English
Spanish
French
German
Italian
Portuguese
Russian
Chinese (Simplified)
Hindi
Japanese
It’s time to plant the flag on a 2025 March Madness tournament winner.
There’s some elite talent in the pool this year, with future NBA stars littered from top to bottom.
The favorites to cut down the nets are the Duke Blue Devils (+300, Bet365), led by potential No. 1 overall draft pick Cooper Flagg, but there are some red flags there.
The tournament winner has entered the bracket as a +900 favorite or less six times in the last seven years, with only UConn (16/1) winning it all in 2023 with longer odds.
The Huskies emerged as back-to-back champions last year as the tournament favorite (+350).
Going back even further, 18 of 25 (72 percent) teams since the start of the 1998-99 season that won the March Madness tournament entered play with +900 odds or less.
If we continue with that trend, you’re left with only four teams that can win it all and they happen to all be No. 1 seeds: Duke, Florida, Auburn and Houston.
2025 March Madness odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Duke | +300 |
| Florida | +425 |
| Auburn | +500 |
| Houston | +700 |
| Alabama | 16/1 |
| Tennessee | 18/1 |
| Michigan State | 25/1 |
| St John’s | 25/1 |
| Texas Tech | 25/1 |
| Gonzaga | 35/1 |
| Iowa State | 35/1 |
| Arizona | 40/1 |
2025 March Madness prediction
Health is of concern for not only Duke going into round one, with the Alabama Crimson Tide also dealing with plenty of injuries.
The odds suggest that Flagg will be healthy for the tournament, and the Blue Devils have an incredibly easy Eastern region to ride to a Final Four appearance.
The Post has you covered with a printable NCAA bracket featuring the full 68-team March Madness 2025 field.
They are -140 to make the Final Four and that might even be generous. They are big favorites going into every game.
But the main reason that the Blue Devils aren’t clear favorites isn’t the injury. It’s the red-hot play of the Florida Gators.
The Gators have the second-best odds and are looking like a wrecking crew right now, having dominated a highly competitive SEC.
Florida coming off blowout wins over Alabama and Tennessee and also defeated a solid Texas A&M team earlier this month.
You want a team with strong guard play and enough size to compete with teams like Auburn and St. John’s.
The Gators take 27.9 3-pointers per game, the ninth-most among all teams in the bracket, and they’re making 9.9, the sixth-most in college.
Betting on College Basketball?
They shoot at a 35.4 percent from deep at a high volume, which you have to love.
Guards Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard and Alijah Martin are all big-time scorers that other squads can’t really match.
They also have enough long defenders that could give Flagg some problems driving to the lane, in a potential clash in the championship game.
Six-foot-10 center Rueben Chinyelu, as well as 6’11 Alex Condon and others, allow the Gators to avoid foul trouble and fatigue that trouble other star-dependent teams.
They have a plus-8.2 rebound margin this year and you want a team that will rebound.
Battle-tested, deep and guard scoring heavy, your 2025 national champion will be the Florida Gators.
PICK: Florida Gators (+425, Bet365)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Erich Richter is a brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt but he has a black belt in MMA betting. During the football season he’s showcased massive profits at The Post in the player prop market the last two seasons. While constantly betting long shots, his return on investment is 30.15 percent since 2022.
