As the 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, commonly known as March Madness, approaches, analysts and experts have shared their predictions and insights for the upcoming bracket. Here’s a summary of some key projections:
Final Four Predictions:
- John Fanta of FOX Sports anticipates the Final Four teams to be Michigan State, Florida, Duke, and Houston, with Florida clinching the national championship.
- Michael Cohen, also from FOX Sports, predicts Michigan State, Florida, Duke, and Houston reaching the Final Four, but forecasts Duke as the national champion.
Potential Upsets:
- John Ezekowitz from The Wall Street Journal highlights potential upsets, including No. 12 UC San Diego over No. 5 Michigan and No. 11 VCU over No. 6 BYU.
- Jay Bilas of ESPN suggests that Auburn, a No. 1 seed, might face challenges and could be the first top seed to lose, potentially in the Sweet 16 to UC San Diego.
Expert Analysis:
- CBS Sports‘ simulations predict surprising upsets and highlight potential sleeper teams in the tournament.
- ESPN provides bracket facts and trends, noting that only once in the past 10 tournaments has the champion come from the conference with the most bids (or tied for the most).
Betting Insights:
- talkSPORT discusses betting odds, highlighting teams like Tennessee and Michigan State as promising contenders, while also pointing out potential upsets involving lower-seeded teams.
Please note that these predictions are based on expert analyses and statistical models, but the unpredictable nature of March Madness means surprises are always possible.