AAC Tournament Predictions, Betting Odds & Favorites to Win 2025

• Memphis was the preseason favorite to win the AAC at +125 via BetMGM; as of Dec. 15, their odds had improved to -160, giving them a 61.54% chance of winning the conference (regular season).

• Last year’s regular season champ, UAB, opened at +325; after getting off to a 5-6 start to the year, their odds of winning the AAC are +1000.

• Significant AAC odds movement since preseason: UTSA +10000 to +15000; Tulane +8000 to +5000; South Florida +1200 to +3000; FAU +1800 to +1000

American Athletic Conference coaches chose UAB as the preseason favorite to win the AAC this season, but sportsbooks did not concur, as Memphis opened as the betting favorite over UAB. Fast forward to mid-December, and it appears that sportsbooks got it right.

The Tigers are off to an 8-2 start, while UAB has struggled to a 5-6 mark.

Memphis is not the only team that has gotten off to a strong start. Wichita State has yet to lose at home (5-0) and is tied with Memphis for the best record in the conference at 8-2. However, the Shockers lost to No. 18 Florida, the only ranked team they faced, 88-51.

The Tigers, on the other hand, have wins over No. 2 Connecticut and No. 16 Clemson (and a loss to No. 4 Auburn).

But with conference play yet to get underway, it’s anyone’s conference to win. Bettors may not want to overlook the 7-3 Rice Owls, 6-3 North Texas Mean Green, or the 7-4 East Carolina Pirates. Let’s take a look at the latest odds of winning the AAC, as well as our picks/predictions.

AAC Tournament Betting Odds

Here are the latest odds to win the American Athletic Conference (AAC) listed at FanDuel Sportsbook. To place a bet, click on the words ‘Bet Here’ button located below the player’s odds.

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Change has been the order of the day for the American Athletic Conference the last couple of years with several departures prior to last season as well as a handful of additions. There wasn’t nearly as much change before this season, as SMU is the only school to depart (for the ACC).

With no new teams, the conference will just have 13 teams this season.

But while the conference's makeup has not drastically changed heading into this season, the same can’t be said for rosters. Between graduation, the transfer portal, and the NBA, AAC rosters have the least amount of returning experience in the nation (31% of returning minutes).

So, last season can’t be used as a solid reference point for predicting this season.

Memphis had the No. 4 transfer class in the country, which gave the Tigers an incredibly talented roster. Memphis had a ton of talent last season but underperformed, finishing 22-10 overall and 11-7 in conference play. However, so far, it looks like things are working out for the 8-2 Tigers.

The next two highest-rated transfer classes in the conference belonged to FAU and Temple, and both have seen their odds of winning the conference get a lot shorter since the start of the season.

While the non-conference schedule gives us an idea of how good teams are, we will not know for sure who the contenders are until conference play gets underway. In the meantime, let’s take a closer look at some of the teams whose odds of winning the AAC are at the top of betting boards.

Favorites to Win the 2025 AAC Tournament

While the coaches picked UAB to win the conference during the preseason, so far, time has favored the Memphis Tigers, who are 8-2 and have a 62.26% chance of winning the conference regular season title, even though conference play has yet to begin.

But several teams have played well so far this season. Wichita State, like Memphis, is 8-2, but their odds of winning the AAC have not moved too much, going from +900 to +800. The preseason favorite (UAB), on the other hand, has struggled. Their odds have moved from +325 to +1000.

There is still a lot of basketball to be played, meaning anyone can win. Let’s take a closer look at some of the teams at the top of betting boards:

Memphis

• 2023-24 season record: 22-10 overall, 11-7 in conference play

• Lost in the second round of the conference tournament to Wichita State

• No postseason tournament  2024-25 record: 5-6

• 2024-25 record: 8-2

Roster turnover is par for the course for Penny Hardaway’s Memphis Tigers. Between graduation and transfers, Hardaway found himself needing a new team for this season. With the No. 4 transfer class in the country, including Colby Rogers from Wichita State, PJ Haggerty from Tulsa, and Tyreek Smith from SMU.

Factor in Jared Harris from the year’s recruiting class, and Hardaway had a solid base from which to build his team. Ten games in, PJ Haggerty is the team’s leading scorer with 21.9 points per game, followed by Tyrese Hunter with 16 ppg and Colby Rogers with 13.4 ppg.

However, in typical fashion for a Hardaway team, its defense is lacking; the team currently ranks 298th in defense with 77.1 ppg allowed. 

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North Texas

• 2023-24 season record: 19-15 overall, 10-8 in conference play

• Lost to FAU in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament

• Lost in the second round of NIT to Seton Hall.

• 2024-25 record: 6-3

Like Memphis, the North Texas roster was decimated in the off-season by transfers. However, the team did have a pair of returning starters, Rondel Walker and Moulaye Sissoko. Along with the six players head coach Ross Hodge brought in, they have helped the Mean Green develop one of the top defenses in the country (No. 7, 58.4 ppg allowed).

However, while   Hodge did a great job recruiting defenders, he didn’t do much on the offensive end of the court, and it shows. North Texas ranks 322nd in scoring this season with just 66.9 points per game. Guard Atin Wright is the team’s leading scorer with 12.9 points per game.

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Wichita State

• 2023-24 season record: 15-19 overall, 5-13 in conference play

• Lost in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament to UAB

• No postseason tournament

• 2024-25 record: 8-2

Transfers and graduation didn’t hit the Shockers as hard as North Texas and Memphis, but head coach Paul Mills had a handful of roster spots to fill with six players moving on. But with four starters returning, he had the most experienced roster in the conference coming back.

He ended up bringing in quite a few shooters, i.e., AJ McGinnis, Zane Meeks, and Corey Washington.  Shooting was an issue for the team last season, but so far, the Shockers are fourth best in the conference from the floor at 45.4% but ninth from three-point range (31.6%).

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FAU

• 2023-24 season record: 25-9 overall, 14-4 in conference play

• Lost to Temple in the semifinals of the conference tournament

• Lost in first round of NCAA Tournament to Northwestern

• 2024-25 record: 7-5

Expectations were muted this year for the Owls after two solid years. But with head coach Dusty May moving on to Michigan and no returning starters, the team was essentially rebuilding almost completely.

John Jakus, a disciple of Scott Drew and Mark Few, is in to right the ship. To help him, he brought in a solid recruiting class that included a trio of shooters: KyKy Tandy, Leland Walker, and Ken Evans Jr., giving the team some instant scoring power.

With 12 games in the books (7-5), they have one of the best offenses in the country (no. 18). Their defense, however, could use some work (No. 296, 76.8 ppg allowed).

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UAB

• 2023-24 season record: 23-12 overall, 12-6 in conference play

• Won conference tournament.

• Lost in first round of NCAA Tournament to San Diego State

• 2024-25 record: 5-6

The reigning champs had their share of transfers, but they returned in solid shape with four returning starters, a solid recruiting class, and a good transfer class. While the early part of the season has had some rough moments, the team is shaping up into one that could give Memphis a run for its money.

The offense is one of the better ones in the country (No. 29). They are one of the best offensive-rebounding teams in the nation (No. 15). However, like many teams (Memphis included) that put a premium on recruiting players for their offensive abilities, their defense is lacking (No. 308, 77.6 ppg allowed).

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2025 AAC Tournament: Picks and Predictions

Favorite - Wichita State

I’m not a big believer in Penny Hardaway, the coach. Yes, he’s had some good teams and usually has a solid offense—but that’s it. They aren’t complete teams, hence the general lack of postseason success. But I do like what I have seen from the Shockers so far this season.

Wichita State returned a solid core and added some solid pieces in the offseason. While they don’t have the best offense or defense in the conference, they aren’t bad on either end of the court. I would feel better about the pick if they had a standout player on the offensive end of the court, but I like that they have four players averaging over ten points per game.

Dark Horse - North Texas

I am a big believer in the old saying: offense wins games, and defense wins championships. That being said, I wish the Mean Green did not have the lowest-ranked offense in the conference. However, they do have one of the best defenses in the country (No. 7) and the second-best scoring margin in the conference.

Long Shot - Rice

In line with my dark horse, I’m going with the team with the second-best defense and second-worst offense in the conference as my long shot. But, going forward, I’ll be keeping an eye on FAU. UAB, and Temple.

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AAC Tournament History

The AAC counts 1979 as the year it was founded, but that was actually when the Big East Conference was founded, which the American Athletic Conference splintered off from in 2013 when the conference was experiencing substantial turmoil.

So, while the AAC was officially founded in 1979, the conference as we know it began play with the 2013-14 season—which means there is not much history to reference regarding which teams are typically the contenders and who the bottom feeders might be.

How to Choose the Best Sportsbook for Betting on the AAC Tournament 

We have gone over the odds, several of the top teams in the conference, and how to read the odds. So, is it time to bet? Not yet. First, you need to choose which sportsbook you want to place your bet with.

You can look into each one when you have time, or you can just check out our full sportsbook reviews. The following table will give you a brief review of what three of the more popular online sportsbooks have to offer:

How to Read AAC Tournament Odds

Are you ready to bet on a team to win the AAC this season? If so, you’ll be able to find odds on who will win the AAC at all major sportsbooks operating in the U.S. You may have heard members of the media referencing odds like “25 to 1” or “4/1 or 7/3” and maybe even in decimal form (i.e., 1.91).

There are different ways in which odds can be stated. Sportsbooks in the U.S. list them in what is referred to as the ‘American’ format. American odds will use three-digit numbers with either a plus or minus sign in front. The + sign designates that team as the underdog, while the – sign is for the favorite.

Let’s go over a couple of examples. The odds Memphis will win the AAC are currently -160. That means a couple of things: (1) Memphis is the betting favorite and has a better than 50% chance of winning, and (2) bettors will have to risk $160 in order to win $100.

Rather than bet on the current favorite, let’s say you want to roll with UAB to win this season at +1000. At those odds, UAB is considered a long shot and has a 9.09% chance of winning the conference. However, if you were to bet $100 and they win, you’d collect an $1100 payout, your stake ($100,) and $1000 in winnings.

You don’t have to bet $100, of course. To see what your payout would be with any stake and odds, check out our odds calculator.