET ratings at the time of play. Auburn is 13-2 in such games this season.

Alabama Crimson Tide +900

Auburn’s in-state rival Alabama is listed at +900 odds to win the national title as the two teams prepare to play each other twice over the final month of the season. Alabama began the season ranked No. 2 behind Kansas in the preseason polls. Like Auburn, the Crimson Tide has played a number of games against elite teams. Interestingly, the Tide’s NCAA championship odds have lengthened since the opening of the market.

Alabama’s record against Q1 opponents this season is 8-3. The Tide is also very good on the road, having won eight of nine games away from home. Last year, Alabama split two games with the Tigers, winning at home and losing on the road.

Guard Mark Sears returned this season as the TIde’s leading scorer. He is at it again leading Alabama with a 17.8 points per game average. He also averages 4.9 assists per game. Head coach Nate Oats’ team plays at the fastest pace in the nation and that’s one of the reasons why the Tide leads the nation in scoring at 90.5 points per game.

The Crimson Tide rank fourth in Offensive Efficiency, but they do give up 78.5 points per game. While they give up a lot of points, Alabama’s defense actually is pretty strong as evidenced by its Defensive Efficiency ranking of 30th. They are also one of the nation’s best shooting teams ranking 13th in Effective Field Goal Percentage.

Duke Blue Devils +400

The Blue Devils lost a ton of talent from last year’s team – Kyle Filipkowski and Jared McCain – but brought in the nation’s No. 1 recruit in 6-9 forward Cooper Flagg. He has been everything he was advertised to be, which is why Duke is now also listed at +400 to win the NCAA title on Apr. 7.

Duke is the cream of the ACC crop this season. They have just one conference loss to a ranked Clemson team on the road. Duke’s other losses were to bluebloods Kentucky and Kansas early in the season in their non-conference schedule.

Flagg leads the Blue Devils in scoring averaging 19.8 points per game. Fellow freshman Kon Knueppel is next with 13.2 points per game and sophomore Tyrese Proctor adds 11.8 per game. Even with a couple freshmen in the starting lineup, Duke is legitimately the best team in the ACC. They have the conference’s best defense – 60.4 points per game, fourth in the nation – and the offense isn’t too bad either.

Head coach Jon Scheyer’s team averages 80 points per game and leads the nation in average scoring margin. Duke outstcores opponents by an average of 19.6 points per game. The Blue Devils should secure the No. 1 seed in the ACC tournament and they are projected as a No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA tournament.

Houston Cougars +1000

The nation’s best defensive team, the Cougars are the only other team listed at +1000 or better to win the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament. Houston was ranked No. 4 at the beginning of the season and was given +1400 odds to win the NCAA tournament. The Cougars went 32-5 last year and lost in the Sweet Sixteen to Duke.

Houston returned LJ Cryer and a defense that continues to be the nation’s most difficult to crack. The Cougars led the nation in scoring defense (57.6 ppg) last year and are doing it again this year (57.3). The Cougars have four losses so far this season. Two of them are to the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country (Auburn & Alabama) with one to San Diego State by three and the other to Texas Tech by one in overtime.

Houston leads the Big 12 and once again is projected as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. The Cougars were the regular season champion last year but Iowa State won the Big 12 tournament and received the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

Florida Gators +1400

Coming into the 2024-25 season, Florida wasn’t really on anyone’s radar. The Gators were ranked 21st in the first preseason poll. With a relentless defense and an offense that averages 83.6 points per game, Florida has built a strong resume worthy of a shot at a national championship.

Head coach Todd Golden’s team is outstanding on both ends of the floor. The Gators rank third in Offensive Efficiency and seventh in Defensive Efficiency. They are equally capable of putting up 90 points on any given night or holding a team to under 60. Florida put up 100 against Kentucky and lost then came back in its next game and held Tennessee to a measly 43 points.

Walter Clayton Jr. leads Florida’s three-guard offense. Clayton scores 17.5 points per game and leads four Gators in double figures. The Gators are 5-3 in Q1 games so far this season. They will play at least three more. The latest bracketology has the Gators projected as a No. 1 seed. Games remaining against Texas A&M, Alabama, and Ole Miss will dictate what happens to Florida in both the SEC and NCAA tournaments. 

Best Men’s College Basketball Championship Betting Value

The following NCAAB teams offer betting value to win the Men’s College Basketball Championship:

Tennessee Volunteers +1400

We are talking value here, so we have narrowed it down to teams that have a legitimate shot of winning an NCAA title. All three of these teams fit a similar narrative. Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes has built a championship caliber program around a stifling defense. The Vols are consistently among the top defensive teams in the nation and this season is no exception.

Tennessee is No. 2 in scoring defense this season allowing opponents just 59.9 points per game. The Vols can also get after it on the offensive end. Chaz Lanier is one of the best players in the SEC averaging 17.4 points per game. Zakai Ziegler adds 13 points and 7.5 assists (fourth in the nation) for the Vols, who are ranked in the top 10 in average scoring margin (+14.4).

Barnes has taken Tennessee to three Sweet Sixteens in the last five NCAA tournaments. The Vols are projected as a No. 2 seed, which puts them in a perfect position to land in the Sweet Sixteen again. The Vols advanced to the Elite Eight last year where they lost to Purdue.

Florida Gators +1400

The Gators are similar to Tennessee with one exception – they can really fill it up on offense. Florida is a top 10 scoring team averaging over 83 points per game. They play great defense too. They allow 66.5 points per game, which ranks in the top 35. The Gators will play at faster pace than teams like Tennessee, which allows for more possessions for opponents.

Florida was a No. 7 seed last year and got knocked out in the first round by Colorado. As mentioned, they are being projected as a No. 1 seed as they are still in the running for the SEC regular season title. The Gators are also ranked No. 3 in the nation right now behind fellow SEC members Auburn and Alabama.

Whether they are a No. 1, 2, or even 3 seed this year, the Gators will be in great position to run through the tournament and advance to this year’s Final Four. Keep in mind, the Gators are no strangers to national titles. Prior to UConn last year, the Gators were the last team to repeat as national champions. Florida won back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007.

Houston Cougars +1000

You could turn $10 into $100 with a bet on Houston right now. It’s almost hard to believe that the Cougars’ odds haven’t dipped below +1000 yet. As mentioned, this is the best defense in the country and defense travels. Good defensive teams play good defense anywhere, but strong offensive teams don’t always shoot well in different arenas.

Head coach Kelvin Sampson has led his Cougars to four straight Sweet Sixteens. Houston has won the Big 12 regular season title three years straight and the Cougars have won 30-plus games in those three seasons. They are in position to win another Big 12 regular season title and they will likely be a No. 1 or 2 seed in the NCAA tourney.

Sampson took Houston to the 2021 Final Four. The Cougars lost to eventual national champion Baylor. They have the talent to get back there again and the defense to shut down just about anyone.

Men’s College Basketball Championship Longshot

If there is a longshot to back in this year’s field of 68 in the NCAA men’s college basketball tournament, it’s a team that has some experience, plays solid defense, and has played a strong schedule. This year, the best longshot bet is on Purdue.

The Boilermakers could still win the Big Ten regular season title. They are battling Michigan and MIchigan State in the conference. Purdue has conference losses to Ohio State at home and Penn State and Michigan on the road. The Boilermakers are 7-6 in Quadrant 1 games with losses to Texas A&M, Marquette, and Auburn. All three of those teams are currently ranked in the AP Top 25.

At the moment, Purdue is projected as a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament. In the grand scheme of things, tournament champions are almost always No.1 through No. 6 seeds. Seven of the last nine NCAA champions were No. 1 seeds. Villanova won the title in 2016 as a No. 2 seed.

After losing Naismith Player of the Year Zach Edey to the NBA, Purdue was overlooked as a favorite in the Big Ten and in the March Madness race. With Braden Smith, Foster Loyer, and Trey Kaufman-Renn, the Boilermakers are experienced. The roster is deep and Purdue head coach Matt Painter has been there before. The Boilermakers lost to UConn in the national championship game last year and Painter has taken his team to seven Sweet Sixteens.

NCAAM Basketball Championship Predictions

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: Auburn Tigers (+400)

Who won the Men’s College Basketball Championship?

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