When does college basketball start? The NCAA basketball season is just a few days away! Last year’s champions, the UConn Huskies, are not favored to complete the three-peat as March Madness winners. This NCAA basketball betting preview will look at the odds to make some college basketball betting predictions for the upcoming season.
NCAA Basketball Betting Preview: Who Is Favored To Win It All?
2023-24 NCAA Season
After the 2023-24 season, significant changes swept through college athletics. Longtime Kentucky head coach John Calipari departed after 15 years to lead Arkansas. The Pac-12, diminished to two teams, began rebuilding by adding Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, and San Diego State for the 2026–27 season. Gonzaga announced its departure from the WCC to join the Pac-12 in all sports except football. UTEP confirmed it would join the Mountain West from Conference USA during the same period.
2023-24 Uconn Huskies National Champions Playbook
The deepest & most creative playbook I have ever seen.https://t.co/LCsXAuRPrn
Some of my favorite sets: pic.twitter.com/qYPBUDzhjN
— Coach Gibson Pyper (@HalfCourtHoops) April 9, 2024
The Huskies were +2000 to repeat as champions to start the season. This was tied for the sixth-shortest odds. Kansas was the odds-on favorite to start the season at +1000, followed by Duke, Purdue, Kentucky, and Michigan State. Creighton, Marquette, and Arizona were all +2000 to cut down the nets.
By the start of the tournament, the Huskies had moved to +500 to win after a strong season. After round 1, they had moved to +350, then to +240, and by the Elite 8, they were favored to win the tournament. They entered the championship game as -300 favorites to grab their second title in two years.
The tournament featured exciting debuts from teams like Stetson and Grambling State, while NC State, as an 11-seed, made an impressive run to the Final Four. March Madness culminated with UConn winning back-to-back titles by defeating Purdue 75–60. No team had won back-to-back NCAA championships since Florida in 2006 and 2007.
From becoming national champions to the pros, these UConn Huskies are in it together 🤞 🏆
The #NBADraft presented by State Farm begins tomorrow at 8pm/et on ABC & ESPN. pic.twitter.com/mwEpqIYySo
— NBA (@NBA) June 25, 2024
College Basketball Betting Predictions and Odds
The current odds to win the 2024-25 NCAA Basketball Tournament are as follows:
Duke +950
Houston +1000
Kansas +1000
Connecticut +1100
Alabama +1400
Iowa State +1600
Auburn +2000
Gonzaga +2000
Arizona +2500
North Carolina +2500
Baylor +3000
Creighton +4000
Arkansas +4000
Tennessee +4000
Texas Tech +4000
St. John’s +4000
Purdue +4000
Kentucky +4000
The Duke Blue Devils start the season as slight favorites to win it all. Houston, Kansas, and Connecticut are all right behind them, but as we’ve learned in the NCAA tournament, anything can happen.
The Favorites
POLL ALERT: Kansas tops AP Top 25 preseason men's basketball poll ahead of Alabama, defending champion UConn; SEC leads way with 9 teams in poll.
Full poll: https://t.co/ZJG5mgWrsa pic.twitter.com/aAABleXK3s
— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) October 14, 2024
Four teams have emerged as the favorites to win next year’s March Madness Tournament. The Huskies can’t be ignored, as they have won two years in a row, largely in dominant fashion. They lost star players like Donovan Clingan and Stephon Castle to the NBA, but Dan Hurley continues to lead excellence.
The Duke Blue Devils are the favorites to win it all. Projected NBA number one overall pick Cooper Flagg will lead them along with Khaman Maluach. They should have one of the best defenses in the country.
Bill Self continues to lead a contending program in Kansas. The Jayhawks are hoping Hunter Dickinson can lead the team back to the top of AP rankings and the March Madness Tournament.
The Houston Cougars will once again trot out one of the best defenses in college basketball. They won the Big 12 last season and are hoping to take the step up to March Madness champions this year.
