Buying or Selling 2025 Vegas Title Odds of Every AP Top 10 CBB Team

With another NFL season officially in the books, a memorable NBA trade deadline in the rearview mirror and the 2025 MLB season still more than a month from starting, now is the time when college basketball moves into a prominent position on the sports landscape.

For some sports fans, that means putting down a futures bet on the 2024 national title winner. And while there is still a lot of basketball to be played before the start of March Madness, there is a group of teams that has started to separate from the pack.

Ahead, we've taken a closer look at the current title odds of the Top 10 teams in the latest AP poll, which was released on Feb. 3, and given our take on whether to buy or sell placing a bet on them to win it all at those current odds.

That distinction is important, as this is not necessarily buying or selling the team in general, but instead whether their current odds represent a good bet relative to the rest of the futures board.

Odds courtesy of DraftKings sportsbook.

Odds: +3500 (11th-best)

The Aggies were a No. 9 seed and lost in the second round of last year's tournament, but with leading scorer Wade Taylor IV back for another year and a pair of impact transfer pickups in SMU guard Zhuric Phelps and Minnesota forward Pharrel Payne added to the mix, they began the year at No. 13 in the AP poll.

After leaning heavily on their offensive firepower a year ago, they have found an identity as a stout defensive team this season, checking in No. 6 in KenPom's adjusted defensive efficiency while limiting opponents to 66.2 points per game.

They are 7-5 in Quad 1 games, with wins over Purdue and Texas Tech headlining their resume, and they picked up another nice win on Saturday with a 67-64 victory on the road against Missouri.

There are a handful of teams sitting at +3500 right now, including Texas Tech, Kentucky and Arizona, and all of them carry attractive upside if you're looking to shy away from the top-tier contenders.

Verdict: Buy

Odds: +3000 (ninth-best)

The Michigan State Spartans had a 13-game winning streak and a 9-0 start to Big Ten play derailed by back-to-back losses to USC and UCLA.

However, they only beat three teams that are projected for the current NCAA tournament field during that impressive 13-game winning streak, and a much more difficult second half of the Big Ten schedule awaits in the coming weeks.

The Spartans are one of the deepest teams in the country with a legitimate 10-man rotation, but the flip side of that is that they lack a true go-to scorer. Jaden Akins (13.5 PPG) is the only player averaging in double figures, and he is doing it on 42.7 percent from the floor and 29.7 percent from beyond the arc.

It's tough to win in March without a star who can go get a bucket when opposing defenses clamp down, and they were held to season-low point totals of 64 and 61 in those two recent losses.

Verdict: Sell

Odds: +1700 (seventh-best)

The Iowa State Cyclones returned as much talent as any team in the country with Tamin Lipsey, Keshon Gilbert, Curtis Jones and Milan Momcilovic all back in the fold after averaging a combined 48.0 points as the four leading scorers from a team that won 29 games and secured a No. 2 seed a year ago.

Jones has taken his game to another level this season, averaging 17.7 points and emerging as a legitimate Big 12 Player of the Year candidate, while Saint Mary's transfer Joshua Jefferson has been a perfect fit in the Cyclones rotation.

This is once again one of the best defensive teams in the nation, but now they have an offense to match, climbing from No. 52 in KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency a year ago to No. 17 this year.

They hit a bump in the road with a three-game losing streak while Momcilovic was sidelined with an injury, but he returned to action on Saturday and they hung a 30-point blowout on TCU.

Their Feb. 22 matchup with Houston will be one of the biggest regular-season games of the year.

Verdict: Buy

Odds: +2800 (eighth-best)

With Zach Edey on to the NBA and his presumptive replacement in 7'4" freshman Daniel Jacobsen lost for the year to a leg injury, the Purdue Boilermakers have been forced to reinvent themselves a bit on the fly this year.

Luckily, they have Braden Smith.

The preseason Big Ten Player of the Year is a strong contender for the title of best point guard in the country, averaging 16.1 points, 8.8 assists and 2.2 steals per game.

Meanwhile, fellow returnees Trey Kaufman-Renn (18.9 PPG, 6.4 RPG) and Fletcher Loyer (13.8 PPG, 45.8 3PT%) have both upped their scoring load, further helping to fill in the gaps left behind by Edey's departure.

This looks like the team to beat in the Big Ten right now, and lopsided losses to Marquette (76-58) and Auburn (87-69) back before Jan. 1 are starting to disappear into the rearview in the midst of a dominant 11-1 stretch of games.

Verdict: Buy

Odds: +1300 (fifth-best)

If Iowa State has the best trio of guards in the country, Florida is an extremely close second with Walter Clayton Jr. (17.4 PPG, 70 threes), Will Richard (13.4 PPG, 69 threes) and Florida Atlantic transfer Alijah Martin (15.3 PPG, 69 threes) all having terrific seasons.

That trio is a big reason why Florida ranks No. 4 in KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency, and they also rebound the ball extremely well, pulling down 14.8 offensive rebounds per game to rank near the top of the nation in that always important statistic.

After rolling through a relatively easy non-conference schedule with a 13-0 record, they have continued to impress in conference play, scoring a signature win on Saturday when they picked up a 90-81 victory on the road against No. 1 Auburn.

That 20-point loss on the road to Tennessee a few weeks ago was ugly, but this looks like a complete team capable of getting hot and beating anyone in the country, and their odds are undoubtedly going to shift following the Auburn win and as they continue to climb the AP poll. Now is the time to buy.

Verdict: Buy

Odds: +1200 (fourth-best)

Despite losing All-American point guard Jamal Shead, the Houston Cougars still ranked No. 4 in the preseason AP poll thanks to LJ Cryer (14.3 PPG, 40.7 3PT%), Emanuel Sharp (12.5 PPG, 43.6 3PT%) and J'Wan Roberts (11.4 PPG, 6.8 RPG) all returning from last year's 32-win team.

They join Duke and Florida as the only teams that rank in the Top 10 in KenPom's offensive and defensive efficiency, which speaks to a complete roster without any glaring weaknesses.

Aside from their usual lockdown defense, they are also one of the most efficient three-point shooting teams in the nation. They knock down 39.3 percent (10th in NCAA) from distance, though they take only 21.0 threes per game (260th inn NCAA), making them the rare team that can shoot the deep ball without living and dying by their success in that area.

However, if you're looking for a red flag, the fact that they have only played four games against ranked opponents all season and are 1-3 in those contests is a pretty glaring one. An upcoming stretch against Arizona, Iowa State and Texas Tech over a span of four games will be extremely telling.

There are better bets on the board right now than the Cougars at +1200 with the fourth-best odds to win it all.

Verdict: Sell

Odds: +1400 (sixth-best)

The Tennessee Volunteers spent five weeks at the No. 1 spot in the AP poll before a lopsided 73-43 loss on the road against Florida knocked them off their perch, and they slid all the way down to No. 8 after losing three of four in late January.

However, things are trending in the right direction once again, as they avenged the loss to Florida with a 64-44 victory over the Gators at home, knocked off a good Missouri team four days later, and extended their winning streak to three games with a 70-52 win over Oklahoma on Saturday.

North Florida transfer Chaz Lanier has done a great job filling the shoes of Dalton Knecht offensively, averaging a team-high 17.5 points per game while shooting a blistering 42.2 percent from beyond the arc with 81 made threes.

With his scoring, an experienced point guard in Zakai Ziegler (12.7 PPG, 7.5 APG) and a terrific defense that ranks No. 1 in KenPom's adjusted efficiency, it's not hard to envision looking back on that 1-3 stretch of games a few months from now as an insignificant bump in the road on their way to being one of the national title favorites.

This might be the best buy on the board.

Verdict: Buy

Odds: +900 (third-best)

With Mark Sears (18.1 PPG, 5.1 APG) and Grant Nelson (12.8 PPG, 8.4 RPG) both returning, Auburn transfer Adan Holloway (11.7 PPG) poised to take a step forward following a strong finish to his freshman season and Rutgers transfer Cliff Omoruyi (7.2 PPG, 6.4 RPG) providing a presence on the inside, it's not hard to see why Alabama was among the preseason favorites to win it all.

As expected, the offense has been lethal, leading the nation with 90.2 points per game while reaching 100 points six different times during their 20-3 start to the year.

However, the defense stands as a question mark, checking in No. 40 in KenPom's adjusted efficiency metric. To that point, their 85-81 victory over Arkansas on Saturday marked the 12th time this season they have surrendered at least 80 points.

A lot of that is an unavoidable side effect of the up-tempo style they play with, but stringing together shootout wins in the NCAA tournament is not always a recipe for success, especially if a team can find a way to slow them down and force them to play more in the halfcourt.

There is no ignoring a resume that includes wins over Houston, Texas A&M, Illinois and Kentucky, but it's also telling that they are just 4-3 in games when they fail to score at least 85 points.

They are capable of winning it all, no question, but the third-best odds on the board do not leave much upside for a team with a clear weakness that could be exploited by the right opponent.

Verdict: Sell

Odds: +400 (best)

Saturday's loss on the road against Clemson was the first time since Nov. 26 that the Duke Blue Devils have lost a game, snapping a 16-game winning streak.

Are they really good, or is the ACC just really bad?

According to the latest Bracket Matrix update, Louisville (7-seed), Clemson (8-seed) and Wake Forest (11-seed) are the only other ACC teams currently projected for a spot in the NCAA tournament field.

That said, the Blue Devils can still hang their hats on non-conference wins against Auburn and Arizona, and 11 of their 12 victories in conference play have come by double figures, so they have dominated against that lesser competition.

With three freshmen in the starting lineup, there were bound to be some growing pains, so it's not out of the question to think this team's best basketball is still ahead of it as the season unfolds.

With a generational talent in Cooper Flagg leading the way and top-five rankings in KenPom's offensive and defensive efficiency metrics—the only team in the nation that can boast that high a ranking in both areas—this might be the team to beat in March.

If you're a believer, it's unlikely that +400 number is going to get any better.

Verdict: Buy

Odds: +400 (best)

How many teams could lose a National Player of the Year candidate and not miss a beat?

Johni Broome (18.2 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 2.8 BPG) is one of the best players in the country and the driving force behind the Auburn Tigers status as one of the nation's elite teams.

However, he missed two games earlier this year with an ankle injury, and both came against teams that were ranked at the time. Despite his absence, the Tigers still came away with wins over Mississippi State (88-66) at home and Georgia (70-68) on the road.

Five players scored in double figures in the Mississippi State game, while freshman Tahaad Pettiford came through with a season-high 24 points off the bench in the narrow win over Georgia.

So often, when a team has a superstar on the roster, they live and die with that player's production in the NCAA tournament.

This Auburn team has had the unique experience of proving it can win against high-level competition without its star, and that makes it even easier to buy them as a legitimate title front-runner a year after they were ousted in the First Round by No. 13 seed Yale.

Verdict: Buy