- The Jayhawks had Riley Kugel decommit, but they still have AJ Storr, among others.
- The Blue Devils have Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 overall recruit.
- UConn guard Hassan Diarra won the Big East Sixth Man Award and should be the starter this season.
We’re heading toward another year of basketball betting, and it’s never too early to start analyzing who could be in the driver’s seat to win the national title, especially with big-time recruits like Cooper Flagg joining Duke.
Below, I’ll examine the college basketball odds at the BetMGM online sportsbook for the 2025 national title winner and examine the top five odds-on favourites.
2025 College Basketball Odds to Win National Championship
| Team | Current Odds | Opening Odds |
| Kansas | +900 | +1000 |
| Duke | +900 | +1100 |
| UConn | +900 | +1000 |
| Alabama | +1200 | +2000 |
| Houston | +1600 | +1400 |
| Gonzaga | +1700 | +2200 |
| North Carolina | +1800 | +1600 |
| Baylor | +2000 | +2000 |
| Iowa State | +2000 | +3000 |
| Arizona | +2500 | +2200 |
| Arkansas | +2500 | +3500 |
| Auburn | +3000 | +3000 |
| Kentucky | +3500 | +2000 |
| Purdue | +4000 | +2500 |
| Creighton | +4000 | +5000 |
2025 Odds to Win NCAA Tournament
Kansas National Championship Odds +900
The Jayhawks lost out on Riley Kugel, who de-committed from the school and instead opted to play with Mississippi State after two seasons at Florida. Still, AJ Storr is joining the program after playing the 2022-23 season with St. John’s (NY) and the 2023-24 season with Wisconsin.
We also can’t forget that guard Elmarko Jackson will miss the entire season with a knee injury.
Nonetheless, the Jayhawks’ starting five looks great, with Storr, Summit League Player of the Year Zeke Mayo, and Hunter Dickinson returning for this season.
Kansas also has Rylan Griffen coming in from Alabama. He shot 39.2% from 3-point range last season, averaging 11.2 points per game.
ready to work 🤝#RockChalk x @GriffenRylan pic.twitter.com/ebwMqFQvE1
— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) September 30, 2024
In the first month of the season, the Jayhawks will face off against UNC and Duke, who are tied with them for the national championship odds at +900.
Duke National Championship Odds +900
Duke is always a favourite to win the national championship, and in 2024, they’ll have the No. 1 recruit in the country in Cooper Flagg. The expectations for the freshman are high.
The Blue Devils lost several players to the NBA and the transfer portal, but they have Flagg, another five-star recruit in 7-foot-1 center Khaman Maluach, and Maliq Brown, who transferred in from Syracuse.
November features several high-level matchups, including Kentucky, Arizona, and Kansas. These are all preseason Top 25 squads, with Kentucky coming in at No. 23 without John Calipari. Arizona comes in at No. 9, while Kansas is No. 1.
UConn National Championship Odds +900
The Huskies are seeking a three-peat in 2024 and will do so with Hassan Diarra, the Big East Sixth Man Award winner, entering the starting lineup. The lineup also features Alex Karaban, Aidan Mahaney, who averaged nearly 14 points per game at Saint Mary’s, and Liam McNeeley, a top-10 recruit.
UConn’s November schedule is fairly easy, with games against Sacred Heart, New Hampshire, Le Moyne, Texas A&M-Commerce, Memphis, and Maryland Eastern Shore.
They don’t play a preseason Top 25 team until they host No. 6 Baylor on Dec. 4.
Alabama National Championship Odds +1200
The Crimson Tide have plenty of veterans, including Mark Sears, Latrell Wrightsell Jr., and Grant Nelson. They also have Chris Youngblood transferring in from South Florida (he averaged over 15 points per game last season) and center Clifford Omoruyi coming in from Rutgers. Omoruyi averaged 2.9 blocks and 10.4 points per game across 26.9 minutes.
Omoruyi’s defence will play a vital role this season. Last season, the Tide allowed 70.9 points per outing, 122nd in the nation.
In November, Omoruyi will take on his former team on Nov. 27. Alabama will also take on Purdue, Illinois, and Houston.
Purdue, Houston, and Rutgers are all preseason Top 25 teams.
Houston National Championship Odds +1600
Jamal Shead is off to the NBA, and the Cougars will hope that Oklahoma transfer Milos Uzan can replace his production and his defence as Shead averaged more than two steals per game.
Houston also has plenty of continuity across their starting five, including L.J. Cryer, Emanuel Sharp, J’Wan Roberts, and Ja’Vier Francis.
Cryer averaged 15.5 points per game, while Sharp was at 12.6.
The Cougars scored 73.5 points per game last season, 144th in the nation. They’ll need to find ways to score, and it’ll be intriguing to see how Uzan does from the point guard position, especially with games against Rutgers, Auburn, and Alabama in the season’s opening month.