Latest betting odds back Cooper Flagg, Duke over top-ranked Kansas, Dan Hurley’s UConn and more
With the 2024-25 college basketball season just a few weeks away, online betting site FanDuel has released its preseason odds, positioning Duke as the top favorite to win the 2025 national title.
The Blue Devils, boasting the best freshman class of the year, have +950 odds of winning the NCAA championship. The Jon Scheyer-coached team is expected to go championship-or-bust, with top freshman recruit Cooper Flagg leading the charge.
Flagg will be joined by five-star recruits Kon Kneuppel and Khaman Maluach, who are projected to start at small forward and center, respectively. Duke can also count on Tyrese Proctor's leadership and instant offense from Purdue transfer Mason Gillis.
Behind Duke, Big 12 teams Houston and Kansas are tied for the second-best odds of winning the Big Dance at +1000.
The Kelvin Sampson-coached Cougars, who lost to Duke in the Sweet 16 last season, will parade a three-guard combo this season in Oklahoma transfer Milos Uzan, Emmanuel Sharp and LJ Cryer, plus solid forwards Ja'Vier Francis and J'Wan Roberts.
The Jayhawks, the No. 1-ranked team in the AP preseason poll, will bring back K.J. Adams, Hunter Dickinson and Dajuan Harris from last season's squad and picked up guards Zeke Mayo, AJ Storr, Rylan Griffen, Noah Shelby, Shakeel Moore and David Colt from the transfer portal. Bill Self will parade five-star center Flory Bidunga and four-star forward Rakease Passmore, both fresh from high school.
Defending back-to-back champion UConn is fourth with +1100 championship odds. The Huskies may have lost Stephon Castle, Donovan Clingan, Cam Spencer and Tristen Newton due to graduation and the NBA draft, but the team remains solid with Alex Karaban, Solomon Ball and Hassan Diarra returning for another crack at the title.
Dan Hurley also secured quality players from the transfer portal to complement the veteran trio. They acquired Saint Mary's guard Aidan Mahaney and Michigan center/forward Tarris Reed, as well as five-star recruit Liam McNeeley and four-star players Ahmad Nowell and Isaiah Abraham from high school.
Looking at other teams behind Duke in latest odds
Alabama has the fifth-best odds of winning the national title at +1400. Last year, the Crimson Tide made it to the Final Four and Nate Oats' men are planning to make the national final this time around.
Mark Sears will be back to lead the team and so as returning players Latrell Wrightsell and Grant Nelson. They have also picked up the seventh-best transfer portal haul, getting Clifford Omoruyi, Houston Mallette, Chris Youngblood and Aden Holloway. Alabama also secured commitments from five-star forward Derrion Reed and highly-touted recruits Aidan Sherrell, Labaron Philon and Naas Cunningham.
Iowa State, meanwhile, enters the new season with the sixth-best odds at +1600. The team is still strong with returning stars Tamin Lipsey, Keshon Gilbert and Milan Momcilovic leading the Cyclones' charge.
Lipsey and Gilbert were also voted in the Big 12 First and Second Teams respectively and the team is ranked as the third-best team in the conference.
Auburn (+2000), Gonzaga (+2000), Arizona (+2500) and North Carolina (+2500) occupy seventh to 10th places in the preseason odds by FanDuel.
While Duke currently have the best odds, these rankings are subject to change as the 2024-25 season progresses based on each team’s performance.