Eli’s College Basketball Futures Predictions: Best Bets For 2024-25 National Title Odds

From last season’s Clemson Tigers to the 2022-23 UConn Huskies, my recent picks on college basketball futures odds have turned a profit (whether you opted to hedge on one or both). Simultaneously, the sport’s landscape has faced a seismic shift regarding transfers, conference realignment, and team cohesion. In turn, handicapping this market in the preseason is more difficult. However, a few bets pique my interest. Let’s dig in.
Click any of the 2025 March Madness odds below to place a bet. These are the best available odds in your state.
Appraising College Basketball Odds
Since the 2001-02 college basketball campaign, no national champion has finished with a higher adjusted efficiency margin than the 2023-24 UConn Huskies. For context, Dan Hurley’s group was 2.56 points ahead of Scott Drew’s Baylor Bears, which cut down the nets three seasons before.
Although the preseason favorites reintroduce familiar pieces in Alex Karaban, Hassan Diarra, Samson Johnson, and Solo Ball, they rank in the 36th percentile of returning possession minutes (RPMS).
Hurley’s resume speaks for itself, and the Huskies’ projected top-five efficiency (per Haslametrics) is nearly identical to that of the Duke Blue Devils, also seated at the top of the odds board while only reinstating a few names.
Conversely, Houston, Gonzaga, and Iowa State’s RPMS settle into the 67th percentile or better. In my college basketball power rankings, I’ve stressed that projecting which programs will reach their talent level is arduous when continuity isn’t evident.
UConn’s new-look core could excel from the opening tip onward. Nevertheless, bettors may come to find that its market rating and corresponding odds are overvalued. Let’s look at high-ceiling programs that the market hasn’t accounted for enough.
auburn tigers: Auburn Tigers +400 on BetMGM
Last November, I bet on Auburn’s longshot title odds. The Tigers kept their end of the bargain until mid-March, suffering a last-second loss to 12-seeded Yale. Unlike last year, their futures price is near the front of the pack at Auburn Tigers +400 on BetMGM.
Auburn boasts a healthy supply of rim dominance, led by 6-foot-10 big Johni Broome, arguably the most valuable player in the sport. Dylan Cardwell, Chaney Johnson, Chris Moore, and newcomer Ja’Heim Hudson represent stout reinforcements.
Per Haslametrics, Bruce Pearl’s unit manufactured the 20th-highest near-proximity attempt rate while allowing the lowest field-goal efficiency in the same category. It’s also vital to pinpoint which teams consistently register extra possessions.
Second-chance opportunities are pivotal when inefficient shooting materializes in a tournament setting. The 2017-18 Villanova Wildcats are an outlier in that aspect. Last season, the Tigers accrued a top-65 offensive rebounding clip. They even forced the second-highest turnover rate in SEC play, highlighting their uptempo style of play and elite defense.
Granted, Pearl stuffed the non-conference schedule with Duke, Houston, and Iowa State. As noted, these programs have a high market rating and a physical frontcourt. But despite Auburn’s challenging road before SEC play, their prowess in the paint gives them a relatively sturdy floor. If they start hot, there’s no telling how much their odds will shrink.
Auburn’s Improved Guard Play
Last season, five of the Tigers’ eight losses came by six points or fewer. Aden Holloway (Alabama), Tre Donaldson (Michigan), and K.D. Johnson (George Mason), who parted ways in April, were late-game liabilities. These guards combined to produce 12 points on 1-of-8 shooting from behind the arc in their season-ending defeat to Yale.
As much as SEC-rival Alabama fortified its rotation, so did Auburn. The headliner is Furman transfer JP Pegues, who ranked in the 93rd percentile of pick-and-roll efficiency, making him an enticing pairing with Broome. The Tigers’ backcourt upgrade also embraced more shot-creation responsibilities in the Princeton offense, similar to Bruce Pearl’s flex-heavy attack.
Auburn brings five-star freshman Tahaad Pettiford along with Pegues, while combo guard Denver Jones returns. If the loss of three-level scorer Jaylen Williams is mitigated by the Tigers’ enhanced collection of playmakers, they showcase a national title upside.
I put down 0.30 units on Auburn’s +4000 futures odds in April. Although this price has dipped, I’d play it down to +3000. These college basketball odds are available at BetMGM Sportsbook.
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Ole miss rebels: Ole Miss Rebels +8500 on BetRivers
Much of this pick revolves around my faith in Chris Beard (as a coach). At Texas and Texas Tech, Beard’s teams made notable defensive strides in year two. A season ago, Ole Miss slotted in the 10th percentile of points per possession (PPP) allowed on cuts and pick-and-roll sets.
Considering the insertion of versatile forwards like Dre Davis (Seton Hall), Malik Dia (Belmont), and Mikeal Brown-Jones (UNC Greensboro), Beard’s refurnished personnel can switch at every position, providing his no-middle, ball-pressure-driven defense with a loftier ceiling.
Additionally, Beard’s contenders have possessed two high-level shot-creators. He’s struck gold again as longtime Virginia Tech point guard Sean Pedulla, delivering a top-70 assist rate in 2023-24, joins Jaylen Murray in a guard-oriented SEC.
A wealth of paint touches, shooting, and positional versatility exists. The Rebels can go big or small and uptempo fast or in the half-court. Their veteran-laden core has some fresh faces, yet their RPMS is in the 61st percentile.
If 6-foot-4 wing Matthew Murrell, a second-team All-SEC recipient, makes another jump, Ole Miss has the ingredients of a Final Four dark horse. If you can’t bet on the +9000 odds listed, Circa has +8500 available. I put 0.10 units on those odds.
Disclaimer: Regarding longshot college basketball odds, including the Rebels, hedging is a common game plan for bettors if a team of this nature advances to the Final Four.