The Ivy League is becoming known for more than just academics. In fact, the Ivy League has had a winning team in the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back years. With Yale playing in its second straight March Madness, can the Bulldogs pull off another first-round upset in the 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket? Yale defeated Auburn last year as a No. 13 seed and this time will face Texas A&M in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament 2025. Elsewhere in the 2025 March Madness bracket, Grand Canyon will make its third straight NCAA Tournament after winning the WAC Tournament and will be a No. 13 seed against Maryland. Grand Canyon knocked off No. 5 Saint Mary’s last year, and the Antelopes will look to bust more 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket picks. Before making any 2025 March Madness bracket predictions, be sure to check out the 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket picks from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
Their proven projection model has simulated every game in the tournament 10,000 times. It has absolutely crushed its March Madness picks recently, beating over 91 percent of all CBS Sports brackets in four of the past six tournaments. It was all over UConn’s championship run a year ago and nailed 13 teams in the Sweet 16. It also nailed Alabama’s Cinderella run to the Final Four as a 4-seed.
It knows how to spot an upset as well. The same model has produced brackets that have nailed 24 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds since its inception in 2016. There’s simply no reason to rely on luck when there’s proven technology to help you dominate your 2025 March Madness pools.
Now, with the 2025 NCAA bracket being revealed, the model is simulating the matchups and its results are in. You can only see it over at SportsLine.
2025 March Madness bracket games to watch
One of the 2025 March Madness matchups to keep an eye on: No. 8 seed Mississippi State vs. No. 9 seed Baylor in the East Region. The Aggies limp into the tournament having lost five of their last seven games, including by 12 points to Missouri in the SEC Tournament. Guard Josh Hubbard leads the team in scoring with 18.7 points per game, though only forward KeShawn Murphy also averages double-digits (11.8 points per game) on this balanced squad. Baylor is led by talented freshman guard VJ Edgecombe (15.0 points per game) and former Miami forward Norchad Omier (15.9). Both teams have been inconsistent this season and picking a winner more confidently is worthy of more due-diligence.
Also in the East Region, BYU vs. VCU figures to be a pivotal 6 vs. 11 matchup. VCU enters 28-6 and would become the first team in program history to win 29 games with an upset victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Rams are led by a pair of fifth-year senior guards Max Shulga and Joe Bamisile and both are averaging 15.1 points per game this season. Meanwhile, BYU earned an at-large bid after losing to Houston, 74-54, in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals. The Cougars are 23rd in the country in scoring (81 ppg) and rank 21st in shooting percentage (48.2%) this year. BYU knocked off Iowa State, a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, during the Big 12 Tournament and won nine straight games before losing to Houston, a No. 1 seed.
The third matchup to watch in the East Region features No. 3 seed Wisconsin vs. No. 14 seed Montana. The Badgers came up a little bit short in the 2025 Big Ten Tournament, losing to Michigan in the championship game. However, John Tonje looked like one of the best players in the country in leading Wisconsin to the title game and his backcourt mate John Blackwell is also a high-level scorer. Meanwhile, Montana will make its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019 and is one of the most efficient offensive teams in the country. The Grizzlies rank second in the nation in field-goal percentage (50.2%) and have four players averaging double-figures in scoring entering March Madness. You can see how far all these teams go over at SportsLine.
How to make 2025 NCAA bracket predictions
How far will those major programs go? And which Cinderella 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 is calling this year before locking in any 2025 NCAA bracket picks.
So what’s the optimal NCAA Tournament bracket 2025? And which 2025 March Madness underdogs will shock college basketball? Visit SportsLine now to see which teams you can back with confidence, all from the model that’s nailed 24 upsets by double-digit seeds since its inception and beat over 91% of players in four of the last six tournaments.
