After which there have been 4!
The 2025 men’s NCAA Tournament has lacked the upsets and drama that we’ve turn into accustomed to seeing in March. Nonetheless, we’re left with 4 excellent groups and hopefully three excellent video games to complete the season.
For the primary time since 2008 — and for simply the second time ever — the Closing 4 consists of all No. 1 seeds. Florida overcame a 9-point deficit within the ultimate minutes to defeat Texas Tech within the Elite Eight. Duke, Auburn and Houston all cruised to snug wins within the final spherical to search out themselves in San Antonio, with an opportunity to chop down the nets on Monday night time.
This Match is often beloved by followers for buzzer-beaters and Cinderella tales. However that component appears to have been compromised by the brand new period of school sports activities. Now, with NIL and the switch portal, larger faculties have extra potential to select off the most effective gamers from smaller faculties.
The 2025 model of March Insanity has been predictable and video games have usually been lopsided. Let’s see if it may be salvaged with an important Closing 4, whereas we attempt to make some cash within the ultimate few video games of the faculty basketball season.
No. 1 Florida (-2.5) vs. No. 1 Auburn
I like Florida right here. And it’s merely due to the uncertainty surrounding Auburn celebrity Johni Broome. He left final Sunday’s recreation in opposition to Michigan State with an elbow harm. Broome did return, however does that imply he’s one hundred pc wholesome or was he fueled by adrenaline when he got here again?
Additionally, if Broome is compromised, Florida would possibly make it some extent of emphasis to be ultra-physical with him to see if it may put on him down. These groups met on Feb. 8 in Auburn with a wholesome Broome. The outcome was a decisive 90-81 highway win for the Gators that put Florida on the map as a nationwide contender.
Florida, although, in lots of respects, is lucky to nonetheless be taking part in. The Gators might have misplaced to UConn, which led by six within the second half within the Spherical of 32 recreation. When the Gators performed Texas Tech, the Purple Raiders led by 9 with just some minutes remaining. Each of these shut calls, nonetheless, got here after solely at some point of prep.
Florida’s most spectacular efficiency on this Match? That got here in opposition to Maryland within the Candy 16, when it had a protracted break between video games, because it has had earlier than this matchup in opposition to Auburn.
And for a bonus decide, you would possibly take into account wagering on Broome Underneath 31.5 mixed factors, rebounds and assists.
PICK: Florida (-2.5) to win by greater than 2.5 factors
Will Duke, Houston, Florida or Auburn win the Nationwide Championship?
No. 1 Duke (-5) vs. No. 1 Houston
A rematch of a Candy 16 recreation from final 12 months when Duke despatched 1-seed Houston packing with a 54-51 upset. In that recreation, Houston star Jamaal Shead obtained harm and was not in a position to return.
I’m undecided how a lot of final 12 months’s matchup carries over to this one, as Houston was coping with accidents, and Duke has nearly a completely new (and higher) staff from final 12 months. The one factor that I’ll take away from final 12 months that would repeat itself is the ugly, low-scoring nature of that recreation. And it lacked tempo.
In the end, I’m going to select Duke to win and canopy once more. The Blue Devils have been a staff that’s merely exhausting to guess in opposition to contemplating how dominant it has been up thus far. Duke has a median margin of victory of practically 24 factors per recreation on this Match, and whereas Houston can be its stiffest competitors by far, I’ve little interest in stepping in entrance of this Duke juggernaut.
Duke quieted a red-hot Alabama offense within the Elite Eight and held the Tide to simply 8-for-32 from behind the arc and solely 65 factors in a lopsided 85-65 contest. The Blue Devils have the athleticism on protection to disrupt Houston, whereas having the explosiveness on offense to ultimately draw back.
Duke jogs my memory an excessive amount of of the final couple UConn title groups in its dominant nature for me look to guess the opposite approach.
PICK: Duke (-5) to win by greater than 5 factors
Will Hill, a contributor on the Bears Bets Podcast, has been betting on sports activities for over a decade. He’s a betting analyst who has been a number on VSiN, in addition to the Goldboys Community.
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