The journey to become the US national college basketball champion begins as 2025 March Madness rolls into its First Four phase. Find out what to expect from this year’s college basketball fest in our 2024-25 NCAA postseason betting tips and analysis.
The nationwide campaign begins at Daytona, Ohio, as Alabama State Hornets take on Saint Francis Red Flash at the UD Arena on March 18. Sixty-eight teams are in contention for the crown, but only two will make it to the National Championship game on April 7 at Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, United States.
The Connecticut Huskies defended their title last season by beating the Purdue Boilermakers. They have won the last two National Championship games and will be looking to become the first team since UCLA Bruins to win the competition three successive times this year. UCLA is the most successful team in NCAA history, having won the championship a record 11 times.
| ℹ️ Tournament: | 2025 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament (2025 March Madness) |
| 🏟️ Venues: | Venues across the United States |
| 🗓️ Dates: | 18 March – 7 April 2025 |
March Madness brings together 68 teams each year. The 32 conference champions from the regular season earn automatic March Madness spots. Basketball betting apps often consider these teams the favorites to go all the way.
The NCAA Selection Committee selects the remaining 36 teams on a wildcard basis. Their performance during the regular season plays a big role in this selection. Before the tournament begins, all teams are seeded from 1 to 68. The competition follows a single-elimination format until a champion is crowned.
Auburn Tigers are the No. 1 overall seed in the competition this year. The South region side had a 28-5 record in the regular season. Duke Blue Devils (31-3), Houston Cougars (30-4), and Florida Gators (30-4) are the other top seeds in the tournament. So, expect these teams to dominate the college basketball playoffs 2025 predictions.
The latest NCAA basketball bookmakers have revealed the odds for the event. Here are the top five favorites to become the national champion this season:
Duke’s basketball program has been looking for its sixth national championship for a decade. After dominating the ACC Championships, the Blue Devils enter the championship fray with the most favorable 2025 NCAA basketball playoff odds.
Even with three losses in their previous four outings, Bruce Pearl’s team earned the coveted No. 1 overall seed in the tournament. Their strong 16-5 record in Quad 1 games makes them one of the hot favorites in 2024-25 NCAA playoff betting tips.
Many analysts are comparing this Florida Gators team to those legendary Bill Donovan teams from the mid-2000s. The expectations are quite high on these boys, so they will get a shoutout in any betting preview for the NCAA playoffs 2025.
Houston has dominated the Big 12 in their first two seasons in the conference, winning the title both years. As per NCAA playoff predictions for 2025, the Cougars are one of the strongest contenders for the championship.
Tennessee Volunteers will look to bank on its excellent defense to upset its title rivals. Coach Rick Barnes is reportedly going to retire after this campaign, so the group might feel extra motivated to give him the perfect send-off. The 2025 NCAA basketball betting odds label them as a dark horse, but this team has all the elements of a title challenger.
To begin, let’s predict who will come out on top in the NCAA season:
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It’s no shock that Houston is in contention once again. Under Kelvin Sampson’s leadership over the past five seasons, the program has reached the Final Four, Elite Eight, and Sweet 16 on three other occasions. But this is by far the most explosive offensive unit Sampson has worked with.
This Houston team posted a 19-1 record in the Big 12 and dropped only one regular-season game after November 30. So, we think the current Cougars unit can be Sampson’s best chance at his first national title as long as J’Wan Roberts is healthy and Milos Uzan continues his excellent scoring form.
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With Wooden Award hopeful Cooper Flagg leading the charge, the Blue Devils are the leading contenders for national championship glory this year. 2025 NCAA basketball playoffs odds are strongly in favor of a successful Dukes season, so we couldn’t convince ourselves to go against them twice.
We think the Cougars might beat them to the national championship, but we couldn’t find a better team that can challenge their supremacy in the East Region. They cruised past Louisville in the ACC championship game without their star players, Flagg and Maliq Brown. There is incredible depth in this roster, so they should be able to finish ahead of their regional rivals.
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Pat Kelsey has guided the Cardinals to a quick turnaround. The team’s offense is top-tier, with Wisconsin transfer Chucky Hepburn orchestrating the team’s expansive offensive style. Louisville is among the top 20 in three-point shooting frequency and ranks in the top 75 for effective field goal percentage.
A difficult first-round matchup against Creighton awaits, but the Cards will have the home-court advantage before facing Auburn in the Round of 32. Louisville has the ability to challenge Auburn’s front line and could potentially outshoot them from long range.
This is not going to be one of the most popular college basketball playoffs 2025 predictions, but we think the Cardinals have a great chance to win the Southern Region ahead of the Tigers. At least, their chances of winning the Southern Region are worth a risky bet.
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The Wolverines will travel to San Diego as the favorites, but the Tritons could surprise them on the West Coast. San Diego is on a 15-match winning streak, which happens to be the largest in the country. It’s also second nationwide in turnover percentage, which could spell trouble for a Michigan side that struggles to protect the ball.
We will back the Houston Cougars to win their maiden national championship this year. Our NCAA basketball 2025 betting picks also foresee the Blue Devils winning the Eastern Region.
