March Madness is finally here! Selection Sunday is wrapped up, and the fates of the 68 teams are sealed. The stage is set, and the country’s top programs are ready to battle it out to become the best in the country. It’s the most thrilling three weeks in the sports calendar, and it all kicks off on March 18. Get ready for upsets, buzzer-beaters, and unforgettable moments–this is the madness we’ve all been waiting for!

The NCAA men’s tournament bracket was revealed on Sunday, and as expected, Auburn claimed the No. 1 seed in the South region. Duke takes the No. 1 seed in the East, Houston leads the Midwest, and Florida earned the No. 1 seed in the West after their victory over Tennessee in the SEC championship. Tennessee, Michigan State, Alabama, and St. John’s rounded out the No. 2 seeds for this year’s big dance.

Here are the opening odds for the 2025 NCAA Tournament, provided by Online Sportsbooks.

Prediction for the first-round games

First Four games: 

No. 16 Alabama State (-3.5) vs. No. 16 Saint Francis

No. 11 North Carolina (-3.5) vs. No. 11 San Diego State

No. 16 American (-3.5) vs. No. 16 Mount Saint Mary’s

No. 11 Xavier (-2.5) vs. No. 11 Texas

South Region games:

No. 8 Louisville (-2.5) vs. No. 9 Creighton

No. 4 Texas A&M (-7.5) vs. No. 13 Yale

No. 5 Michigan (-2.5) vs. No. 12 UC San Diego

No. 7 Marquette (-3.5) vs. No. 10 New Mexico

No. 3 Iowa State (-13.5) vs. No. 14 Lipscomb

No. 2 Michigan State (-18.5) vs. No. 15 Bryant

East Region games: 

No. 6 BYU (-3.5) vs. No. 11 VCU

No. 3 Wisconsin (-16.5) vs. No. 14 Montana

No. 8 Mississippi State (+1.5) vs. No. 9 Baylor

No. 2 Alabama (-22.5) vs. No. 15 Robert Morris

No. 5 Oregon (-5.5) vs. No. 12 Liberty

No. 7 Saint Mary’s (-4.5) vs. No. 12 Vanderbilt

No. 4 Arizona (-13.5) vs. No. 13 Akron

Midwest Region games:

No. 7 UCLA (-5.5) vs. No. 10 Utah State

No. 8 Gonzaga (-6.5) vs. No. 9 Georgia

No. 2 Tennessee (-19.5) vs. No. 15 Wofford

No. 4 Purdue (-9.5) vs. No. 13 High Point

No. 5 Clemson (-7.5) vs. No. 12 McNeese

No. 1 Houston (-28.5) vs. No. 16 SIU-Edwardsville

No. 3 Kentucky (-10.5) vs. No. 14 Troy

West Region games:

No. 7 Kansas (-5.5) vs. No. 10 Arkansas

No. 3 Texas Tech (-15.5) vs. No. 14 UNC Wilmington

No. 2 St. John’s (-17.5 ) vs. Omaha

No. 6 Missouri (-6.5) vs. No. 11 Drake

No. 4 Maryland (-11.5) vs. No. 13 Grand Canyon

No. 5 Memphis (+2.5) vs. No. 12 Colorado State

No. 1 Florida (-28.5) vs. No. 16 Norfolk State

No. 8 UConn (-3.5) vs. No. 9 Oklahoma

The favorites to win the big dance

Auburn Tigers

It’s been 14 years since a national champion lost its final two regular-season games and still made a run to the NCAA title (UConn, 2011). Auburn’s regular-season finish (4-3), including losses in their final two games — raised some eyebrows. Despite that, they got the overall number 1 seed ahead of Duke. Why? because of their impressive resume which includes 16 Quad 1 wins. NPOY contender Johni Broome, who’s averaging 18.6 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game, will be one to watch as he leads the Tigers in search of their first NCAA title.

“I’m looking forward, not back… I believe that this team has from start to finish done enough to be the No. 1 overall seed in this tournament. Our résumé is historically one of the strongest résumés in the history of college basketball with the number of Quad I wins we’ve had,” said a determined Bruce Pearl after the bracket was revealed. Auburn begins its March Madness journey at Rupp Arena, where they’ll face the winner of the St. Francis Red Flash vs. Alabama State Hornets in the First Four. If they advance, the Louisville Cardinals or Creighton Bluejays will be their next challenge.

Duke Blue Devils

Jon Scheyer has defied expectations, leading one of America’s youngest teams to March madness. It’s been 10 years since Coach K guided Duke to a championship, and now Cooper Flagg and company will be aiming for that glory. Flagg, the NPOY favorite, has been at the forefront of everything Duke has done this season. The Blue Devils have one of the best defenses in the country, ranked fourth in adjusted defensive efficiency on KenPom. Flagg also leads the team offensively, averaging 19 points. However, he missed the ACC tournament with an injury, and much will depend on his return. Duke is also without one of their top defenders, Maliq Brown.

Jon Scheyer, however, expects Cooper Flagg to be ready for the NCAA tournament. “From my perspective, it’s full steam ahead,” Scheyer told ESPN’s Rece Davis after the bracket reveal. “I want to get Coop back as quickly as we can, and he wants to do the same. … So our goal is for Friday, no question about it. I know that’s his goal as well.” Duke begin their March madness journey on Friday against the winner of the First Four game between American University and Mount St. Mary’s.

St. John’s Red Storm

Rick Pitino continues to work his magic, leading his sixth different school to the NCAA tournament. Pitino has turned a team led by 6-foot-7 forward RJ Luis Jr., who’s averaging 18.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game, into a national title contender. While the offense isn’t the strongest, shooting just 29.9% from three, the team boasts a top 3 defense in the country. Their profile mirrors Pitino’s Louisville teams from 2012 and 2013, the latter of which won a national championship under his leadership.

“You question sometimes the metrics. But like we did last year, we looked at what metrics we needed to be a high seed. We scheduled accordingly. And this year, we didn’t get bitter. We got better” said a proud Rick Pitino after guiding St. John’s back to the big dance. The Red Storm will travel to Providence to begin their March madness journey, where Pitino led the Friars to a surprise Final Four in 1987, for a first-round game against Omaha. His second game could be a massive showdown against Arkansas and John Calipari, making for an exciting clash between two legendary coaches.