The 2025 March Madness tournament is finally upon us as the top college basketball teams in the country compete to be crowned national champions.
The top schools in the country will compete for a chance to cut down the nets at the Alamadome in Texas on April 7th with the UConn Huskies looking to make it three championships in a row.
But who are their main competition? We'll take a look at the contenders and provide our best free NCAAB betting picks to try and earn you some extra cash.
| March Madness 2025 |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Blue Devils | +325 | +325 | +290 |
| Auburn Tigers | +350 | +350 | +350 |
| Florida Gators | +700 | +700 | +700 |
| Houston Cougars | +800 | +800 | +850 |
| Alabama Crimson Tide | +1200 | +1200 | +1000 |
| Tennessee Volunteers | +1600 | +1400 | +1600 |
Learn more about how to bet on March Madness here.
March Madness 2025 information
- First Four: March 18-19
- First round: March 20-21
- Second round: March 22-23
- Sweet 16: March 27-28
- Elite Eight: March 29-30
- Final Four: Saturday, April 5 at Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas.
- NCAA championship game: Monday, April 7 at Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas.
March Madness 2025 favorites
Below you'll find a list of favorites to win the 2025 March Madness tournament.
Duke Blue Devils - (+325)
Duke come into this year's tournament as the favorites because of the incredible talent at their disposal and the brilliant performances so far this season. That includes the man projected to be the number draft pick for NBA team this year in Cooper Flagg, who has more than lived up to the hype since making the move to Durham.
The Blue Devls are ranked number one when it comes to offensive efficiency and number two for defensive efficiency, which shows their unbelievable skill and explains exactly why the bookmakers have them down as favorites before anyone has even taken a shot on the court.
Their opponents in the ACC have hardly been of a similar quality and that has let a lot of people questioning their real level coming into the tournament.
The Blue Devils have won eight in a row after their regular-season finale at rival North Carolina on Saturday, which saw them claim a super impressive 82-69 win. Duke has won the previous seven games by an average of 31.9 points and while the level of opposition was poor, they did exactly what they were supposed to do when coming up against subpar teams.
The Blue Devils are well-rounded, and guards Kon Knueppel and Tyrese Proctor are both good players who are having great seasons. But their hopes no doubt rely on Flagg continuing his fine form and when you have the best player in the tournament, +325 is great value to get the win.
Auburn Tigers - (+350)
Auburn are set to be named as the number one seeds for the March Madness bracket despite losing their last two games in the regular season schedule, which means they have a great chance of getting to the championship game.
The Tigers are one of the most complete teams around this season with a world-class coach, a talented roster that includes 'veteran' experience as well as elite scoring and defense. They are also battle-tested in one of the toughest divisions, which means they're already proven to
However, Auburn's three losses have all come against ranked teams: Duke, Florida, and the Aggies. They still managed to claim the regular-season title in the SEC for the first time since 2022, and their third under head coach Bruce Pearl.
In March Madness, teams need their best players to rise to the occasion. The Tigers have six players averaging 9.9 points or better this season, but Johni Broome is their talisman. The 22-year-old has seen a big drop-off in form recently though, so unless he can find his mojo again for this tournament then this is a big ask for the Tigers to go all the way.
He’ll get his chance on Saturday with a high-stakes “Iron Bowl” rematch against rival Alabama at home to close out the regular season.
Florida Gators - (+700)
Another SEC school that is ready for whatever March Madness throws at it is the Florida Gators, and they step into the tournament with one of the very best backcourt in NCAA Basketball and a top five offense.
The Gators like to play at a quick pace which eventually wears down their opponents. That could be a really big boost for Florida considering the short turnaround between games, and they will believe they're capable of beating anyone in that way.
Todd Golden has pushed the Gators into the conversation as potential winners in recent months. To make it even better for the Gators, they will feel as though they haven't quite peaked yet and there is more to come, while their biggest rivals for the crown may have already had their best performances of the season.
At +700, there is terrific value in Florida getting a national championship for the first time since going back-to-back in 2006 and 2007.
Houston Cougars - (+850)
Houston has been a staple of the March Madness bracket for the past decade, and they look set to go deep into the competition once again.
The Cougars are expected to earn a No. 1 seed out of the Big 12, where they boast the top defense in the country and also one of the best offenses in the country when it comes to three-point shooting.
Kelvin Sampson coached his teams to the Final Four in 2021 and to the Elite Eight in 2022 bu in the last two seasons they were upset at the Sweet 16 stage. This group is being led by 23-year-olds L.J. Cryer and J’Wan Roberts and are better than those teams we just mentioned.
Houston has lost just once since Christmas, and even that came in overtime and by a single point. Defensively they're ranked third for efficiency and ranked third for three-point shooting in the country. At +850 there is tremendous value in them going all the way, especially if Duke and Auburn don't live up to expectations.
