Cooper Flagg, Duke favored to win 2025 NCAA Tournament over Dan Hurley, UConn

10/18/2024 02:30 PM

College basketball is almost here! The season starts in less than three weeks, and in the meantime, the AP Poll was released, which means that we have something to talk about and whether any team is underrated or overrated. The betting odds to win the NCAA Tournament are also out now, and they do not 100% reflect the AP Poll, making it even more interesting to look at before the season starts.

Here, we will examine the five teams with the best odds to win the NCAA Tournament before the 2024-25 season starts. Some of these teams are surprises, while some are expected.

Here are the NCAA Men’s Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NCAA Basketball Odds: 2025 NCAA Tournament Winner Odds

Duke (+950)

Houston (+1000)

Kansas (+1000)

UConn (+1100)

Alabama (+1400)

Iowa State (+1600)

Auburn (+2000)

Gonzaga (+2000)

Arizona (+2500)

North Carolina (+2500)

Duke To Win 2025 NCAA Tournament (+950)

Duke has the best team odds to win the National Title in College Basketball this season. They enter this season with the best freshman class of any team in the country, highlighted by Cooper Flagg, the best player in the 2024 class. At 6’9,” Flagg has so much skill and is extremely versatile. He can guard any position on defense, and his offense is almost unguardable because he can score from all three levels on the basketball court. He gets all the headlines, but they will also be starting two other five-stars in Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach at both small forward and center, respectively. They are also going to be steadied with Tyrese Proctor at point guard. All he has done is improve year after year, and he provides the leadership needed for a deep run. Another name to keep an eye on is Mason Gillis. After he transferred over from Purdue, he will be a huge key off the bench. This is a huge year for the Blue Devils.

Houston To Win 2025 NCAA Tournament (+1000)

The trust is there with this Houston team as long as Kelvin Sampson is the head coach. His teams epitomize toughness, where they are constantly among the best rebounding teams and defensive teams overall. This team will go as their three guards go this season. Milos Uzan transferred over from Oklahoma, and then Emanuel Sharp should have an even bigger role than he did last year, but the key to this offense is L.J. Cryer. He is the only player on this offense who can consistently score and get a shot when the Cougars need it. Houston has earned trust; they just need to prove it more in March.

Kansas To Win 2025 NCAA Tournament (+1000)

Kansas opens the season as the top-ranked team in the country. It is for good reason because this roster is littered with talent. Dajuan Harris is a steady hand at point guard and will have a lot of options to distribute the ball to. Zeke Mayo transferred over from South Dakota State, and he is an alpha at the shooting guard spot because he scored 18.8 points per game. Then, A.J. Storr helps fortify a frontcourt with K.J. Adams and Hunter Dickinson down low. Storr was the best player on Wisconsin last year, while Dickinson has been great and was named the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year. Kansas is loaded this year, and the key is that all players have a lot of experience, too.

UConn To Win 2025 NCAA Tournament (+1100)

UConn is the king of college basketball at the moment. They are the two-time defending national champions, and they just reloaded once again for this upcoming college basketball season. UConn is the third-ranked team in the AP Poll, and they have a lot of talent. You can count on them being very physical and tough as a team, similar to their coach. The keys start with Aidan Mahaney in the backcourt because he is a very experienced guard after starting his career at Saint Mary’s and provides a steady hand for the Huskies. Then, on the wing, Alex Karaban and incoming freshman Liam McNeely should carry this team as the two players who can get a basket when the Huskies need it. At this point, the Huskies have earned trust thanks to Dan Hurley, so these odds and their AP ranking make a lot of sense.

Alabama To Win 2025 NCAA Tournament (+1400)

There is a strong argument that Alabama is the best team in the country this season. Mark Sears is back at point guard and a legitimate superstar. He scores at will, can get others involved very well, and has improved on defense. It starts with Sears, but Aden Holloway and Latrell Wrightsell are tough guards who should be difference-makers. Grant Nelson also became a star last March and will be a force in the paint next to Clifford Omoruyi. The Crimson Tide play is very fast-paced and gets up a lot of shots, and they need to weather the storm when teams get physical with them. This team could be the team to get them to that next level.

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