Selection Sunday is over, the bracket is set and the March Madness odds to win are out with Duke as the betting favorite at FanDuel. The Blue Devils marched through the ACC Tournament over the weekend, despite losing arguably the best playing in the nation, Coooper Flagg, to injury in the quarterfinal.
Following Duke (+290) in the March Madness odds to win is: Florida at +390, Auburn at +500, Houston at +700 and Alabama at +2000 to round out the top five on the oddsboard.
2025 March Madness Odds
Duke Favored In National Championship Odds
Duke cruised through the 2024-25 season to the tune of a 30-3 record, falling only to then-No. 19 Kentucky, then-No. 1 Kansas and Clemson. Along that run, the Blue Devils also knocked off a very impressive Auburn squad 84-78 at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
When the bracket was released on Sunday night, it was clear the Blue Devils had a nice draw as the No. 1 seed in the fairly light East Region. That said, in Josie Costigan’s March Madness Bracket predictions piece, she is picking No. 3 seed Wisconsin to dash Duke hopes of a Natty in the Elite Eight — Wisconsin to win the East is +1100 if you’re interested.
March Madness Winner Value Pick: St. John’s
What a transformation we’ve seen from the St. John’s Red Storm since head coach Rick Pitino took over last season. In just his second season, Pitino has taken a team that was flirting with a .500 record on the season to an impressive 30-4 campaign, earning their first March Madness bid since 2019 and winning its first conference tournament in 25 years.
The West Region could prove to be a difficult one to get out of with the likes of Florida, Memphis, Texas Tech and Kansas looming, but the Red Storm are battle tested with five wins over ranked opponents this year (three against Marquette). Keep an eye on their Round of 32 matchup as they will be taking on No. 7 Kansas or locking horns with former Kentucky (which Pitino won a national championship with) head coach John Calipari with No. 10 Arkansas.
Overall, SJU should be favored into the Sweet 16 where a potential Texas Tech matchup sits. Oddsmakers will have tough time setting a line for that one and there may be an opportunity to hedge a futures bet by playing the Red Raiders to reach the Elite Eight at +176 at FanDuel.
Last 10 College Basketball National Champions
| Year | Team | Preseason Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | UConn | +2000 (3) |
| 2023 | UConn | +8000 (28) |
| 2022 | Kansas | +1400 (7) |
| 2021 | Baylor | +800 (1) |
| 2019 | Virginia | +1350 (6) |
| 2018 | Villanova | +2700 (7) |
| 2017 | North Carolina | +1900 (8) |
| 2016 | Villanova | +2500 (10) |
| 2015 | Duke | +900 (4) |
| 2014 | UConn | +6500 (14) |
With their 2024 March Madness win, UConn is the only three-time champion in the last ten years. Coincidentally, the Huskies have the longest odds to win a championship on this list. In 2014, they had the 14th-longest odds at +6500 and in 2023 they had the 28th-longest odds at +8000. As you know, they won both times, so disrespect UConn at your peril.
NCAA Basketball Teams with the Most Titles
| School | # Championships Won | Years |
|---|---|---|
| UCLA | 11 | 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1995 |
| Kentucky | 8 | 1948, 1949, 1951, 1958, 1978, 1996, 1998, 2012 |
| UConn | 6 | 1999, 2004, 2011, 2014, 2023, 2024 |
| North Carolina | 6 | 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, 2009, 2017 |
| Duke | 5 | 1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015 |
| Indiana | 5 | 1940, 1953, 1976, 1981, 1987 |
| Kansas | 4 | 1952, 1988, 2008, 2022 |
| Villanova | 3 | 1985, 2016, 2018 |
Holding the league record for March Madness titles and longest win streak (seven years), the UCLA Bruins are the clearcut college ball champion. I mean, the John R. Wooden Award for Player of the Year is named after their head coach during that insane streak – what more of a legacy could you ask for?
Trailing UCLA are the Kentucky Wildcats and UNC’s Tar Heels with an impressive eight and six titles respectively – this year, UCLA is further down the odds list than either of these teams. It’ll be a few years before they can be dethroned, but there are undoubtedly expectations for UCLA to keep producing and earn their first title since 1995.
March Madness Betting Trends
Finding trends and patterns in bets is our specialty — if you want to be a great handicapper, it should be yours too! We’ve come to know the NCAA’s National Championship as a chaotic and exciting event where anyone can walk away with a title, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few trends to keep your eye on. Before placing a March Madness futures wager, check out these betting trends:
- Conference-wise, the Big East has been on a bit of a tear, claiming 4/10 of the last NCAA titles — the ACC isn’t far behind at three in the last ten, and a Big 12 team has won in the previous two-straight years.
- In the last three years, 12th seeds have had the 5th seeds’ number in the first round — they’re 6-6 on the moneyline and 8-4 against the spread.
- Underdogs perform well in the first round, plain and simple. They’re 122-97-2 ATS since 2015, and almost half of those teams finished those games with a straight-up win.
- Fading the public holds true in March Madness — since 2016, teams that held 60% of spread bets have ended up going a cumulative 56-80-5 ATS.
How to Bet on March Madness
Betting on March Madness has become increasingly popular for even the most casual of college ball fans. The most common option for the tournament is selecting the overall winner by making a March Madness futures bet – nice and simple, all you have to do is pick the correct 1/68. Easy, right? There are other options for futures too, like selecting the Final Four or individual conference winners.
Of course, when the actual tournament is going on, it’ll be a free-for-all just like the regular season. Each game will have its moneylines, spreads, totals and props – if you need a refresher on how to bet on college basketball, take a look at our guide and review a few key handicapping tools like NCAAB computer picks and public consensus data.
Where to bet on the March Madness
March Madness and betting are synonymous with each other – even your coworkers and elderly neighbors have some sort of pool going to predict the winner. Because of that popularity, you’ll find March Madness odds and matchups available at any major sportsbook under the NCAAB section.
If you need any advice on what to look for in a college basketball betting site, check out our sportsbook reviews for sites that offer NCAAB action!
Understanding The Odds To Win The NCAA Championship
If you’re interested in March Madness futures, you’re likely looking to bet on the outright winner of the tournament. Like the odds table at the top of the page, odds will usually look like this:
- Gonzaga +200
- Baylor +750
- Kansas +1000
- UCLA +2500
These odds tell you the likelihood and corresponding payout of one of these teams winning a national championship. Unlike a moneyline bet, where there is a clear favorite represented by a minus sign (-), the team with the lowest odds would be the favorite. In our example, it’s Gonzaga, and the rest are underdogs even though each team has a plus sign (+) prefacing its odds.
If you were to bet $100 on the Gonzaga Bulldogs and they won, your sportsbook would reward you with $200 in profit for a $300 total win. Betting on a long-shot winner like UCLA at +2500 would earn you $2500 on that same bet – the profits are much higher the further you go down the table, but so is the risk.
To see how much you’d win on the futures odds, check out our Odds Calculator. It’ll show you what your payout would be based on the odds and amount wagered. Don’t forget you can also make selections on which teams will make the Final Four, who will win each conference, and which player will take home the John R. Wooden Award for Player of the Year in the regular season.
