2025 NCAA Tournament Odds – Vegas March Madness Betting Favorites

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Below are the current odds to win the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

We will be back to look at the favorites every week of the season, so be sure to check back often.  Or you can view the latest college basketball lines on individual games where you can compare the live numbers from several top books.

Current Odds & Vegas Favorites to Win the 2025 NCAA Basketball Tournament

How to Read the NCAA Basketball Tournament Futures Odds

The odds above are listed in American format, which is the most popular version in the United States.  To understand what the odds mean, there is a plus (+) sign that is used for teams with less than a 50% chance of winning and a minus (-) sign used for schools that have more than a 50% chance of winning.

If you place a bet on a team with positive odds then a $100 wager would return you that amount in profits.  For example, a team with odds of +1000 would profit you $1,000 if they end up winning the Final Four.

If you took a favorite late in the tournament you might get odds with a negative number.  This number would be how much you have to bet to win $100.

For example, if you take a team at -140 then you have to bet $140 to make a $100 profit on the champion.

The odds will update constantly and are not static.  Two things will happen to cause the movement in March Madness odds.

Games Are Played

As teams win and lose the odds update.  This could be during the regular season when teams win games to show they are better than previously thought, or when a team drops a game against an easy opponent and the market loses faith in them.

Vegas Receives Sharp Bets on Teams

However, the betting odds move due to action as well.  As bets come in on teams, the books look at who is placing the bet.  Is it a square that never wins?  If so, the odds might never move.

But, if a sharp is placing the bet then the books will adjust the odds after the wager is made.  Quality sportsbooks respect winning bettors and move off of their action.

Where to Bet on March Madness Futures

You have several different options on places to bet on who will win the national championship.

Legal & Regulated Betting Apps

Many states have legalized gambling and issued licenses to reputable companies to take bets.  Circa is our favorite of these books even though they aren’t in as many states.  Other options include DraftKings, FanDuel, Ceasers, and BetMGM.

The good thing about these sportsbooks is that you can trust them.  You know that your money is going to be there when you win your bets.

You can compare the odds, some are going to have better numbers on certain teams while another app will have better lines on another.  Make sure you get the best value you possibly can.

Online Sportsbooks

You can also place wagers with online sportsbooks like Pinnacle, Bookmaker, or BetOnline.  These books have been around for a long time but operate in more of a grey area of legality.  You’ll have to check if it’s legal to bet at these shops in your jurisdiction.

The good part about betting online is the odds are typically a little better.  They don’t have as high of a hold as licensed books.

The bad part is that they aren’t as trustworthy.  The three I mentioned have been around for a while and are rock solid, but too many offshores have disappeared over the years to ever feel 100% confident having a significant portion of your money tied up in one.

Pay Per Head or Local Bookies

The last option is to use your friendly, neighborhood bookie.  Again, I’m not a legal expert so I don’t know the laws on whether placing bets is as illegal as taking bets so use these at your own risk.

The odds normally aren’t very good, and you run the risk of the book being shut down.

However, most of these guys let you bet on credit so you don’t have to tie your money up for long periods of time waiting for the tournament to conclude and your bet to settle.

Past Champions & Their Chances of Winning the NCAA Tournament

The table below shows teams since the 2001-2002 season that ended up winning the NCAA Tournament and the odds posted on them to win the championship prior to the start of that season.

Since the 2007 tournament, the Connecticut Huskies have had the two biggest upsets in terms of overcoming their preseason odds. Both of those title games were interesting because of the seeds.

At 70 to 1 prior to the 2013-2014 season, UConn pulled off one of the most unlikely championships at any level. They entered the tournament as a 7 seed and went on to win as the second-lowest winning seed in NCAA history (#8 Villanova – 1985). It was the highest total seed to make the championship game when the Huskies as a 7 seed took down the 8 seed Kentucky.

2011 was also interesting because they beat another 8-seed. This time it was the Butler Bulldogs. So, two massive upsets for UConn, but then again they had the easiest title games in recent memory. If you think you can pick a massive underdog like this, just remember to look at our tournament winners by seed. You’ll see the probability of a team worse than 3-see of winning it all is very low.

Handicapping Who Has the Best Chance to Win March Madness

So how do you go about picking which team will conquer March Madness and cut down the nets? There is a lot that goes into handicapping postseason games. Throw motivation out the window. Nobody is taking these games lightly.

Does a team get to a place close to home? They are worth a look. Is there a team that is overrated? That’s not saying they can’t win it all, but it will typically drive all value out of their line. Kentucky in 2015 was a good example. They came into the tournament undefeated and everyone expected them to run the table. The number got down to less than even money and of course, they were beat.

Instead, look at a few sleepers that have a chance. Don’t ignore how each seed has performed. Trust coaches with a history of success over unknowns. Lastly, remember that no team seeded worse than 8th has made the championship game.

Don’t want such a long shot but really like a team? Check out their odds to win their conference tournament. Not nearly as much competition or level of difficulty is required.

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