March Madness Final Four Predictions, Odds, Picks 2025: Can Anyone Slow Down Auburn

• The Huskies have won four Final Fours since 2011, by far the most in the country in that span

• The 2023 NCAA Tournament was the first time that a No. 1, 2, and 3 seed failed to make the Final Four

• The highest combination of seeds in a Final Four happened in 2011 when the seeds totaled 26 

The 2024 Final Four featured two No. 1 seeds, one No. 4 seed, and one No. 11 seed, which resulted in a far more predictable Final Four than the previous year. 

Will we see something more predictable in 2025, especially given the momentum and advantage that NIL deals and the transfer portal have given major programs?

Besides the Auburn Tigers, who are pacing to have one of the most efficient offenses in recent college basketball history, and the Duke Blue Devils, there are not any teams that seem unbeatable.

This is especially the case after Tennessee lost by double-digits to Florida in early January.

While many believed that NIL and the transfer portal would result in more predictability behind a few powerhouse programs, that has not exactly been the case thus far.

Could we have another crazy Final Four like in 2011 and 2023?

Find our favorite teams to make the March Madness Final Four below!

March Madness Final Four/Championship Odds 

The difference between March Madness Final Four odds and NCAA Tournament championship odds is that it only takes four wins in the NCAA Tournament to make the Final Four, but six games (two more) to win the whole tournament.

Therefore, Final Four odds will always be shorter (more likely) than NCAA Tournament championship odds.

Below is a table we will fill in with Final Four odds once they are available.

Disclaimer: The table in this section currently has NCAA Tournament championship odds (from FanDuel Sportsbook) since the Final Four odds have not been released. Once they drop, we will update the table to reflect those changes. Place your bets at FanDuel and claim the following bonus: Bet $5, Get $200 in Bonus Bets if Your Bet Wins.

March Madness Final Four Predictions - Favorites to Make Final Four 

In the section below, we cover our March Madness Final Four predictions, which include the teams listed below.

Favorite: Houston Cougars (+1300) at FanDuel

Here’s why Houston is one of the most dangerous programs in the country every single season: physicality and disciple.

The Cougars consistently rank in the top five in adjusted defensive efficiency (KenPom) and in offensive rebounding percentage. 

In fact, they have been a top five defensive team since the beginning of the 2022-23 season and a top five offensive rebounding team since the beginning of the 2019-20 season.

While Houston’s rebounding has taken a slight dip to begin this year, it still is elite in that category (12th in offensive rebounding percentage).

Now, what makes Houston not only one of the most dangerous teams in the country but also a team seemingly destined for a Final Four appearance is its 3-point shooting and ball protection.

As of the beginning of January, Houston was shooting at a 41.4% clip from behind the arc, which ranked third nationally. Further, the Cougars commit fewer than 10 turnovers per game, placing them 15th in that statistic.

Avoiding injuries will be key for a deep run, but this Cougs team has everything needed to win a championship.

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Favorite: Auburn Tigers (+600) at FanDuel

As alluded to above, the Auburn Tigers have been historically good on the offensive end of the floor. It is a bit frightening.

As of the end of the first week in January, Auburn ranks first in adjusted offensive efficiency (KenPom), fourth in points per game, third in effective field goal percentage, fourth in assists per game, fifth in turnovers per game, and 26th in offensive rebounding percentage.

Since 2002, there has not been a team that finished with a higher adjusted offensive efficiency (KenPom) rating than Auburn currently has this season. Again, it is frightening.

The Tigers are led by Wooden Award frontrunner Johni Broome, the best two-way player in college basketball. 

Broome not only leads the charge for the most efficient offense in the nation, averaging 18.7 points per game on 56.2% shooting from the field (as of January 7, 2025), he also anchors the Tigers’ defense.

Broome has helped Auburn rank second in block percentage and sixth in opponent 2-point percentage thus far in the 2024-25 campaign.

While Broome is the most notable player on Auburn, this team has a plethora of talent on the perimeter, as well, including Chad Baker-Mazara, Denver Jones, Miles Kelly, and Tahaad Pettiford.

This team is an obvious favorite to make the 2025 Final Four.

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Stay Away: Purdue Boilermakers

After winning back-to-back Wooden Awards, Zach Edey opted to declare for the NBA Draft and was consequently selected ninth overall by the Memphis Grizzlies.

Edey dominated college basketball at 7-foot-4 with great footwork, touch, balance, and upper and lower body strength; he was an unstoppable force.

In fact, he averaged an incredulous 25.2 points and 12.2 rebounds per game on 62.3% shooting from the field last season while carrying the Boilermakers to the National Championship game. 

The Boilermakers also lost sharpshooting forward Mason Gillis (46.3% from 3-point land) to the transfer portal and third-leading scorer and combo guard Lance Jones to eligibility.

Braden Smith has been an elite distributor and facilitator in the pick-and-roll; Fletcher Loyer will always knock down some 3s, as he is a consistent 40+% shooter from deep; Trey Kaufman-Renn is a double-double machine.

However, the Boilers won’t be anywhere near a Final Four this season, as their defense is exploitable with no rim protection and they don’t have enough offensive firepower outside of the three players mentioned above. 

Shutting down one or two of them means having a great shot at winning.

Who Will Win the March Madness Final Four - My Pick 

Houston Cougars (+1300) at FanDuel

The Cougars have been to five consecutive Sweet 16s, including two Elite Eights and one Final Four appearance. Frankly, luck has not been on their side. There isn’t really another way to put it.

Houston lost lead guard Jamal Shead to an injury in last season’s NCAA Tournament. The Cougs would have more than likely found themselves in the 2024 Final Four if not for that injury.

In 2022, they only scored 44 points against Villanova in their Elite Eight game due to a 1-for-20 shooting performance from behind the arc and still lost by just six points.

An argument could absolutely be made that this team should have been to three of the past four Final Fours. 

As long as they stay healthy, and don’t suffer any impossibly poor shooting droughts like they did in 2022, the Cougs should find their way to a second Final Four in the past six years!

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Who Won the March Madness Final Four in 2024

The 2024 Final Four included two No. 1 seeds (Purdue Boilermakers and UConn Huskies), one No. 4 seed (Alabama Crimson Tide), and one No. 11 seed (N.C. State Wolfpack).

UConn and Alabama faced off in one of the Final Four matchups, with the Huskies winning by double-digits via a dominating second half. 

On the other side of the bracket, the N.C. State Wolfpack battled with the Purdue Boilermakers but fell short in their unlikely quest to make the National Championship game, leaving Purdue and UConn. 

Unfortunately for the Boilermakers, they were unable to secure the program’s first title, as the Huskies crushed them from start to finish.

In 2024, UConn added a sixth National Championship banner and the second one in the past two seasons. Can the Huskies become just the second program in college basketball history to win three consecutive titles?

March Madness Final Four History

The first year of the NCAA Tournament was in 1939, and it featured eight teams; however, it was not until the 1960s that the phrase “Final Four” was first used in reference to the tournament. The term became even more popularized in 1975 when Ed Chay, a Cleveland sports writer, used it in an article. 

The phrase “March Madness” was first used in conjunction with basketball by an assistant executive secretary (Henry V. Porter) for the IHSA (Illinois High School Association.) Interestingly enough, he used this phrase to describe basketball in the month of March in 1939, which just so happened to be the first year of the NCAA Tournament.

Past March Madness Final Four Winners

Check out the past 15 years of March Madness Final Four teams, beginning with the most recent seasons:

How to Choose the Best Sportsbook for Betting on the March Madness Final Four

With so many sportsbooks available, choosing which one to use can be overwhelming, especially if you are new to online sports betting. However, this section can hopefully make the process a little clearer.

Several factors can go into choosing a sportsbook, including the user interface, app navigability, betting odds, betting types, payment options, and the sports offered. Bettors who are more experienced (and bet more frequently) often have numerous online sportsbooks, so they can always find the best odds and promotions to get a betting edge.

Some of the most popular sportsbooks are BetMGM, Caesars, and FanDuel; the table below should simplify the process for you, detailing pertinent information for each online sportsbook! Let's have a look.

How to Read March Madness Final Four Odds

If you are a new bettor and reading betting odds overwhelms you, do not worry. We will break it down as simply as possible for you ahead of March Madness, one of the biggest sporting events in the world!

If there is a minus sign (-) in front of a team’s Final Four odds, then they are a favorite, meaning their implied probability is greater than 50%. For example, if the Houston Cougars have Final Four odds of -115, then you would have to bet $115 to win $100. 

Conversely, if a team is an underdog, then they will have a plus sign (+) in front of their Final Four odds. If the Creighton Bluejays are +450 to make the Final Four, then a bettor would have to bet $100 to win $450.