Dan Hurley’s return has UConn as 2025 March Madness favorites

Dan Hurley chose the college ranks over Hollywood on Monday, and the positivity for UConn’s 2025 prospects are reaching a fever pitch. UConn is favored to three-peat as national champions in 2025, with odds varying from 10/1 on DraftKings and +700 on BetRivers. The vast odds difference is interesting considering UConn is in a three-way tie for the best according to DraftKings, with Alabama and Kansas also coming in at 10/1. BetRivers, though, has Kansas at 11/1, Duke at 12/1 and Alabama down at 16/1. In ESPN’s preseason way too early preseason top-25 rankings, Kansas was ranked No. 1 overall, followed by Alabama. UConn sat at No. 3, in that rankings, thanks in large part to the addition of guard transfer Aidan Mahaney from Saint Mary’s, who averaged 13.9 points per game for the Gaels. Hurley is looking to rebuild a roster losing projected lottery picks in Donovan Clingan and Stephon Castle, who were major contributors this past season. 2025 NCAA Men’s college basketball odds Had the Connecticut head coach not returned to the team, the Huskies’ odds would’ve dropped dramatically ahead of this season. But since Hurley spurned the Lakers, UConn returns their championship cache and lead strategist for a chance at the three-peat. He won’t be without competition, though, as Alabama Crimson Tide returns Mark Sears and Jarin Stevenson alongside three potential starters via the transfer portal: Aden Holloway (Auburn), Chris Youngblood (South Florida) and Clifford Omoruyi (Rutgers). It would seem that BetRivers is sleeping on the Crimson Tide’s talent acquisitions, as those 16/1 odds are by far the best on the betting market. Betting on College Basketball? Check out the best College Basketball betting sites Read our guide on how to bet on College Basketball Get the latest NCAA Championship Winner odds At the beginning of the season, Duke was the favorite according to most books, but Kansas returning big man Hunter Dickinson vaulted the Jayhawks from 14/1 down to 10/1. “With Dickinson returning to a Kansas team that has been one of the biggest winners in the transfer portal, the Jayhawks are fully loaded,” FOX Sports college basketball reporter John Fanta wrote. “Before we even knew if Dickinson was coming back officially, I had Kansas as my No. 1 team.”