While most of the 2025 NCAA Tournament first-round matchups feature schools from power conferences taking on mid-major programs, there are a handful of contests that will see major conference schools colliding. Louisville vs. Creighton sees the Big East’s past and present battling, while Arkansas vs. Kansas and Mississippi State vs. Baylor have conference supremacy on the line in a pair of SEC vs. Big 12 matchups. Plus, UConn vs. Oklahoma will be part of the first round of the 2025 March Madness bracket. UConn has won 12 straight NCAA Tournament games by double-digits and is 5-2 this season versus ranked teams. As for OU, it started 13-0, but is just 5-9 against top 25 teams. A possible matchup for UConn with No. 1 Florida in the second round exists, but only if the Huskies can start the NCAA Tournament 2025 off on a winning note. Before making any 2025 March Madness bracket predictions, be sure to check out the 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket picks from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
Their proven projection model has simulated every game in the tournament 10,000 times. It has absolutely crushed its March Madness picks recently, beating over 91 percent of all CBS Sports brackets in four of the past six tournaments. It was all over UConn’s championship run a year ago and nailed 13 teams in the Sweet 16. It also nailed Alabama’s Cinderella run to the Final Four as a 4-seed.
It knows how to spot an upset as well. The same model has produced brackets that have nailed 24 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds since its inception in 2016. There’s simply no reason to rely on luck when there’s proven technology to help you dominate your 2025 March Madness bracket picks.
Now, with the 2025 NCAA bracket revealed, the model is simulating the matchups and its results are in. You can only see it over at SportsLine.
Three 2025 March Madness bracket games to watch
One of the most intriguing 2025 March Madness matchups to watch: No. 5 Michigan vs. No. 12 UC San Diego in the South region. The Wolverines are coming off of an intense 59-53 win against Wisconsin for the Big Ten tournament title, while the Tritons handily won the Big West championship and ended their campaign with 15 straight victories. San Diego didn’t get in much work against ranked teams this season, although its defense ranks sixth nationally in points allowed per game (61.6). Michigan has only made it past the Sweet Sixteen once since 2018, so they will be eager to make a deep tournament run. With UCSD coming in hot, however, this promises to be a very interesting March Madness matchup.
Another 2025 NCAA Tournament matchup to keep an eye on is No. 8 Louisville vs. No. 9 Creighton in the South Region. It was a down year for the Big East and the Bluejays lost 10 games, but Creighton’s experience looms large in this matchup. The program has won at least one game in the last four NCAA Tournaments while making the Sweet 16 twice and the Elite Eight once during that span. However, Louisville has won 21 of its last 23 games and exceeded all expectations in Pat Kelsey’s first year at the helm. The Cardinals aren’t lacking in NCAA Tournament experience either, as Louisville has four senior guards averaging double-figures in scoring that all transferred into the program this season after competing in March Madness last year.
Another 2025 March Madness game to watch out for: No. 4 seed Texas A&M will battle No. 13 seed Yale in the South Region. A&M is 3-0 all-time in the Round of 64 as a top-5 seed, with all three victories by 16-plus points. However, the 2025 Aggies limped to the finish line, losing five of their last seven games, and while they lead the nation in offensive boards, they are last in the SEC in both FG and FT percentage. Meanwhile, shooting isn’t an issue for Yale, which ranks in the top 12 teams, nationally, in both FG and 3P percentage. The Bulldogs have won 16 of their last 17 games but were untested throughout the season as they lost their one game versus a 2025 March Madness team. You can see the model’s 2025 NCAA bracket picks here.
How to make 2025 NCAA bracket predictions
Who wins every tournament-defining matchup? And which teams will make surprising runs through the 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket? With the model’s track record of calling bracket-busting upsets, you’ll want to see which stunners it’s calling this year before locking in any 2025 NCAA bracket picks.
So what’s the optimal NCAA Tournament 2025 bracket? And which NCAA Tournament Cinderella teams will shock college basketball? Visit SportsLine now to see which double-digit seeds you can back with confidence, all from the model that called UConn’s national title and nailed 13 Sweet 16 teams in 2024.