2025 March Madness Bracket Predictions: First Four, Bracketology, Cinderella Team?
The 2025 NCAA Tournament is finally here! Selection Sunday revealed the full 68-team March Madness bracket and we have games starting up in no time. Check out some 2025 March Madness Bracket Predictions below as we pick a national champion winner and dive deep into a potential Cinderella team.
We’ll also break down the teams that just made it into the NCAA Tournament field and which squads missed the cut. Plus, check out the upcoming schedule for the First Four matchups that get underway on Tuesday and Wednesday. Without further ado, let’s get into our 2025 March Madness Bracket Predictions before the NCAA Tournament tips off this week.
2025 March Madness Bracket Predictions After Selection Sunday
Now that Selection Sunday has come and gone, let’s dish out some 2025 March Madness Bracket Predictions.
Which team will cut down the nets as national champions this year? Who is our pick to win the whole thing? Check out our 2025 March Madness Bracket Predictions below for the inside scoop.
NCAA Tournament Champion Pick: Duke Blue Devils (+350 on BetMGM)
Duke enters the NCAA Tournament as the betting favorite to win the national championship. It might seem chalky, but the Blue Devils are the pick to go all the way. They have been the most impressive team all season, going 28-3 in the regular season before sweeping the ACC Tournament as well.
Duke is the No. 1 seed in the East region of the NCAA Tournament bracket. It should have a fairly easy path to the Final Four with potential matchups against Alabama or Arizona as the only real tests. The Blue Devils rank first in the NET and KenPom entering March Madness. They are third nationally in offensive efficiency and fourth in defensive efficiency, per KenPom.
Cooper Flagg is Duke’s headliner as the presumptive No. 1 pick in the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft. The freshman power forward does it all for the Blue Devils and his pro-ready talent will shine through in this NCAA Tournament. Flagg suffered an ankle injury in the ACC Tournament but is expected to return by the Sweet 16 at the latest.
Even with Flagg injured, Duke just won the ACC Tournament without its best player. The Blue Devils boast multiple other top NBA prospects in freshman guard Kon Knueppel, freshman center Khaman Maluach, and junior wing Tyrese Proctor. Even senior wing Sion James and freshman guard Isaiah Evans have generated some draft buzz.
Despite playing in the “easier” ACC, Duke proved its elite upside earlier this season. The Blue Devils beat Auburn and Arizona in marquee non-conference games back in November. They also dismantled Illinois by 43 points in a February non-con matchup on a neutral court. Plus, Duke just took care of business against Louisville in the ACC Tournament title game – winning by 11 points with Flagg sidelined, no less.
Duke is the most complete team with a deep roster stacked with NBA-caliber talent. They should win their first two NCAA Tournament games with ease and won’t be challenged much until the Final Four. Our 2025 March Madness Bracket Predictions have Duke winning the national title.
2025 March Madness Bracketology: Who Got In & Who Just Missed The Cut?
One of the big storylines for the 2025 March Madness Bracketology is which teams made it into the NCAA Tournament and which narrowly missed out. Every year we have bubble teams across the country building their March Madness resumes and squeaking into the field. Conversely, several deserving teams are left out according to the NCAA Tournament selection committee.
North Carolina was the final team in the NCAA Tournament field despite going only 1-12 in Quad 1 games this season. San Diego State, another team that just made the bracket, will face the Tar Heels in a First Four matchup on Thursday. The other two squads who barely got in based on 2025 March Madness Bracketology are Xavier and Texas, who will play each other in the other First Four matchup of No. 11 seeds.
Among the notable teams that just missed the cut, West Virginia was identified as the first team out of the NCAA Tournament field. The Mountaineers had a strong 11-2 start to the season but struggled to an 8-11 record the rest of the way. Boise State also misses out despite reaching the Mountain West Tournament championship game and losing to Colorado State.
Two other notable teams who find themselves on the outside looking in are Indiana and Ohio State. The Hoosiers and Buckeyes both underperformed in the Big Ten and ultimately didn’t have enough good wins on their respective resumes.
2025 March Madness First Four Matchups
The NCAA Tournament officially gets underway on Tuesday and Wednesday nights with the First Four matchups. Check out the betting odds below for the four play-in games before we narrow the bracket to 64 teams.
There are two matchups of No. 11 seeds and two featuring No. 16 seeds. The March Madness First Four odds are via BetMGM Sportsbook.
Tuesday, March 18th
- 6:40 pm ET – No. 16 St. Francis PA vs No. 16 Alabama State (-3.5) – 140.5 O/U
- 9:10 pm ET – No. 11 North Carolina (-4.5) vs No. 11 San Diego State – 142.5 O/U
Wednesday, March 19th
- 6:40 pm ET – No. 16 Mount St. Mary’s vs. No. 16 American (-2.5) – 129.5 O/U
- 9:10 pm ET – No. 11 Xavier (-2.5) vs. No. 11 Texas – 149.5 O/U
2025 March Madness Cinderella Team Prediction: Yale Bulldogs
In last year’s NCAA Tournament, Yale pulled off a first-round upset of Auburn as a No. 13 seed. The Ivy League champs are back again in a similar position, facing another SEC opponent as a No. 13 seed. The Bulldogs will take on No. 4 seed Texas A&M in the first round and are live to bust brackets for a second straight year.
Yale is a real threat from three-point range, shooting 38.5% from deep this season (9th in Division I). The Bulldogs also take care of the ball, ranking 19th nationally in offensive turnover rate. That matters more in March. Plus, they grab defensive rebounds at the 22nd-best rate in the sport. If Yale is hitting threes, avoiding turnovers, and preventing second-chance points, then a Cinderella run is possible.
Plus, Yale’s previous NCAA Tournament experience is impossible to ignore. Head coach James Jones has his team in the bracket for the third time in the last four years. Seniors John Poulakidas and Bez Mbeng bring valuable veteran experience, including knowing what it takes to pull a March Madness upset.
Yale’s first-round opponent, Texas A&M, comes into the bracket a bit cold. It’s lost five of the last seven games and just went one-and-done in the SEC Tournament. While A&M does boast a top-10 defense, there are serious question marks offensively. The Aggies rank 317th in Division I in three-point shooting percentage and 249th in offensive turnover rate. They also rank 317th nationally in effective field-goal percentage. Those could be back-breakers in a win-or-go-home setting.
If Yale pulls off the upset over Texas A&M, it would face the winner of No. 5 seed Michigan vs. No. 12 seed UC San Diego. In that matchup, UC San Diego is very live to win. Facing another double-digit seed in the second round would be a gift for Yale and would aid a Cinderella run even more. Michigan, if it advances, is still ripe for an upset after playing in way too many close games lately. The Wolverines may also be a bit burnt out after winning the Big Ten Tournament.
Our 2025 March Madness Bracket Predictions call for Yale to be this year’s Cinderella team. The Bulldogs can bust brackets with a surprising run to the Sweet 16. You can bet on Yale to beat Texas A&M at +260 odds on BetMGM Sportsbook. The odds for Yale to make the Sweet 16 are +900 at BetMGM.
How To Watch 2025 March Madness
You can watch the 2025 NCAA Tournament on multiple channels. The First Four games on Tuesday and Wednesday night will be broadcast on truTV. The first-round matchups on Thursday and Friday can be seen on four different channels: CBS, TNT, TBS, and truTV.
Below are the channel listings for the first games tipping off on Thursday:
- 12:15 pm ET – No. 9 Creighton vs No. 8 Louisville – CBS
- 12:40 pm ET – No. 13 High Point vs No. 4 Purdue – truTV
- 1:30 pm ET – No. 14 Montana vs No. 3 Wisconsin – TNT
- 2:00 pm ET – No. 16 SIU Edwardsville vs No. 1 Houston – TBS
Player News
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Incredibly enough, Báez is currently a 19-12 team’s best option at shortstop, third base and in center field. The 350-foot homer off AJ Blubaugh was his first of the year, but he’s batting .296/.337/.407 while mostly playing center right now.
Making his first start in 12 days, Jackson Jobe yielded three runs in four-plus innings Wednesday in a no-decision against the Astros.
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Tommy Kahnle got four outs for his fifth save Wednesday against the Astros.
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Riley Greene singled four times in four at-bats and scored twice versus the Astros on Wednesday.
When Greene gets hot, he can stay that way for a while. He went 7-for-12 with two homers in the series against Houston, pushing his average up to .261, and now he could feast on Angels pitching the next four days.