The No. 4 seed Michigan Wolverines (25-9) might have lost their last three regular season games, but that didn't stop them from winning the Big 10 Tournament. After defeating a ranked Purdue squad by 18, the Wolverines upset Maryland and Wisconsin to capture the league's tournament title. Michigan takes on Big West champion, No. 13 seed UC San Diego, which is making its first NCAA Tournament appearance, on Thursday in the 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket.
With the Wolverines only listed as 2.5-point favorites in their NCAA Tournament bracket 2025 game, they could be a trendy upset pick for those filling out 2025 March Madness bracket picks. Can the Wolverines continue their success from this past week? Before filling out your NCAA Tournament bracket 2025, be sure to see the 2025 March Madness bracket picks from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
SportsLine's 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% 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 no reason to rely on luck when there's proven technology to help you dominate your 2025 March Madness picks. Now, with the 2025 NCAA bracket revealed, the model is simulating the matchups and its results are in. You can only see it over at SportsLine.
Top 2025 March Madness bracket picks
One of the Midwest Region picks from the model: No. 2 seed Tennessee, despite losing to Kentucky twice this season, beats Kentucky in the Sweet 16. Two of Tennessee's seven losses this season came against Kentucky, but the Vols enter the Big Dance with the top-ranked defense in the country, per KenPom. They held 12 regular-season opponents under 60 points, and they have an elite floor general in point guard Zakai Zeigler.
Transfers Chaz Lanier, Igor Milicic Jr. and Felix Okpara have all found their roles under veteran head coach Rick Barnes, who is seeking his first Final Four appearance with the Vols. Kentucky's season has been marred by injuries, including a season-ending wrist injury for star guard Jaxson Robinson. Wildcats head coach Mark Pope has never won an NCAA Tournament game, so this would be a perfect opportunity for Tennessee to avenge its regular-season losses.
Another surprise: No. 5 Clemson takes down No. 4 Purdue in the second round of the Midwest. At 27-6, the Tigers entered the season off an Elite Eight appearance in the 2024 Big Dance and played up to expectations for coach Brad Brownell. With an 18-2 record in conference, they tied Louisville behind 19-1 Duke in the ACC.
At No. 22 in the NET Rankings, the Tigers look to knock off Southland Conference champion McNeese State before potentially taking on last year's national runners up, Purdue. The Boilermakers limped down the stretch, losing six of their last nine games after a 19-5 start. Against No. 13 High Point in the first round, the Boilermakers should advance to the second round in Providence before facing a determined Clemson team looking to advance once again to the Sweet Sixteen. You can see the model's 2025 NCAA bracket picks here.
How to make 2025 NCAA 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 three must-have upsets, including a play-in team that absolutely stuns its first-round opponent, all from the model that's beaten 91% of bracket players in four of the last six tournaments.