NCAA Tournament Predictions
2025 NCAA Tournament Predictions, College Basketball Picks & Bracketology
From start to finish, there’s nothing quite like the college basketball regular season. There are hundreds of teams that all have something to prove with every game. Plus, every game could end up making a difference when March rolls around and the season reaches its epic climax with conference tournaments and the NCAA Tournament, which most people know better as March Madness. This is the time of year when college basketball steals the spotlight in the sporting world.
When it comes to betting on the college basketball season, Stake Sportsbook is among the top platforms. That being said, with hundreds of college basketball teams and an almost endless parade of regular-season games before March Madness, there is a lot of information to absorb to be a proficient college basketball bettor. Needless to say, it requires a betting guide that shares the basics of what you need to know before you start to bet on college basketball.
2025 College Basketball Schedule & Overview
The 2024-25 college basketball season began on November 4, 2024. Most teams play around 30 regular-season games between early November and early March. During the first part of March, all 31 conferences host their own basketball tournament with the winning team earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, a 68-team single-elimination tournament that decides the national champion.
On March 16, the last of the conference tournaments are completed. That’s also Selection Sunday, when the NCAA Tournament bracket is revealed. While bracket projections are made by pundits throughout the season, the bracket released by the NCAA on March 16 is the only one that matters. It determines the 68 teams in the field and the path each one must traverse to win the national championship. After the field of 68 is revealed, fans can start making bracket predictions about the teams that will advance. The NCAA Tournament begins on March 18 and culminates with the national championship game on Monday, April 7.
2025 NCAA Tournament Predictions & Top Picks
The NCAA Tournament is always one of the most exciting and unpredictable sporting events of the year. This season, Auburn and Duke are largely considered the leading favourites. These teams arguably have the two best players in the country in Auburn’s Johni Broome and Duke’s Cooper Flagg. However, traditional powerhouses like Michigan State, Florida, and others are well-positioned to give the leading favourites a run for their money. The likes of Houston, Texas Tech, Iowa State, and St. John’s shouldn’t be overlooked, either.
Of course, any team that makes the field of 68 should be considered a threat to make a run. After surprising Final Four appearances by San Diego State and Florida Atlantic two years ago, anything can happen in March. Teams like West Virginia and Mississippi State that are easy to overlook could become this year’s Cinderella story since both are battle-tested after spending the season in elite conferences like the Big 12 and SEC. In fact, even teams that just barely made the tournament are more than capable of winning multiple games and making some noise. That gives hope to programs like Ohio State, Wake Forest, and San Francisco that began March on the tournament bubble. With so many talented teams, you never know what team will steal the spotlight in March and win the national championship. After all, it’s not always the best team or the leading favourite that wins the title.
Basketball Betting Tips, Odds & Preview
Betting on college basketball - whether it’s during the regular season or the NCAA Tournament - isn't always easy. But thanks to our guides, including our basketball betting guide and general online sports betting guide, you'll be well equipped to make informed decisions. It also helps to pay close attention to betting odds and search for any betting trends before making a wager. You may also want to have a specific system in mind, such as the Kelly Criterion Strategy, to serve as a guide when making picks. Here are some tips to keep in mind:
Choose the games you bet on carefully. There are so many games that you can pick and choose games in which you’re familiar with both teams. Try to focus on one or two specific conferences during the season so that you become more familiar with specific teams.
Home-court matters in college basketball. An average team is far more likely to pull off an upset over a better team if they are playing at home.
Keep an eye out for injuries. The fortunes of an entire team can change if they are missing one of their best players. Before betting on a game, check if either side has a notable injury.
Bet with your head and not your heart. Having a rooting interest in a game can cloud your judgment, making it hard to be objective, which often leads to making poor bets.
Types of Bets & How to Bet on Basketball
There are several ways to bet on college basketball games throughout the season and during March Madness. Here are some of the most popular types of college basketball bets:
Point Spread - Betting against the spread helps to guarantee fair odds on both sides. This means that the favoured team has to win by a certain margin. Otherwise, the underdog can win the bet despite losing the game.
Moneyline - Betting on the moneyline takes the spread out of the equation so that all that matters is the winner of the game. However, the payout for betting on a favourite is smaller than the payout for betting on an underdog.
Total - Rather than bet on winners and losers, you can also bet on the total points scored in a game. Every game will have an over/under with bets made on whether the total points will be higher or lower than that number.
Prop Bets - There is a wide variety of prop bets for every game. There can be player props regarding how many points, rebounds, or assists a specific player will have. There are also game props on what team will lead at halftime or whether the game will go into overtime.
Futures - This is a long-term, outright bet that often relates to what team will win the national championship or be the champion of a specific conference.
Parlay - With a parlay, you can combine several bets into one larger bet. This increases the payout more than several individual bets, although if just one bet in the parlay loses, the entire parlay loses.
Live Stream Basketball Free on Stake & Live Betting Options
Stake Sportsbook makes it easy to watch live basketball games on the Stake platform. There is no extra fee or subscription to do this. As long as you are logged in to your verified Stake account, you’ll be able to live stream pur available games! Not only does this make it easier to track your bets, but by watching the game, you’ll be well-positioned to make live bets on that game based on how the game unfolds.
Best Basketball Betting Promotions & VIP Benefits
In our quest to be among the top sportsbooks, Stake always tries to offer bonuses and promotions. This can include a reload bonus when you deposit funds into your account or profit boosts on individual bets.
Speaking of deposit and withdrawal methods, we try to make this process as easy as possible. That’s why you can use platforms like Moonpay and Swapped to make deposits and withdrawals. You can also use a wide variety of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, TRX, SOL, EOS, Tether, Ethereum, Doge, and Litecoin. Of course, the Stake Vault ensures that all of your financial transactions are safe and secure.
At Stake, we are also proud of our VIP club, which allows our most loyal customers to collect extra benefits and rewards. There are many perks to this program, including the ability to have a dedicated VIP host. Of course, even if you’re not a VIP member, Stake is committed to providing a first-class experience, which is why we put great emphasis on customer support to make sure all of your questions are answered.
Stake is also serious when it comes to promoting safe gambling habits. Betting on college basketball - or any sport - should be fun. Therefore, we offer several resources, including our Stake Smart guide, to make sure our customers always engage in responsible betting practices.
