UConn entered this season as the favorite to win the national title and won a dominant second straight championship. The Huskies aren’t far from the top of the odds list to win a third straight title, but Duke and Kansas started as favorites. PariMGM to win the 2025 title.
The Blue Devils and Jayhawks are both +1100 to win it all. UConn is right behind at +1200. Houston is fourth at +1400.
After winning the 2023 title, the Huskies opened at +1200 to win the 2024 title. They shared first place with Duke and Kentucky. While both of these teams had strong regular seasons and Duke made the Elite Eight, UConn quickly became the clear favorite to win it all as the season progressed. The Huskies had less chance of winning it all before the Final Four.
UConn is already the first back-to-back champion since 2007 and now has a chance for the first three-peat since UCLA won seven in a row from 1967 to 1973. Coach Dan Hurley will have a lot to replace, however. Dominant center Donovan Clingan and freshman Stephon Castle will likely turn pro. Both are expected to be first-round picks in the NBA draft. Tristen Newton, the MVP of this NCAA tournament, and Cam Spencer, the team’s second-leading scorer, will start as fifth-year seniors. With all of these players gone, it shows great confidence in Hurley to still have UConn this high, even though the defending champions are never far from the top of the odds.
Meanwhile, Duke likely loses Kyle Filipowski to the draft, but brings in top recruits Cooper Flagg and Khaman Maluach and is expected to return Jeremy Roach. The Blue Devils are the No. 1 team in CJ Moore and Sam Vecenie’s way-too-soon top 25 for next season. The pressure is always on at Duke, but big things are expected from Jon Scheyer’s third year.
Kansas is still in the mix as a perennial power under Bill Self and entered this season ranked first. Injuries left the Jayhawks with a short-handed roster in March, and it showed, but Hunter Dickinson is expected to return and Self added Zeke Mayo from the transfer portal. Mayo was the Summit League Player of the Year at South Dakota State and led the Jackrabbits to the NCAA Tournament.
The rest of the top 10 is filled with blue blood, as always. Kentucky, North Carolina and Baylor are all at +1800. Alabama and Arizona are +2000.
2025 Men’s College Basketball National Title Odds
(Photo by Jon Scheyer: Lance King/Getty Images)