The Big South champion High Point Panthers (29.5) will try to produce a first round upset as a No. 13 seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. High Point is led by guards Kezza Giffa and D’Maurian Williams, who average more than 28 total points per game. However, the key might be their bench scoring, which totaled 50 of the team’s 81 points in the conference championship game win over Winthrop. The Panthers’ first round opponent in the 2025 NCAA bracket is a struggling Purdue team (22-11) that achieved a No. 4 seed despite losing six of their last nine games. Meanwhile, High Point has won 14 straight games and could be one of the trendy 2025 March Madness upset picks in bracket pools. 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 have lost five of their last seven games and finished only 8-10 in regular season SEC play. They are led by guard Josh Hubbard, who averaged 18.7 points per game this season. Meanwhile, the Bears boast a super freshman talent in guard VJ Edgecombe, who averaged 15.0 points per game this season and is projected to go towards the top of the 2025 NBA Draft in June. This matchup, which seems likely to be close, tips off on Friday at 12:15 p.m. ET.
Also in the East Region, BYU vs. VCU figures to be a pivotal 6 vs. 11 matchup. BYU makes no secret about how it wants to play. They want to shoot from far away, and do so often. The Cougars shot the 16th-most 3-pointers in college basketball and made the seventh-most, averaging 10.7 triples per contest. BYU had the 33rd best 3-point percentage (37.1%), despite shooting so often from deep that they aren’t always open looks. But VCU is one of the best at defending the 3-point shot. The Rams rank 22nd in 3-point percentage against (30.6%), which helped them have the No. 6 overall scoring defense in the nation, allowing 62.5 ppg. This matchup of strength vs. strength makes for an intriguing 6 vs. 11 matchup with No. 6 seeds having a .609 win percentage in the opening round, which is the second-lowest of the eight higher seeds.
The third matchup to watch in the East Region features No. 3 seed Wisconsin vs. No. 14 seed Montana. The Badgers are coming off a loss to Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament title game on Sunday, which likely cost them a chance to play in Milwaukee rather than Denver. They are led by John Tonje, who averages 19.2 points per game and is a Player of the Year candidate. He is facing a Montana team that is making its 14th trip to the NCAA Tournament and is eyeing its first win since 2006. The Grizzlies came up short against the Badgers by a final score of 73-49 in a 13-4 matchup in 2012. 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.