March Madness insights: Bettors split on Duke, Florida for national title

We're hours away from the opening tipoff of the men's 2025 NCAA Tournament. Time is running out to fill out your bracket and get your bets in before the madness begins.

For those who have placed a wager on who will win the Big Dance, the most popular selections have been Florida and Duke.

The Gators and Blue Devils are the two favorites to win it all and won't have to play each other until the finals. Duke is +290 (25.6% implied probability), while Florida is +335 (23% implied probability).

Since the bracket was revealed Sunday, Florida has received 23% of the handle (money wagered) and 22% of the bets placed at theScore Bet/ESPN Bet. Meanwhile, Duke has attracted 26% of the handle and 18% of the bets.

These two 1-seeds are head and shoulders above the rest of the contenders in terms of support received from the betting market. Auburn and Houston, the tournament's other two 1-seeds, have each amassed 11% of the handle and 10% of the bets placed since the bracket was released.

Championship winner betting splits

*Top 10 most-bet-on teams listed

Outside of the 1-seeds, St. John's leads the way with 6% of the handle and 7% of the bets. Rick Pitino's Red Storm will likely need to get through Florida in the Elite Eight to keep their national title dreams alive.

The three other 2-seeds - Alabama, Tennessee, and Michigan State - make up the remainder of the top eight most-bet-on teams to win it all.

While only one team can cut down the nets at the tournament's end, you still have plenty of ways to get action on a team you like to go far. Betting information on who the market hopes to advance from each region can also provide a glimpse at who people are taking to reach the Final Four in their brackets.

To win East Region

Duke also dominates the bet count for who will represent the East Region in the Final Four with 62% of the handle and 58% of the bets, nearly three times as much action as Alabama.

To win South Region

Even though Auburn is the odds-on favourite to win the South Region, Michigan State has taken the most action. At +450 odds, it's safe to assume the Spartans advancing to the Final Four would be a negative outcome for sportsbooks.

Michigan is also getting love from bettors at +1600. However, the Wolverines are only 2.5-point favorites in their first-round matchup against UC San Diego.

To win West Region

Florida is getting most of the attention in the West Region, with a whopping 63% of the handle on the Gators getting to the Final Four, more than three times as much as St. John's.

Conversely, Texas Tech is getting glossed over with only 3% of the handle landing on the Red Raiders despite being the second favorite.

To win Midwest Region

Houston has attracted the most handle and bets of any team in the Midwest Region. The Cougars have the longest odds of any 1-seed to advance to the Final Four, largely because their road to San Antonio isn't easy. They will likely have to face Gonzaga, Clemson, and Tennessee, who all rank inside KenPom's top 18.