The Athletic provides live coverage of 2025 Men’s March Madness
NCAA Tournament Predictions
Which team will triumph in the NCAA Tournament? What are the potential upset alerts? What do experts foresee for the Final Fours?
We reached out to 24 writers and editors at The Athletic for their insights regarding the men’s NCAA Tournament bracket choices. The responses mainly favored the top seeds, yet the overall staff bracket isn’t completely predictable.
Round-by-Round Analysis
Below are the teams with the most votes to progress in bracket form, along with a detailed look at the vote counts for each staff member’s Final Four selections.
Surprising Choices and Popular Upsets
No one was bold enough to select a No. 15 seed over a No. 2 seed or a No. 16 over a No. 1. However, only one No. 3 seed—Texas Tech against UNC Wilmington—garnered unanimous support. Additionally, one voter chose Lipscomb over Iowa State, two opted for Troy against Kentucky, and three backed Montana over Wisconsin.
Eric Single’s take on Montana over Wisconsin: “Wisconsin recently played multiple games in the Big Ten tournament, culminating in their title match on Sunday afternoon. They have to travel to Denver for an early tip-off against a team already acclimated to the altitude. This sets the stage for an intriguing upset.”
Majority Votes for Upset Picks
Two favored upset picks included No. 11 seed Drake beating No. 6 seed Missouri and No. 12 seed Colorado State, who is favored against No. 5 seed Memphis by oddsmakers. Our team saw 17 of 24 predicting Colorado State would come out on top.
Justin Williams on Colorado State: “The team is on a remarkable 10-game winning streak, demonstrating strong performance on both offense and defense.”
Sweet 16 Predictions and Analysis
Duke is the only team to secure unanimous support for advancing to the Sweet 16 among our panel. Some voters have raised eyebrows about Auburn, Florida, and Houston potentially facing early exits against their opponents.
A total of 29 teams received at least one vote for progressing to the Elite 8, which included double-digit seeds like Arkansas and Colorado State.
The Final Four Consensus
A total of 15 teams earned Final Four votes, with Duke leading at 21, followed by Florida (16), Michigan State (14), and Houston (13). The consensus indicates a Duke vs. Florida matchup or a Duke vs. Auburn contest for the national title.
Justin Williams reasons for Florida: “Florida is the strongest team heading into the tournament, adaptable to various styles of play.”
Duke’s Dominance and Outlook
Duke received the highest number of votes for the national title at 11, significantly outpacing Florida’s six and Houston’s five. While Michigan State remains a popular choice for the Final Four, our panel does not believe they will end the Big Ten’s title drought.
Why Duke? “All expert opinions I consulted indicated Duke’s strength in this tournament.” — Brendan Quinn
