College basketball futures odds: Proven expert reveals picks, best bets, predictions for 2024-25 eason

SportsLine's Thomas Casale went 28-14-1 (67%) on his college basketball picks last season and now he has revealed his top 2024 college basketball futures best bets

By CBS Sports Staff

Oct 23, 2024 at 11:29 am ET • 2 min read

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UCLA is the only team to three-peat in the NCAA Tournament era, winning seven consecutive titles from 1967-73. UConn will take aim at a third straight championship during the 2024-25 college basketball season after going 68-11 with 12 straight NCAA Tournament wins (and covers) over the last two years. The Huskies lost four starters from last year's roster, but head coach Dan Hurley turned down the Lakers opening and still has a loaded roster. They are one of the top favorites in the 2024 college basketball futures odds, listed at 11-1 in the 2025 NCAA Tournament odds.

Duke (19-2), Houston (10-1) and Kansas (10-1) are among the other 2025 NCAA Tournament contenders. There is not a clear favorite heading into the season, so which teams have value that you should snag now with your 2024-25 college basketball bets? Before making any college basketball picks or 2024 college basketball futures bets, be sure to see the latest college basketball predictions from SportsLine expert Thomas Casale.

A frequent guest on national radio and TV shows to discuss college sports, Casale has been betting -- and winning -- for more than 30 years. He's done well in college basketball, going 341-208 (62.1%) over the last three campaigns. He joined SportsLine in 2024 and promptly went 28-14-1 (67%) in CBB, returning $1,215 to $100 players. Over the past two college football seasons, Casale is 122-92-5 (57%) overall and 26-8 (76.4%) in bowl games -- all publicly documented. Anyone who has followed him at sportsbooks and on betting apps is way up.

Now, he has revealed his top 2024-25 college basketball futures bets. You can head to SportsLine to see them.

Top 2024-25 college basketball futures bets

One of Casale's top 2024-25 college basketball best bets: He is high on the Gonzaga Bulldogs (18-1) as a team with value to win the national championship. Gonzaga is coming off its ninth straight trip to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament, using a late surge down the stretch of the regular season to earn a No. 5 seed in the Big Dance. The Bulldogs return star point guard Ryan Nembhard and forward Graham Ike, who averaged a team-high 16.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.

Head coach Mark Few bolstered his roster with the addition of Arkansas transfer Khalif Battle, who can create his own shot opportunities throughout the season. Battle averaged 14.8 points and 3.3 rebounds per game last season, scoring at least 20 points in seven straight games to close the campaign. Casale notes that Gonzaga returns almost 77% of its scoring from last season to go along with multiple key additions, so he likes their chances of making another deep NCAA Tournament run. See Casale's best college basketball futures bets at SportsLine.

How to place 2024 college basketball futures bets

Casale has revealed four conference winner bets and two more NCAA Tournament bets, including a longshot play that pays 35-1. You can see all of Casale's top 2024 college basketball futures picks here.

Which 2024 college basketball futures odds should you target, and which longshot play could lead to a massive payday? Visit SportsLine now to see the 2024 college basketball futures bets, all from the expert who went 28-14-1 on his SportsLine college basketball picks last season, and find out.