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Top 10 bets to win 2025 NCAA men’s basketball championship

28 Oct 2024

By Dan Ippolito
A week from today, the ball will get thrown in the air to tip off the college basketball season.

The college basketball landscape has been dramatically reshaped by NIL deals and the transfer portal. Building a consistent roster is more difficult than ever, making it a challenge for teams to establish a strong core and maintain year-to-year chemistry. But with the dust settled and rosters finalized, teams are setting their sights on the upcoming season. Here's a look at 10 programs poised to make a deep run and contend for a national championship.

All odds provided by bet365 Sportsbook & Racebook

10. Arizona (+2500)
The Arizona Wildcats are going to need to turn to their veteran guards if they want to be successful and they have the experience, minutes and skill to handle that task.

K.J. Lewis and Jaden Bradley both shot the ball around 46% from the field last season, but Bradley really found his shot behind the arc, knocking down 46% of his threes.

The leader of the team is Caleb Love, who transferred from North Carolina before last season. Love was the team’s leading scorer with 18 points per game a year ago and was the primary ball handler. Love is never afraid to take the most shots on the team has his confidence is through the roof, which he will need to help lead this team.

9. Kentucky (+3500)
Kentucky saw most of its stars make their way to the NBA in the offseason but that doesn’t mean they won’t be a threat this year.

As always, Kentucky is one of the top names that appears in the recruiting of some of the top freshman players in the country. In addition, the transfer portal was very good to the Wildcats.

Koby Brea, a four-year transfer from Dayton, led the nation in three-point percentage last season and will be wearing the Kentucky blue now.

Lamont Butler, who played at San Diego State for four years, has increased his scoring average each season and will be looked upon to be a veteran guard to help guide some of the freshman coming in.

Kentucky got a floor general from the portal as Kerr Kriisa, from West Virginia, is a sharp shooting guard who really knows how to get his teammates into scoring positions and get them the ball.

8. Baylor (+2200)
The top three scorers from last year’s Baylor tournament team are not going to be scoring any points for the Bears this season.

Langston Love, the team’s best shooter from a year ago, knocked down 48% of his long distance shots and will be back this season alongside a couple of major portal transfers.

Norchad Omier has the chance to become one of the top big men in the country. At Miami last year, Omier averaged a double-double with 17 points and 10 boards. He is going to be a great inside presence for the quick wings and guards around him.

Jeremy Roach has been Duke’s primary point guard for four years and he will do more of the same for Baylor this upcoming season. Roach knows how to win games down the stretch and does a really good job protecting the basketball with just over one turnover per game.

7. Gonzaga (+1800)
Unlike many other teams, Gonzaga has the luxury of returning three out of its four top scorers from the previous year.

Graham Ike, the 6-foot-9 forward, was Gonzaga’s top scorer and rebounder last season. He is a physical player who can score off the dribble and can put the ball in the basket at all three levels. As he continues to improve his game, he has the chance to make an All-American team this season.

Nolan Hickman chipped in 14 points per game for the Bulldogs last season, while shooting 41% from behind the arc. You don’t want to put Hickman at the foul line when he drives to the basket because he is an 88% free throw shooter.

The most important returner, in my mind, is their point guard Ryan Nembhard who averaged just under seven assists per game last year. He usually has the ball in his hands coming up the floor and especially in transition where he finds a cutting player for an easy bucket at the rim.

This is a great returning core for Gonzaga, which can do some real damage early in the season as these three players already have great chemistry.

6. Alabama (+1200)
It’s safe to say that Alabama isn’t just a football school anymore. This year’s preseason No. 2 team reached the Final Four last year and have an offense that could be the best in the country.

Mark Sears, the team’s best scorer in 2023-2024, was as an efficient scoring guard as there was. Dropping over 21 points per contest while shooting nearly 44% from distance, Sears was knocking down shots from anywhere inside half court and he also has the capability to take you off the dribble, keep you on his hip and finish at the rim.

Grant Nelson is a 6-foot-11 big man who knows how to affect shots inside the paint. He isn’t the heaviest player on the floor but his length will alter many shots in close.

The biggest offseason move for the Crimson Tide was Clifford Omoruyi. The 6-foot-11 shot blocker played four years at Rutgers and can be a real difference maker.

5. North Carolina (+1800)
Despite losing big man Armando Bacot, the North Carolina Tarheels may have one of the best backcourts in the nation.

Last year as a freshman, Elliot Cadeau’s shooting from three-point land was sub-par to say the least, and yet he still made a great impact being a distributor and a tough perimeter defender. If he improves his jumper, teams will need to respect his shot which will let him get to the rim more and create in the paint.

In the other guard spot, R.J. Davis dropped 21 points per game last season and he always wants the ball in the clutch. He isn’t afraid of the big moment and he is going to be the leader of the UNC team to get these younger guys in order.

4. UConn (+850)
The back-to-back champs saw many of its top players go to the next level after last season’s victory and rightfully so with how skilled the team was.

However, the coaching staff did a great job filling the holes left behind with the recruiting class and transfer portal.

The main player returning for UConn is Alex Karaban, who scored 13 points and grabbed five board per game but he will be asked to do more this year.

One of the big newcomers for the Huskies is freshman Liam McNeeley who stands at 6-foot-7 and can really score. With such a young and new team, UConn has the NCAA still on watch for them to go chase another title as this year’s preseason No. 3 team.

3. Houston (+1400)
Similar to Gonzaga, the Houston Cougars have the luxury of returning a majority of its core team from last year. The loss of Jamal Shead will hurt as he was the floor general and probably the best on-ball defender the team had.

However, bringing back L.J. Cryer, Emanuel Sharp and J’Wan Roberts is a great place to start your roster.

Cryer, last year’s leading scorer for Houston, is also the team’s best shooter. Sharp, another double-digit scoring guard from last season, can really get in a rhythm and when he makes a couple early, he is capable to give you 20 in the blink of an eye.

Roberts is a very aggressive defender who knows how to score inside and use his body to create easier looks at the rim for himself.

The best part about this Cougars team is when they aren’t making shots, they aren’t out of the game. They play with some of the most heart of the defensive side of the ball and that is the philosophy of head coach Kelvin Sampson.

2. Duke (+1000)
If you follow college basketball at all, you have most likely heard of the name Cooper Flagg, who many think will be the top pick in next year’s NBA draft.

He was the top recruit of his class and he was able to practice and scrimmage with Team USA before the Olympics. At 6-foot-9, Flagg can shoot it from deep, pull-up from mid-range, or take two power dribbles and get to the rim with ease.

Just last night, the Duke Blue Devils made a statement to the rest of the country in their exhibition game against Arizona State. Duke really took it to the Sun Devils with a 103-47 win.

1. Kansas (+1000)
The preseason No. 1 team in the land is the Kansas Jayhawks. Kansas gets one more year of big man Hunter Dickinson, who averaged just south of 18 points and 11 rebounds per game. The left-handed center can score with his back to the basket, or he isn’t afraid to face you up and drain a shot with a hand in his face.

Dajuan Harris will get another year of running the offense. Harris has improved his shot over the years, but he has always had the passing ability, dropping 6.5 dimes per game.

To help the scoring from the backcourt, Kansas went to the portal to pick up A.J. Storr, one of the most electrifying guards in the country.

At Wisconsin last season, Storr doubled his scoring to 17 points per game and is extremely athletic so if you go up to challenge him at the rim, be ready to be put on a poster.
 
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