2025 NCAA men’s college basketball odds: Gonzaga’s championship odds boosted to sixth-best in country

Bulldogs have +1700 odds to win the 2025 NCAA Tournament according to BetMGM

Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

As the countdown to the 2024-25 college basketball season rages on, major sportsbooks across the country hit a slight reset on the betting market for the 2025 national championship.

Since BetMGM first set the table back in April with its spring odds, the sportsbook has increased Gonzaga’s chances of cutting down the school’s first national championship in men’s basketball. With less than three weeks until the season opener, the Bulldogs have +1700 odds to win the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Only UConn (+850), Kansas (+850), Duke (+900), Alabama (+1200) and Houston (+1600) have shorter preseason odds to win the title. 

Based on the market shift, it’s safe to assume oddsmakers took note of Mark Few and the Gonzaga men's basketball team's offseason moves. The Zags brought back seven of their top eight scorers from last season’s Sweet 16 team, in addition to bringing in three impactful transfers to diversify the rotation’s look. Accompanied by arguably the most challenging nonconference schedule to date, Gonzaga boasts continuity and experience as it seeks its 25th straight NCAA Tournament appearance under head coach Mark Few.

Prior to those events, the Bulldogs had +2000 odds to win the 2025 championship according to BetMGM. The jump to +1700 was the third-biggest shift in value behind only the Blue Devils (+1300 to +900) and Iowa State (+3000 to +2000 odds) among the heavy favorites listed.

The Huskies and Jayhawks are still the co-favorites to win it all at +850 odds apiece. Kansas ended up being the preseason favorite heading into the 2023-24 season, though bettors who decided to move off Dan Hurley eventually came to regret that decision, as UConn dominated the field en route to the program’s sixth national championship. Meanwhile, the Jayhawks got bounced by the Zags in the second round.

Duke, led by highly-touted freshman Cooper Flagg, has the third-shortest preseason odds at +900. The Blue Devils lost Jared McCain and Kyle Filipowski to the NBA, though Jon Scheyer did bring back Tyrese Proctor and Caleb Foster. He also reeled in the No. 1 recruiting class in the country according to 247Sports and some power conference-level transfers who add experience to the roster.

The return of All-American guard Mark Sears legitimatized the Crimson Tide’s championship aspirations in the eyes of bettors, as they checked in with the fourth-shortest odds at +1200. Houston, which lost an All-American in Jamal Shead, was behind Alabama at +1600 odds, followed by Gonzaga at +1700 and North Carolina at +1800 odds. 

Baylor checked in at +2000 odds. The Zags host the Bears at the Spokane Arena on Nov. 4 in a top-10 matchup to tip off the season. Arizona, a potential foe at the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament, has +2500 odds to claim the national championship under Tommy Lloyd this season. The Wildcats returned All-American guard Caleb Love and added some talented players from the mid-major level for their first season in the Big 12.

Kentucky’s preseason odds in the first year under Mark Pope sit at +3000 on BetMGM. The Bulldogs will take on the new-look Wildcats in the 2024 Battle in Seattle at Climate Pledge Arena on Dec. 7.