March Madness Brackets: Expert Predictions for the 2025 Men’s NCAA Tournament

Sports Illustrated writers make their round-by-round picks and which teams will advance to the Final Four in San Antonio.

Florida head coach Todd Golden celebrates their win over Tennessee after the SEC tournament championship. / Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

March Madness is officially here. The SEC put a record 14 teams into the 2025 NCAA men’s tournament led by the No. 1 overall seed Auburn Tigers. The Florida Gators also earned a top seed with the Houston Cougars and Duke Blue Devils.

Now that the field of 68 is set, Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde, Kevin Sweeney and Bryan Fischer make their picks for each round of the tourney, all the way to the Final Four in San Antonio.

Below are our brackets.

Pat Forde

Click on the bracket for a full-sized version of Pat Forde’s picks. / Sports Illustrated

Forde’s Final Four: Michigan State Spartans, Florida Gators, Duke Blue Devils and Houston Cougars

Forde’s 2025 champion: Florida Gators

Kevin Sweeney

Click on the bracket for a full-sized version of Kevin Sweeney’s picks. / Sports Illustrated

Sweeney’s Final Four: Michigan State Spartans, Florida Gators, Duke Blue Devils and Tennessee Volunteers

Sweeney’s 2025 champion: Duke Blue Devils

Bryan Fischer

Click on the bracket for a full-sized version of Bryan Fischer’s picks. / Sports Illustrated

Fischer’s Final Four: Auburn Tigers, Florida Gators, Duke Blue Devils and Houston Cougars

Fischer’s 2025 champion: Florida Gators

NCAA Tournament Regional Breakdowns

South: Top Overall Seed Auburn Gets Location Advantage
East: All Eyes on Duke’s Cooper Flagg
Midwest: Tennessee’s Path to Final Four Is Manageable After SEC Run
West: Top-Seed Florida Likely Pick to Win NCAA Tournament
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