Date & Time: Monday, April 7 2025
Venue: Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas
Where to watch: Live App, Max & Paramount+
Our Prediction: Auburn 78, Duke 74
Odds: Auburn +325, Duke +350, Florida +700, Houston +800, Alabama +1400 and Tennessee +1500
The 2025 Division I Men's Basketball Championship will tip-off on March 18 with the First Four at the University of Dayton. The two-day tournament opener will feature four first-round games at the University of Dayton Arena.
Auburn and Duke are massive favorites to reach the final game on April 5. However, the Houston, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, and Michigan teams are also legitimate national title contenders.
The College Basketball Championship Game in San Antonio, Texas, will take place on April 7. A pair of top-seeded squads, Connecticut and Purdue, reached the title game last year with the Huskies rolling to a lopsided 75-60 victory.
First four: March 18-19
First round: March 20-21
Second round: March 22-23
Round of 16: March 27-28
Round of 8: March 29-30
National Semifinals: April 5
Championship game: April 7
Auburn (+325) has the best odds to win this year's tournament championship, according to BetMGM. Duke is a close second with odds of +350, followed by Florida (+700), Houston (+800), Alabama (+1400), and Tennessee (+1500).
Bruce Pearl's squad put together a dominant season, capturing their conference's regular-season title. Although they suffered losses to Texas A&M and Alabama late in the season, their 16-4 record in Quad 1 games makes them a strong championship contender. Auburn is led by forward Johni Broome, who leads the team in scoring (18.6), rebounds (10.6), assists (3.3), and blocks (2.4).
Other key contributors include Chad Baker-Mazara (12.9 ppg), Miles Kelly (11.6 ppg), Tahaad Pettiford (11.6 ppg), Denver Jones (10.7 ppg), Chaney Johnson (9.7 ppg), and Dylan Cardwell (5.2 ppg). Auburn faced Duke earlier in the season and lost, but victories against Houston, Alabama, Tennessee, Iowa State, Kentucky, and Purdue bolster their championship resume.
Duke features two standout freshmen, Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel, leading a squad that dominated their conference this season. Flagg, a projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, is the team’s top performer, averaging 19.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game.
Other key players include Tyrese Proctor (12.0 ppg, 40% 3PT shooting), Sion James (8.5 ppg), and freshmen Khaman Maluach (8.0 ppg) and Isaiah Evans (7.7 ppg). Duke’s only losses came against Kentucky, Kansas, and Clemson by a combined 14 points. Their strong performances against Auburn, Arizona, Louisville, and Illinois make them a solid bet for a deep tournament run.
The experienced Houston squad won 19 of 20 conference matchups and became the first major conference team to go 10-0 on the road in conference play. Leading scorer L.J. Cryer (15.3 ppg, 43.1% 3PT shooting) is joined by teammates Emanuel Sharp (11.8 ppg) and J’Wan Roberts (11.1 ppg) to form a potent offensive trio.
Additional contributors include Milos Uzan (10.9 ppg, 40.9% 3PT shooting), Terrance Arceneaux (7.4 ppg), Mylik Wilson (6.0 ppg), and Joseph Tugler (5.6 ppg). With marquee wins over Arizona, Texas Tech, Kansas, BYU, and Iowa State, Houston looks to build on past deep tournament runs.
Florida's senior-led backcourt gives them an edge in the tournament. Walter Clayton Jr. leads the team with 17.2 points and 4.3 assists per game. Fellow seniors Alijah Martin (14.5 ppg) and Will Richard (13.3 ppg) add scoring depth, while 6-foot-11 sophomore Alex Condon anchors the frontcourt with 11.4 points and 8 rebounds per game.
Florida secured key wins against Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and Mississippi State. Their experienced core gives them a strong chance of advancing deep into the tournament.
All seven of the Crimson Tide's losses came against Quad 1 opponents, and Alabama has garnered marquee wins over Houston, Auburn, Texas A&M, Kentucky (twice), Illinois, Creighton, and Mississippi State. Coach Nate Oats' squad reached the Final Four a year ago and could do it again this year.
Rick Barnes has another dangerous squad that racked up victories over Alabama, Florida, Texas A&M, Illinois, Louisville, and Missouri. SEC Defensive Player of the Year
Zakai Zeigler and SEC Newcomer of the Year Chaz Lanier will play a pivotal role for a program that reached the round of 8 a year ago.
Michigan have quietly enjoyed another banner season under Tom Izzo with marquee wins against Purdue, Maryland, Illinois (twice), Wisconsin, Oregon, and Michigan (twice). Michigan State has not advanced to the semifinals since 2019, but all signs point to a deep tournament run.
Rick Pitino is back and led the John’s to its first Big East title since 1985. St. John's won 16 of their last 17 regular season games, with the lone setback coming in a two-point road loss to Villanova. Defense wins championships and Pitino has this team playing the best "D" in the country.
As the 2025 tournament approaches, fans and analysts alike are eager to see how the top teams will perform under pressure. With strong contenders like Auburn, Duke, and Houston in the mix, the path to the championship is anything but certain. Whether you're simply following the action for the thrill of the game, or betting on March Matchups at the best college basketball sportsbooks, this year's tournament is set to deliver plenty of competitive matchups and memorable moments.
