2025 March Madness Bracket Pool Advice: Final Four & Championship Predictions

The Madness is almost here! The 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket has been revealed, and it’s time to put together picks for your pool. We have you covered as some of our college basketball writers share their top picks and predictions for 2025 March Madness. Here are our predictions to help you put together your bracket. Here are our top picks to make the Final Four from each region of the bracket along with our top NCAA Tournament Championship matchups and winners.

2025 NCAA Tournament March Madness Bracket Strategy & Betting Picks

2025 March Madness Bracket Pool Advice

Final Four Picks from South Region

Here are our favorite teams to make the Final Four from the South Region of the 2025 March Madness bracket.

2025 March Madness Bracket Pool Advice: Final Four & Championship Predictions | FantasyPros
Name	Final Four Pick from South Region
Dan Servodidio	Michigan State
Mike Zelizo	Auburn
Ryan Rodeman	Auburn
Joe Williams	Michigan State

Michigan State

It’s remarkable to see in this day and age a successful team that only gets 23 percent of its points (356th-lowest) from deep. Michigan State doesn’t have the most efficient offense, ranking 29th offensively in KenPom and outside the top 40 in their final month of play on Bart Torvik. But the Spartans still found ways to win, and that’s all that matters.

Michigan State does have impressive shot volume, transition play, and defense. Let’s start with shot volume. While the Spartans may not take many threes, Michigan State can get to the rim, ranking 13th in near-proximity shooting percentage. Their top-50 free throw rate and offensive rebounding percentage help their numbers when they aren’t efficient with shooting, and they are relatively solid at ball control. Over 20% of their points come in transition, which is one of the highest rates in the nation, so an opponent that slows it down and forces MSU to play in the halfcourt might lead to problems for Sparty.

Defensively, Michigan State can be menacing, allowing minimal second-chance looks, limiting opponents to 28% from deep, and ranking as the third-best defense in the nation over the last month. MSU’s team profile comps also bode well, as eight of the nine most similar teams reached at least the Sweet 16, with two of them making the finals — one of those teams being the 2009 Michigan State squad. It’s also important to note that Tom Izzo’s squad is up to 36% shooting from deep over their final nine games — a much more respectable number than 30.8%.

This is a tough team to handicap. Michigan State might have one of the largest ranges of outcomes among any tournament team. Their nonconference play wasn’t the most impressive, but the Spartans finished the year strong and have one of the best coaches in the tournament. Izzo in March holds a lot of weight, but without any perimeter shooting, it’s unclear what this team’s ceiling can be.

Final Four Picks from West Region

Here are our favorite teams to make the Final Four from the West Region of the 2025 March Madness bracket.

Name	Final Four Pick from West Region
Dan Servodidio	Florida
Mike Zelizo	Florida
Ryan Rodeman	Maryland
Joe Williams	St. John’s

Florida

The Florida Gators have emerged as one of college basketball’s biggest surprises and are now regarded as one of the title favorites. Ranked No. 21 in the AP preseason poll, Coach Todd Golden’s squad has shattered expectations to become an SEC powerhouse poised for a deep tournament run.

Florida’s success stems from its elite shooting efficiency and pure shot volume. The Gators boast a top-five offense via KenPom’s efficiency metrics and a top-10 defense, making them one of the most complete teams in the country.

Walter Clayton Jr.’s senior year provided the perfect foundation, giving Florida one of college basketball’s most skilled scorers at point guard. If Johni Broome didn’t exist, Clayton would have been the front-runner for SEC Player of the Year, but he’ll just have to settle for first-team honors. Clayton was part of a devastating perimeter trio along with Alijah Martin and Will Richard, creating what might be the nation’s most dangerous backcourt. Meanwhile, Alex Condon has emerged as a defensive force inside, helping Florida rank in the top five in defensive effective field goal percentage, top 10 from the perimeter, and top five in near-proximity. I haven’t even gotten to Thomas Haugh, whose impressive sophomore leap has positioned him as a top-10 DI player per EvanMiya’s Bayesian Performance Rating.

No matter where an opponent shoots against Florida, it will be a contested look. Golden’s system emphasizes attacking the paint, pushing transition, and optimizing shot selection — a formula that’s translated to relentless efficiency. And that’s what stands out. With their ability to take care of the ball and get ample second-chance looks, the Gators’ floor might be the highest in the country from the pure number of shot attempts they’ll get each game. Even when Georgia shot 55% from deep against Florida, the Gators still led on the road with a minute left — and that was one of their worst games of the year.

Forcing Florida to beat you from the perimeter can be a path to an upset. All four of the Gators’ losses came with a 46%-plus three-point attempt rate. Richard can get hot, but none of Florida’s core players are shooting abore 37% from deep. That, combined with limiting Florida on the offensive glass, is the way you take down this juggernaut. But with their elite interior shooting efficiency, tenacious defense, and blend of veteran leadership and emerging talent, Florida has positioned itself as a legitimate contender poised for a deep March Madness run.

Final Four Picks from East Region

Here are our favorite teams to make the Final Four from the East Region of the 2025 March Madness bracket.

Name	Final Four Pick from East Region
Dan Servodidio	Duke
Mike Zelizo	Duke
Ryan Rodeman	Alabama
Joe Williams	Alabama

Duke

Any Duke preview obviously starts with the elephant in the room: Cooper Flagg’s injury. Head coach Jon Scheyer and Co. informed the selection committee that Flagg will be healthy for the NCAA Tournament, but of course they would. Flagg is the third-most indispensable player in hoops, per EvanMiya, and it would be ill-advised for him to risk his future NBA status to play in a first-round game.

Without Flagg, though, Duke didn’t seem to miss a beat. They held a 52-28 second-half lead against North Carolina before a near collapse, but the Blue Devils found a way to win and beat Louisville in the championship game of the ACC Tournament. Duke has shown it can handle adversity by ways of Kon Knueppel, Tyrese Proctor, and the rest of the roster, which ranks as the strongest in the nation, also per EvanMiya.

The Blue Devils’ defense forces team deeper into the shot clock more than any team in DI. Duke makes it hard for opponents to score inside the arc, with the third-lowest opponent 2pt% shooting. They won’t give up free points, with few fouls and a solid rebounding unit with the tallest average height in America. That’s in large part because of Khaman Maluach and his 7-2 frame. The freshman plays 52 percent of minutes but is one of the most efficient hoopers in basketball with the third-best offensive rating.

The Blue Devils have the 24th-highest field goal attempt rate with their second-chance looks and ball control, and they shoot with the fifth-best effective field goal percentage in basketball. Even away from home, they stayed consistent with shooting, and their offense didn’t falter.

Of course, if Flagg is limited at all, that is a huge detriment to this team. But all things point to Flagg at least being full-go by the Round of 32, which would be when they really need him. This is by far Scheyer’s best squad, and despite losses to Kansas and Kentucky early this season, they dominated the rest of the way, including a win over another title favorite, Auburn.

A concern for Duke could be the lack of competition the Blue Devils faced in the ACC. But that shouldn’t matter for a team with a combination of talent, experience, and the ability to handle the absence of its best player. That’s a recipe that screams Final Four, if not better.

Final Four Picks from Midwest Region

Here are our favorite teams to make the Final Four from the Midwest Region of the 2025 March Madness bracket.

Name	Final Four Pick from Midwest Region
Dan Servodidio	Houston
Mike Zelizo	Tennessee
Ryan Rodeman	Houston
Joe Williams	Clemson

Houston

Kelvin Sampson has somehow gotten the reputation of not showing up in the NCAA Tournament, but people seem quick to forget Houston’s Final Four run in 2021 and Elite 8 appearance in 2022. Houston took a while to find its footing this season, but since Dec. 1, the Cougars have gone 26-1, with their one loss coming in overtime, as they ran through the Big 12.

Houston is known for its defense, but let’s start with the offense. L.J. Cryer, Milos Uzan, and Emmanuel Sharp have given Houston one of their better shooting teams in recent memory, with nearly a 40% perimeter shooting clip. If you’re on team shot volume, Houston leads that charge with the highest field goal rate in the nation, courtesy of their ball control and offensive rebounding rates, both in the top 30 in the country. Let me emphasize that: No team puts up more shots per 100 possessions than the Cougars. For a sport with such offensive volatility, shot quantity is remarkably important in March.

Of course, the Houston defense is pretty good too. They allow very little inside, with the third-best near-proximity defensive shooting percentage and second-best midrange defense. The Cougars allow a good number of threes, but considering that’s the only thing they really allow, it’s not too concerning.

If we’re looking for weaknesses, the ShotQuality folks will pipe up, as Houston attempts more midrange shots than anyone else in the nation. The Cougars are susceptible to opponents getting hot from the perimeter, and despite an undefeated true road record, their early-season neutral-court losses are perhaps concerning for games against non-conference opponents.

There is nothing that can beat effort, and you can make a case that Houston is the highest-effort squad in America. The Cougars were down six with 20 seconds to go against Kansas but eventually won in double overtime with some late clutch moments. This is a team that will never be out of any game they are in, and Houston might have the highest floor of any team in the tournament. The Cougars’ ceiling is yet to be found, but this might be the season they get there, despite all the focus on Auburn and Duke this year.

National Championship Picks

Here are our favorite teams to make the 2025 NCAA Tournament National Championship Game, along with our pick to take home the title.

Name	National Champion Pick
Dan Servodidio	Duke over Michigan State
Mike Zelizo	Florida over Duke
Ryan Rodeman	Auburn over Houston
Joe Williams	Michigan State over Alabama