2024-25 College Basketball Championship Odds and Predictions (2024)

Although we’re still a few months away from the NCAA Men’s College Basketball season tipping off, some of the sport’s biggest stars from last year will soon be in the spotlight with the upcoming 2024 NBA Draft. With that in mind, the top sportsbooks have already released their 2024-25 Men’s College Basketball Championship odds.

To the surprise of some, the Alabama Crimson Tide (+800) has edged out the back-to-back champions, UConn Huskies (+900), as the betting favorites to cut down the nets in April 2025. Breathing down their necks with the oddsmakers are the Kansas Jayhawks (+1000), Duke Blue Devils (+1400), and Houston Cougars (+1400).

Let’s dive into the latest 2024-25 Men’s College Basketball Championship odds, look at some tips for betting on College Basketball, 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:

Men’s College Basketball Championship Favorites

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

Alabama Crimson Tide +800

The Alabama Crimson Tide is projected to be one of the best teams in College Basketball this year. In fact, some sports betting sites, like the BetOnline odds above, have the Crimson Tide listed as the odds-on favorites to cut down the nets as the 2024-25 NCAAB Champions.

When looking at this roster, it’s easy to see why pundits and handicappers are picking Alabama as one of the best teams in the nation. The Crimson Tide are returning most of their starting roster that made it to the Final Four of the 2023-24 NCAA Men’s Championship Tournament.

The biggest news for Alabama this offseason was the return of point guard Mark Sears. He was the star of last year’s team and was heading to the NBA Draft before withdrawing last month. Sears led this team to the Final Four as he scored 24.2 ppg and shot 45.5% from three-pointers during the tournament. On the year, Sears averaged 21.5 ppg and 43.6% three-point shooting.

In addition to Sears, Alabama will also have two talented newcomers at the point guard position in Auburn-transfer Aden Holloway and freshman Labaron Philon. Latrell Wrightsell Jr. will return as the starting shooting guard. Behind him are transfers Houston Mallette from Pepperdine and Chris Youngblood from South Florida. The latter is a 40+% three-point shooter.

The small forward position has two talented incoming freshmen in five-star prospect Derrion Reid and Nass Cunningham. Like Sears, starting power forward Grand Nelson decided to withdraw from the NBA Draft process and return to Alabama. Nelson played a big part in the Crimson Tide’s run to the Final Four last season.

The biggest concern for Alabama, outside of what Sears and Nelson were going to do, was finding a starting center. Not only did they find a talented starter, but they also landed a two-time Big 10 All-Defense selection in Clifford Omoruyi, who transferred from Rutgers. This transfer also allows five-star freshman Aiden Sherrell to come off the bench and get more acclimated to the SEC.

As you can see, this team will be favored to win the SEC Championship and also flirt with the #1 overall seed for the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament next year.

UConn Huskies +900

The UConn Huskies are the reigning NCAA Men’s Basketball champions. In fact, they’ve won the last two national titles and are trying to go for the three-peat this year. It’s a feat that only the legendary UCLA Bruins, under John Wooden, have accomplished. In fact, Wooden led the Bruins to seven straight national titles from 1967-1973.

There’s still a long way to go before we can put UConn head coach Dan Hurley’s name up there with Wooden. However, Hurley’s spurning of the Los Angeles Lakers’ attempts to make him their next head coach signifies his commitment to continuing the Huskies dynasty.

For Hurley, this year won’t be as easy as the last two, considering the huge roster turnover this squad has undergone. Key starters Donovan Clingan and Stephon Castle have left UConn for the NBA and should be lottery picks at the 2024 NBA Draft. Additionally, guards Tristen Newton and Cam Spencer have used up all of their eligibility and won’t return this year.

Fortunately for Hurley, forward Alexa Karaban decided to withdraw from the NBA Draft to return for a shot at the three-peat. Karaban tested well at the combine and in off-season workouts. However, the lure of a third consecutive title was too much to ignore. Karaban averaged 13.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.5 apg, and almost 1.0 blocks and steals per game last year. He also posted 14 points and eight rebounds in UConn’s victory over Alamba in the Final Four last season.

Joining Karaban as a returning starter is Hassan Diarra, who should handle some of the point guard duties. Key bench contributors in Jaylin Stewart and Samson Johnson are also returning. One or both players could end up sliding into the starting five.

Hurley’s recent success also helped him in recruiting, as he landed a star player in Aidan Mahaney. The two-time All-WCC guard averaged nearly 14 ppg. The Huskies also landed a Top-10 incoming freshman in forward Liam McNeeley, who will have a spot in the starting five.

I like Alabama’s roster more than I do this Huskies’ squad. However, there’s one thing we need to keep in mind. Last year, pundits and critics were saying that UConn has not chance at winning another title due to the caliber and number of players they lost.

The 2023-24 Hurley-led squad defied the critics, the odds, and the roster turnover to smash their way to another title. Don’t outright dismiss the championship experience and talented head coach when considering a wager on this NCAAB futures bet.

Kansas Jayhawks +1000

In my opinion, no team had a more disappointing 2023-24 season than the Kansas Jayhawks. They were widely considered the preseason #1 ranked team after landing transfer center Hunter Dickinson. They were also my pick to win the 2023-24 NCAAB Championship. Unfortunately, they let us all down. In fact, it was possibly the most disappointing season in the HOF coaching career of Bill Self.

How do you bounce back from failure? For Self, he bounces back by putting together quite possibly the best roster in the nation. Once Hunter Dickinson announced that he would be returning, the Jayhawks went from a team with potential to a team that should win it all.

Dickinson averaged nearly 18 ppg last season and is the anchor to this squad. Also returning are possible starters in guard Dajuan Harris Jr. and forward K.J. Adams Jr. With Dickinson, Harris and Adams, three of last year’s top six scorers, Kansas has the talent to contend in the Big-12. However, what Self did on the recruiting trail was nothing short of amazing.

Self landed the following talented players in the transfer portal: Zeke Mayo who averaged 18.8 ppg at South Dakota State, Wisconsin’s top scorer in AJ Storr, and Alabama guard Rylan Griffen who was a key contributor in the Crimson Tide’s run last year.

The Jayhawks run at least seven deep with players that could start for any school. Add a few returning bench players and this Kansas team has the best roster on paper. Don’t be surprised if the Jayhawks end up as the preseason #1 team once again. However, this year, don’t be surprised if they actually win the championship.

Duke Blue Devils +1400

The Duke Blue Devils were expected to be national title contenders last year, but fell short of expectations with a loss in the Elite Eight. Head coach Jon Scheyer felt that the team needed an influx of talent to reach the next level of success and to replace a massive roster turnover after losing 10 players from last year.

Stars like Kyle Filipowski and Jared McCain have both left for the NBA. Center Ryan Young used up all of his eligibility. The highly talented point guard Jeremy Roach led a mass exodus of transfers as he left for Baylor.

Tyrese Proctor is expected to be this year’s starting point guard after averaging 10.5 ppg last year and playing key minutes as a starter for 25 games. Caleb Foster should start alongside proctor after scoring 7.5 ppg in 25.4 minutes per game last season. His 40+% three-point shooting will be one of the main reasons why Foster is in the starting lineup. However, with the influx of highly talented freshman joining this Duke roster, Foster isn’t guaranteed a spot in the starting five.

Tulane transfer Sion James brings toughness and experience to this Duke squad. He’ll be tabbed as the starting small forward after averaging 14 ppg, 5.4 rpg and 2.7 apg last season. James has played in 114 career games with 107 starts at Tulane. He’s the perfect balance to a young, inexperienced roster. If Scheyer decides to go younger, he has a plethora of options in five-star recruits Isaiah Evans and Kon Knueppel. The prudent choice would be to let Evans and Knueppel learn behind James for now.

At power forward, Duke will start the #1 freshman recruit Cooper Flagg. Not only is he the most hyped prospect since Zion Williamson, but Flagg is already being predicted as the top overall selection in the 2025 NBA Draft. Flagg’s versatility could see him play anywhere from the three to five spots depending on the matchups. Additionally, his elite offense and stellar defense make him a force to be reckoned with.

Pairing with Flagg in the frontcourt is five-star recruit Khaman Maluach who is already being tabbed as a Top-5 NBA Draft pick next year. Furthermore, the 7-foot-1 center is also an elite defender and a top-notch post player. Not to mention, Maluach was considered the #3 recruit in this year’s class.

The duo of Maluach and Flagg make this Duke team a nightmare for the opposition. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if this was the best backcourt in the nation by time March Madness rolls around.

Houston Cougars +1400

Coach Kelvin Sampson did a fantastic job with the Houston Cougars last year as the team went 15-3 in Big 12 action, won the regular season title, but fell short in the Conference Title game. It was their first season in the Big 12 and they made an emphatic first impression.

Furthermore, the Cougars were a trendy pick last year to win the championship after a strong regular season, but they came up short in a Sweet 16 loss to Duke. However, you can put an asterisk next to that loss because star point guard Jamal Shead suffered an ankle injury during the game and left a huge void in the Cougars offense.

Unfortunately, the void that Shead left behind, didn’t just end with the Sweet 16 defeat. The talented point guard took his talents to the NBA. Sampson didn’t wait long to find a suitable replacement as he landed Oklahoma point guard Milos Uzan who averaged 9ppg last year.

Uzan will join one of the best Big 12 players in guard L.J. Cryer who averaged 15.5 ppg last year. He will be tabbed as the team’s top offensive scorer. Forward J’Wan Roberts will return along with Cryer to bring some toughness and experience in the frontcourt.

Emanuel Sharp was a key contributor last year with 12.6 ppg and 3.5 rpg. He provides another scoring punch to the starting five along with solid defense. Speaking of defense, center Ja’Vier Francis grew into a defensive stalwart for the Cougars last year and he returns as their anchor this season.

Houston plays gritty basketball with an emphasis on defense. In 2023-24, they finished with the least number of points allowed at 57.6 ppg. This year, I fully expect the Cougars to be a Top-5 defense once again.

With that said, Houston should contend for the Big 12 Championship this year. They might be the only team that can hang with Kansas for the upcoming season.

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

Let me start off this section by saying that I am a Gonzaga Bulldogs fan and have been since the 90s. Although I will try my best to be impartial with predictions involving Gonzaga, I can’t help but be excited over the talent on this roster for the upcoming season.

No, Chet Holmgren, Drew Timme, Domantas Sabonis, John Stockton or Adam Morrison and his mustache aren’t playing this year, but the Zags do have a Top 5 preseason squad.

Last year, it took most of the season for the Bulldogs to gel, but once tournament time began, Gonzaga started playing to their full potential. They made a run all the way to the Sweet 16 before losing to Purdue.

Gonzaga’s long-time head coach Mark Few will see the majority of his starting roster return, which is enough to make the Bulldogs a Top 10 team. But, adding a few players from the transfer portal has taken this team to the Top 5 stratosphere.

The Zags will lose Anton Watson to graduation. He was arguably the best defender and a versatile scorer. With that said, Gonzaga will finally see Steel Venters play this year after missing all of the last season due to an injury. Venters averaged 15.3 ppg in the 2022-23 season when playing at Eastern Washington.

The key addition to the Bulldogs this year is Pepperdine transfer Michael Ajayi who should slot in as the starting small forward. Ajayi was an All-WCC player and led the Waves in scoring (17.2 ppg) and rebounds (9.9 rpg). He might not be the defender that Watson was, but his offensive skills are better and his outside shooting will open up the floor. Both Ajayi and Venters are 40+% three-point shooters.

Gonzaga’s returning backcourt is going to be a dangerous combination for any school to handle. Point guard Ryan Nembhard shocked the sport when he transferred to the Bulldogs after leading Creighton to an Elite Eight appearance in 2022-23. He put up solid numbers for Gonzaga with 12.6 ppg, 6.9 apg, 4.0 rpg and 1.2 steals per game. I expect the senior to surpass these numbers this season.

Shooting guard, Nolan Hickman proved to be a solid scoring option alongside Nembhard. His journey to the starting SG spot has been quite the adventure. Hickman started as a backup PG to Andrew Nembhard, then struggled as the starting PG a season later, before moving over to the starting shooting guard when the younger Nembhard sibling (Ryan) arrived. Hickman averaged 14.0 ppg, 2.7 apg, 2.3 rpg, 1.0 spg, and shot 41.3% on three pointers. You can safely pencil him in for another year of similar numbers.

In addition to a potent backcourt, I believe the Gonzaga frontcourt could be what leads this team to contending for a national title. Ben Gregg’s elevation to the starting five was a catalyst for Gonzaga’s late-season success. He added some toughness, defense and rebounding. With Watson leaving, Gregg could be the one to see his stock rise the most due to his defensive prowess. Additionally, he should also surpass his averages of 9.0 ppg and 5.7 rpg from last season.

Lastly, pay attention to the name of Graham Ike as he could become one of the best big men in the sport. Ike tallied 16.5 ppg, 7.4 rpg and 0.7 blocks per game in a breakout performance last year. And, he did this after missing all of the 2022-23 season due to an injury. When he played to his full potential, Ike was dominant. Just look at his strong play in the NCAAB National Tournament when the Zags beat Kentucky, St. Marys and Kansas. Pencil in Ike as an All-American this year.

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, I don’t expect to see this value for the Bulldogs the rest of the year.

Baylor Bears +2500

It’s hard to argue with the assessment that this could be Baylor’s best team since winning the national title three years ago. But that’s exactly what I see when looking at this roster. Scott Drew has a talented squad that got even better and deeper with the addition of two key transfers and a heralded five-star recruit.

Last year, Baylor finished third in the Big 12 and made it to the Big Dance before getting bounced in the Round of 32 by the Clemson Tigers. It was an earlier departure than some had expected. Yet, that growing pain will make this year’s squad even better.

Two key scorers from last year, Jayden Nunn (10.5 ppg) and Langston Love (11.0 ppg), return to help provide some firepower on offense. Nunn could be tabbed as a starter or come off the bench. Either way, he will provide a scoring punch. Love also gives Drew another starter or key player off the bench depending on how quickly the new additions acclimate to Bears’ basketball.

Speaking of the new additions, Baylor crushed it in the transfer portal with former Duke point guard Jeremy Roach and former Miami center Norchad Omier. Roach will lead this offense after averaging 14.0 ppg, 3.3 apg, and 2.5 rpg last year. Roach started 108 games for Duke over four seasons and provides a veteran presence to this Bears team. He replaces former starting PG RayJ Dennis used up all of his eligibility.

Joining Roach in the backcourt is the highly touted five-star recruit 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.

Center, Norchad Omier, decided to leave Miami and head to Baylor where he will be the starting big man on a team desperate for his services. Omier is a double-double machine after average 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.

With most of the attention on Kansas and Houston, 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 third team that can bump off Houston or Kansas for the Big 12 title, it’s the Baylor Bears.

Iowa State Cyclones +2800

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

Last year, the Cyclones won the Big 12 Championship after going 29-8. This earned them a #2 seed in the NCAAB Tournament where they made it to the Sweet 16 before losing to Illinois by three points.

Head coach T.J. Otzelberger didn’t let this school rest on their laurels from last year as he was aggressive in the transfer portal and landed many solid players like St. Mary’s forward Joshua Jefferson. The talented forward is coming off a season-ending injury after starting 26 games for the Gaels. He still finished the year with 10.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg and 2.3 apg.

Iowa State also scored talented big-men transfers in Brandton Chatfield (Seattle) and Dishon Jackson (Charlotte). Chatfield, a 6-foot-10 center, brings much needed size to the Cyclones after tallying 9.4 ppg and 5.4 rpg last season.

Jackson is pegged to start at center for Iowa State next year. The 6-foot-11 center finished his first season with the Charlotte 49ers averaging 11.4 ppg, 6 rpg, and 1 bpg. He started every game for the 49ers and has above average handles for a center. I expect JT Rock to come off the bench for the Cyclones along with Chatfield. But, that’s a lot of size for Iowa State to implement in any gameplan.

Keep in mind, these transfers join a roster that will see their top four scorers return from last year. Keshon Gilbert, Tamin Lipsey, Curtis Jones and Milan Momcilovic are all excited to build off of last year’s success and make a deeper run in the Big Dance.

In particular, the returns of Gilbert, Jones and Lipsey make this backcourt one of the best in the conference, if not the country. These three players not only score, but they’re also lockdown defenders as well.

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

As of this writing, the Texas A&M Aggies (+6600) are my choice as the top longshots to win the 2024-25 NCAA Men’s College Basketball Championship next spring. The Aggies finished 7^th in the SEC last year with a 21-15 record. However, that record doesn’t accurately describe the 2023-24 season.

The first half of the year, Texas A&M was floating around .500 after being plagued by inconsistent on-court play. However, the team finally started playing winning basketball and closed out the season on high note after winning five of their last six games including an upset of the 9^th ranked Kentucky Wildcats. This late-season run led to an appearance in the Big Dance where they lost in the Round of 32 to Houston by five points.

Seven of their eight top scorers return this season. The continuity that this team will have should help them get out to a much better start in 2024-25. The Aggies will be led by a potential All-American in guard Wade Taylor IV who averaged 19.1 ppg, 4.0 apg, and 3.5 rpg last year.

Forward Henry Coleman III (8.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg) and Manny Obaseki (7.0 ppg, 40.4% three-pointers) should also join Taylor IV in the starting lineup as they both return from last year’s squad.

Despite getting many of their top scorers back, Aggies’ head coach buzz Williams was still active in the transfer portal where he landed two potential starters. Guard Zhuric Phelps left SMU to join the Aggies after averaging 14.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg, and 2.7 apg last year for the Mustangs. He should replace the departed Tyrece Radford. Phelps tallied a career 12.0 ppg across 93 contests with SMU.

The other notable transfer that Williams scored was forward Pharrell Payne. The former Golden Gopher averaged 10.0 ppg and 6.1 rpg last year. He’s being tabbed as the starting center for the Aggies this year. Payne was sought after by numerous schools while in the transfer portal. This is definitely a small victory for the Aggies as Payne is a talented big man who can play defense and rebound.

For a team that’s made the NCAA Tournament the last two years, having the continuity from last season, along with the added transfer-portal talent, makes the Aggies my top longshot bet.

Who Will Win The 2024-25 Men’s College Basketball Championship?

It would be easy for me to pick Gonzaga to win the 2024-25 Men’s College Basketball Championship. They should have a Top 5 roster along with being my favorite team. With that said, I’m going to be impartial with this prediction despite how much it pains me.

I believe that Kansas, Duke, Gonzaga, UConn and Alabama will all be true contenders for the national title in 2024-25. The seeding and regions will greatly affect which of these teams can make it to the championship game. However, in this scenario where we’re making predictions 10 months prior to the 2024-25 NCAAB Championship game, I’m taking Kansas and Duke to battle it out for the title.

We haven’t seen a school win three straight titles since UCLA did it 50 years ago, so I’m crossing off UConn. Alabama and Gonzaga have highly talented rosters and could easily supplant either Kansas or Duke in the title game. With that said, there’s just something about this year’s Jayhawks and Blue Devils that gives me a feeling of two teams on a collision course for basketball glory.

As for which team I believe will win championship next season, I’m going with the Duke Blue Devils. Yes, I feel dirty even picking them since I am a Duke hater. But I’m drinking the blue Kool-Aid this offseason and love the duo of Maluach and Flagg. This frontcourt will not only be one of the best in the country by time we get to the Big Dance, but both players will go in the Top 5 of the 2025 NBA Draft.

Although the Blue Devils have a massive roster turnover, they did just land the #1 recruit and top-ranked freshman class in the nation. Additionally, they added some talented transfers to give this team a nice balance of experience and youthful excitement.

Duke has the most Top-50 recruits since the 2017 Kentucky Wildcats, but I believe this Blue Devils squad is even better than the Wildcats on a collegiate level. Their five top recruits were all in the Top 18 ranked players with Flagg being #1 and Maluach being #3. Give this team until February to fully gel and they’re going to be unstoppable come March Madness.

NCAAB Bet: Duke Blue Devils +1400

Who won the Men’s College Basketball Championship?

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