The SEC getting a record 14 teams in the 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket has been a major discussion point around 2025 March Madness bracket picks, but now that the games will begin, how many will make a deep run? No conference has ever had four teams reach the Final Four, but the Big East had three make it in 1985. Would it be a wise 2025 March Madness bracket strategy to include four SEC teams to reach the Final Four in San Antonio? Other elite programs such as Duke, Houston, Michigan State and UConn could challenge the SEC’s historic run through the NCAA basketball bracket 2025.
St. John’s is coming off its first Big East title since 2000 as Rick Pitino leads his NCAA-record sixth school into the NCAA Tournament. Accordingly, the No. 2 seed Red Storm could be a difficult out in March Madness 2025. Before you make your 2025 NCAA Tournament predictions, see the March Madness bracket picks from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
Last year, SportsLine’s computer simulation nailed massive upsets, including huge wins by No. 11 Oregon over No. 6 South Carolina, No. 11 NC State over No. 6 Texas Tech, No. 10 Colorado over No. 7 Florida, and No. 12 James Madison over No. 5 Wisconsin last year. The model has beaten over 91 percent of all CBS Sports bracket players in four of the past six tournaments.
This model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, has nailed 24 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds since its inception in 2016 and nailed UConn’s championship run last year. It nailed 13 teams in the Sweet 16 and was all over Alabama’s Cinderella run to the Final Four as a 4-seed.
Now, SportsLine’s advanced computer model has simulated the entire 2025 March Madness bracket 10,000 times to come up with the perfect 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket and find out which teams will pull off the biggest upsets. You shouldn’t even think about making a pick without seeing what their model has to say.
Top 2025 March Madness bracket upset picks
One South Region surprise the model has identified: the First Four winner of North Carolina vs. San Diego State will knock off No. 6 Ole Miss in the first round. The Tar Heels were a surprise entry into the tournament field, but they could potentially be favored against Ole Miss in that first-round matchup. San Diego State flashed its potential early in the season when it beat Houston in November, forcing 12 turnovers while holding the Cougars to just 32% shooting from inside the arc.
The Aztecs have forced turnovers on 20% of their Mountain West opponents’ possessions this season, so they could pose a problem for Ole Miss as well. The Rebels are one of the smallest teams in the field, and they rank outside the top 80 nationally in scoring. Those scoring droughts could pop up again in a pressure-packed game against an opponent that has generated momentum with a First Four victory.
Another South Region surprise the model has identified: Creighton beats Louisville in the all-important 8-9 matchup. Louisville led Duke by five points at halftime in the ACC Championship Game before being outscored 40-24 in the second half to a Blue Devils team without Cooper Flagg. The Cardinals entered conference championship week ranked No. 13 in the polls, but the selection committee cared more about Louisville’s 2-5 record against ranked teams to have them in an 8 vs. 9 matchup.
Creighton is led by fifth-year senior center Ryan Kalkbrenner, who could have the most NCAA Tournament experience of any player in the NCAA bracket with the Bluejays playing in their fifth straight March Madness. Kalkbrenner, at 7-foot-1, averaged 18.7 points and 9.7 rebounds in Creighton’s Sweet 16 run last year. See which other 2025 March Madness matchups to target here.
How to make 2025 NCAA Tournament 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 region features two mammoth upsets in the first round, including one by a team that’s only ever won a single tournament game, and see which 6-seed makes the Sweet 16, all from the model that’s nailed 24 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds.
