As March Madness 2025 approaches, it’s time to dive into betting strategies for the Final Four—the ultimate showdown in college basketball that promises non-stop excitement and huge opportunities for savvy bettors.
NCAA Betting Strategies for the Final Four: March Madness 2025
March Madness: Unlock Your Betting Potential with Final Four Strategies
2025 College Basketball Season | 86th season of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men’s college basketball
March Madness: Tuesday, March 18th – Monday, April 7th, 2025
Betting March Madness Matches
The NCAA Men’s College Basketball Tournament is right around the corner.
The annual three week event begins on March 18 and runs until April 7.
This year’s Final Four takes place at the Alamodome in San Antonio, home of the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs.
What teams head into February the faves to cut down the nets?
Which teams are the experts lining up to support and how do we bet on March Madness?
Check out everything you must know about the Final Four betting strategies.
Writer’s Rundown on Betting Strategies for the Final Four
March Madness Favorites
Favorites to win the NCAA College Basketball Tournament can change week-to-week depending on how a team performs.
As we head into February, the top ranked teams are also the ones attracting the most action to get it done, make it to the Final Four, and lift the hardware on April 7.
Super frosh Cooper Flagg and Duke are the favorites at +430.
The 1-loss Auburn Tigers led by legendary coach Bruce Pearl are also at +430, which tells us many believe the Dookies and the hooping War Eagle step onto the Alamodome court on April 7 to fight for the title.
Houston and Iowa State, the two best teams in the deep Big 12 are both at +900.
Alabama is a lone +1300 followed by two more SEC squads, Tennessee and Florida, at +1500 and +1700
Best Chances to Win March Madness
March Madness is all about seeding. So we don’t know exactly which teams have the best chance to win.
Not yet anyhow.
However, seeds are determined by how you play during the regular season and in your conference tournament.
So we can predict some things.
If Auburn finishes the season with a single loss, the Tigers should enter the Big Dance the overall 1-seed, which means Pearl’s squad is going to have the easiest path to the Final Four.
The reason to be bullish on Auburn if they finish with a regular season and SEC Tournament victories? Four SEC squads rank in the Top 10.
Auburn ranks 1 followed by Alabama at 4, Florida 5 and Tennessee 8.
If the rankings hold into the conference tournaments, there’s no way Auburn doesn’t secure the overall number 1.
The Tigers will secure the South’s 1-seed.
Duke should be the top seed in the East unless something happens to Cooper Flagg.
The superstar freshman has shown he can carry the most high profile college basketball program in the U.S. on his back.
If Flagg suffers an injury, things will go south in a hurry for the Blue Devils, though.
So keep that in mind if you decide to invest on Duke to win it all.
The Blue Devils don’t have a deep bench.
So Cooper’s has to be Magic Johnson in the Tournament.
The West and Midwest top seeds remain up for grabs.
Gonzaga and Arizona aren’t dominating the way they have in the paSt. So the West could go to an SEC squad.
A note about the Arizona Wildcats.
U-of-A struggled to a 4-5 record in the early going.
Since starting Big 12 play, the Cats have rolled.
Arizona is 8-1 in the Big 12 and comes off a victory over 3 Iowa State.
The Wildcats may not do enough to grab a 1-seed but a 2-seed for sure could be in their future.
If the Cats win the Big 12 regular season and conference tourney, a 1 might be a reality.
Expert picks March Madness Final Four
Making Final Four picks before the start of February is always a tough task.
But that’s what I get paid to do.
So in that case, I’m going with the following teams to make it all the way to the final weekend at this year’s NCAA Men’s College Basketball Tournament.
Auburn Tigers
Burce Pearl’s squad has shown no signs of letting up.
The Tigers are poised and do everything well.
They also play in the deepest and toughest conference.
So give Auburn a big chance of making it all the way.
Duke Blue Devils
It’s hard to believe that Cooper Flagg is this good.
He’s unstoppable, does everything well, and has ice in his veins.
Hopefully, Flagg stays healthy enough to lead the Dookies back to the Final Four.
Who Doesn’t Want a Final Four with the Nation’s Top Player?
Alabama Crimson Tide
The Tide made a Final Four appearance last season.
This season, they’re ready to get back again.
This time, the Tide can win it all.
Bama is a high flying squad that puts the pedal to the meddle.
They can take it all the way this season and are in line for a 1-seed in the Midwest or West should they continue to keep pace with rival Auburn.
Arizona Wildcats
The Cats got the kinks out early when losing 5-of-9.
Since then, they’ve lost a single game, to Texas Tech.
The Wildcats are a game behind the Houston Cougars in the Big 12.
The Cats have 11 games in the regular season to play, including high profile contests versus Houston, a rematch with ranked Texas Tech, and a game versus the Kansas Jayhawks.
So AZ can’t take a backward step.
If they don’t, and I don’t think they will, watch out.
This team is due for a Final Four appearance and few players have the experience that Caleb Love brings to the court.
How to Bet on March Madness Final Four
The best way to make Final Four future bets is to choose a couple of favorites and one underdog.
You might want to throw in a massive longshot as well.
Spread your money around.
Don’t ride a single horse in the Final Four.
It’s almost impossible to pick the Final Four teams every season.
So you want to make sure to have coverage.
My favorites are Auburn and Duke.
My underdog play are the Arizona Wildcats and my longshot play are the Connecticut Huskies.
So if I had $100, I’d place $25 on Duke, $25 on Auburn, $25 on Arizona, and $25 on Connecticut.
If one of the favorites, Duke or Auburn, wins, I profit because the payout is $107.50.
I get my $25 back.
So I get back $132.50, which means I profit $32.50.
If Connecticut wins, the profit is massive.
Same with the Arizona Wildcats.
This is a good strategy to ensure profit while going for a big swing on a couple of underdogs.
Consider it if you want to make a few Final Four future bets.
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Odds of Winning March Madness Final Four
Check out the odds for teams to win the 2025 NCAA Men’s College Basketball Tournament Final Four.
Updated Top 2025 College Basketball National Championship Odds to Win
Teams | Odds |
---|---|
Auburn | +430 |
Duke | +430 |
Houston | +900 |
Iowa State | +900 |
Alabama | +1300 |
Tennessee | +1500 |
Florida | +1700 |
Kansas | +2500 |
Marquette | +3000 |
Kentucky | +3000 |
Michigan State | +3000 |
Arizona | +3500 |
Texas Tech | +3500 |
Illinois | +3500 |
Gonzaga | +3500 |
Purdue | +4500 |
St. John’s | +5000 |
Connecticut | +5500 |
Texas A&M | +5500 |
Mississippi State | +5500 |
Michigan | +5500 |
Get Your Betting Strategies for the Final Four Before the Madness
If you’re looking to maximize your chances with betting March Madness Final Four action, make sure to check out the best March Madness Final Four picks, and stay ahead of the curve by comparing sportsbook odds.
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How does it work?
What are Bet Types for Betting March Madness? Let’s Find Out
When betting on March Madness, there are several popular bet types that offer different ways to wager on the games.
Here’s a breakdown of the most common options:
- Moneyline Bet
This is the simplest bet type, where you choose which team will win the game.
The odds will vary based on which team is favored.
For example, betting on a higher-seeded team would generally offer lower odds, while betting on an underdog could yield higher odds. - Point Spread Bet
In this type of bet, one team is given a point handicap (spread) to level the playing field.
If you bet on a favorite, they must win by more than the point spread. Conversely, if you bet on the underdog, they can either win outright or lose by fewer points than the spread. - Over/Under (Total Points) Bet
This bet is on the total number of points scored by both teams in the game combined.
The sportsbook will set a line (e.g., 150 points), and you can bet whether the total score will go over or under that number. - Futures Bet
A futures bet involves wagering on the outcome of the entire tournament before it begins, such as betting on which team will win the NCAA Tournament or making Final Four predictions.
The earlier you place these bets, the better the odds usually are, but they require patience. - Parlay Bet
A parlay bet allows you to combine multiple bets into one. For example, you might bet on the moneyline for three different games.
If all your picks win, you win the parlay, and the payout is much higher than betting on each game individually. However, if just one pick loses, the entire parlay is lost. - Prop Bets (Proposition Bets)
These bets focus on specific events or player performances within the game, such as the number of three-pointers a player will make, whether a team will score more than 10 points in the first 10 minutes, or which player will be named MVP of the tournament. - Live Betting
Live betting allows you to place bets during the game in real-time.
The odds change dynamically based on the progress of the game, and you can bet on things like the outcome of the next possession, the next team to score, or the next point spread. - Teaser Bet
A teaser is a variation of a parlay bet, where you can adjust the point spread or total in your favor, but in return, the payout will be lower.
It’s a way to give yourself a better chance of winning by shifting the odds slightly.
Each of these bet types offers different levels of risk and reward, so it’s important to choose the ones that fit your betting style and strategy.
Whether you’re betting on individual games or making long-term predictions, March Madness presents a variety of opportunities for fans to get in on the action!
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