Let the fun begin! The NCAA tournament brings the madness of bracketology, upsets, high- and low-stakes pools and mascot mayhem.
To help you own your bracket pool, we’re compiling expert analysis, upset picks, predictions, odds (games and props), matchup previews, guides for filling out your bracket and lighthearted features into one centralized location. Consider this your March Madness cheat sheet for all tournament-related endeavors.
While many college basketball fans might immediately think of names like Cooper Flagg and Johni Broome (rightfully so), the women’s championship between Iowa (think Caitlin Clark) and South Carolina (Kamilla Cardoso) in 2024 drew more viewers than the men’s for the first time, averaging 18.7 million viewers and peaking at 24 million, compared to 14.82 million viewers on average for the UConn-Purdue matchup. So, along with Flagg and Broome on the men’s side, there’s Paige Bueckers, JuJu Watkins and Hannah Hidalgo on the women’s.
Whether you choose to create a bracket or bet on the men’s or women’s side (or both), The Athletic has you covered. Be sure to check back often, as we will add new content as it becomes available.
From underdogs to sure things, roll the dice or play it safe, but always keep the odds in mind. Good luck!
Men’s NCAA Tournament winner odds
Women’s NCAA Tournament winner odds
Team scouting and predictions
Our insiders take a close look at all NCAA Tournament teams, their best and worst qualities and how they will fare in the tournament.
Men’s
2025 NCAA Tournament bracket picks: Why CJ Moore has Florida topping Duke for national title
Can High Point really beat Purdue? CJ Moore thinks so and shows his work while filling out a bracket that gives Florida the trophy.
The most likely teams to win the 2025 men’s NCAA tournament
There are four teams that resemble past tournament champions in vital statistical fields, but there is one team that distinguishes itself from the rest.
Women’s
Women’s March Madness bracket prep: Strengths, weaknesses for all 68 teams, outlooks and more
Michael Waterloo offers a comprehensive guide to all 68 tournament teams, assessing their potential for a deep run.
Odds breakdown
Our experts break down the odds and read between the (money)lines.
Men’s
March Madness 2025 national title odds: Florida, Duke early betting favorites to win it all
Not Duke, not Auburn, but Florida is the post-Selection Sunday national championship favorite.
Women’s
Women’s March Madness projections 2025: Full NCAA Tournament bracket odds
Austin Mock’s projections are based on 200,000 simulations of the 68-team bracket and can help you own your bracket pool this year.
Women’s March Madness 2025 national title odds: South Carolina, UConn early betting favorites
After the bracket was unveiled, South Carolina and Connecticut opened as the favorites, but there’s a group of teams close behind that the odds say also have a good chance at the title.
Upset picks
The Athletic’s Bracket Breakers team provides analysis and predictions using the statistical model, Slingshot (to predict upsets), developed with the help of the Furman University Mathematics Department.
March Madness 2025 upset picks: The 10 teams most likely to pull off first-round shockers
With the bracket finalized, Brenner and Keating use Slingshot to determine the underdogs most likely to crush the dreams of higher-ranked squads.
How to spot 2025 March Madness upsets before they bust your bracket
Jordan Brenner and Peter Keating use Slingshot to find traits in underdogs that lead to upsets in men’s college basketball. They’re high on Drake this year.
The top 2025 March Madness Cinderella candidates to bust NCAA Tournament brackets
This is a throwback look (March 6) at the teams Slingshot denoted as upset candidates well before the bracket took its final form.
Analysis
Our analysts take a deeper look at the storylines and the tournaments at large.
Men’s
West Virginia, Indiana, Ohio State, Boise State first 4 teams left out of men’s NCAA Tournament
Tess DeMeyer details how four teams that were expected to make the tournament were left out and where their seasons went wrong.
How UNC nabbed the final spot in the NCAA Tournament
With a 1-12 record against Quad 1 teams, the Tar Heels earned a bid to the tournament, and now they’ll have to prove they deserve it.
Women’s
UCLA’s path to the Final Four: Will LSU or Baylor contain Lauren Betts? Not likely
On the women’s side, UCLA landed a No. 1 seed for the first time in program history. Will it also be the first time the Bruins make the Final Four — or even win the whole darn thing?
South Carolina’s path to the Final Four: Could Duke’s momentum upturn the Gamecocks?
South Carolina fans are all about women’s basketball, but can they cheer their team to the Final Four with Duke in the way?
UConn’s path to the Final Four: Will it include a Paige Bueckers vs. JuJu Watkins showdown?
Women’s basketball fans might love a Bueckers-Watkins clash, but will it happen?
USC’s path to the Final Four: Before a UConn rematch, Kansas State’s 6-foot-6 center looms
For the second season in a row, USC and UConn are the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in the same region, but USC will face some roadblocks before a rematch happens.
Printable brackets
The Athletic’s downloadable brackets are for nostalgia seekers who love pen and paper and have no need for modern-day automation.
Print your March Madness bracket for the women’s NCAA Tournament
Who are you taking all the way? Will a No. 1 seed win? Or will Paige Bueckers and UConn or Hannah Hidalgo and Notre Dame get the bragging rights (and trophy)?
The whimsy
For out-of-the-box March Madness fun, from punny bracket names and mascot battles to quirky ideas for picking games, we have you covered.
(Illustration: Kelsea Petersen / The Athletic; Photos via Steph Chambers, Jared C. Tilton, Joe Buglewicz, Todd Kirkland / Getty Images)
