Live March Madness Odds: Instant Reactions to Selection Sunday Bracket
Get real-time betting odds, expert analysis, and matchup breakdowns from our Covers crew during today's Selection Sunday broadcast.
Key Events (5)
Live Updates (22)
Big Ten Not Such a Big Deal
Feels like the Big Ten tournament meant nothing in the eyes of the Selection Committee. Michigan gets a No. 5 seed despite winning it, which was the same as Oregon. I guess Wisconsin could have earned a No. 2 if it didn't lose in the final. But it really seems like nothing changed for the Big Ten seeding over the course of this week.
Keep an Eye on Maryland vs. Grand Canyon Spread
No. 4 Maryland vs. No. 13 Grand Canyon is going to be close one – or at least closer than you think. GCU held its own in last year’s big dance and have more scoring depth this time around to match up with the Terps’ stars. Tyon Grant-Foster and JaKobe Coles can fill it up. Anxious to see the spread.
Boise State Gets Snubbed
Boise State getting left out is the biggest injustice this year. North Carolina is the beneficiary. The easiest and best way to react to that is, there is one of those every year. It's inevitable. It's life. It's done now.
Sooners Than Later
Glad to see Oklahoma in. A bounty of SEC losses can be outweighed by impressive nonconference wins, and unlike college football, college basketball can genuinely anticipate non-conference challenges.
I'm circling Drake over Missouri as a moneyline upset. The Bulldogs are experienced and the MVC is as good as any non-SEC/Big Ten league in the country.
Top Seeds Are Set
The Top seeds of the 2025 NCAA Tournament are now set with Auburn, Duke, Houston, and Florida claiming the No. 1 seeds in their respective regions. No real surprises here as all four programs are atop the AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll.
Circle Your Calendar for Arizona vs. Akron
No. 4 Arizona vs. No. 13 Akron is going to be a fun one.
The Wildcats run the 54th fastest tempo and scored 14th most fastbreak points. The Zips live up to their name with 16th-ranked pace and score 29th most fastbreak points. This total will likely climb the second it hits the board.
Buying What BYU is Selling
I'll take BYU against anybody not named Houston right now, and that very much includes VCU. Further thought: The Rams' best win is against Colorado State. This really could set up to send Baylor to the Elite Eight.
BYU-Alabama will be played in the 90s. And I don't mean 1990s. I mean, 94-93.
Michigan's March Madness Run Could Be Short
Michigan could be ripe for a letdown after an upset run to the Big Ten title and now face a dangerous UC San Diego team that is a classic "Three and D" mid-major. Wolverines better not be "fat and happy"
Michigan isn't a great 3-point shooting team and could have a tough time keeping pace if UC San Diego gets off to a hot start.
Yale Matches Up Well Against Texas A&M
Marquette vs. New Mexico might be the best game of Friday. Or maybe I am simply high on the Mountain West.
Texas A&M is an IDEAL draw for Yale. The Bulldogs' weakness is opponents' shooting from deep. A&M ranks No. 317 in the country in 3-point shooting percentage.
Tritons Are An Appealing Underdog
Michigan deserved better for winning the Big Ten than facing UC San Diego in the first round. The Tritons will be a TRENDY underdog pick, and not just because they are a classic 12 seed.
North Carolina has no business in the tournament. Take San Diego State on Wednesday.
Bubble Watch: Boise State
Underestimate the Mountain West at your own peril. Its top five was condensed in overall quality, and any of New Mexico, Colorado State, Utah State and San Diego State could make a run to the Sweet Sixteen. So when you see the Boise State Broncos finished fifth in the Mountain West, do not scoff at them. If not for a Colorado State-sized weak spot, Boise State would be 24-7 this year.
Yes, the Broncos lost to the Rams three times. Otherwise, they have beaten Clemson and Saint Mary’s, not to mention boasting a 4-0 record in their last four against the top four of the Mountain West, if ignoring that Colorado State weakness. Boise State’s rebounding tenacity should be a fun surprise in March Madness, as long as the selection committee is not too blinded by the blandness of Indiana as it sends Mike Woodson to the door.
Field of 68 pick: In
How to Watch Selection Sunday
Former Villanova head coach and current CBS analyst Jay Wright before a game between the Villanova Wildcats and the Pennsylvania Quakers.
The 2025 Selection Sunday broadcast airs live on CBS at 6:00 p.m. ET. Hosted by Adam Zucker and featuring Clark Kellogg, Jay Wright, and Seth Davis, the show will provide coverage of the NCAA Tournament bracket reveal, with expert analysis, interviews, and insights into the selection process.
No cable? No problem! Cord cutters can stream the event through Paramount+ as well as the NCAA’s own March Madness Live website.
Bubble Watch: San Diego State
It seems a bit strange but we might get a March Madness without San Diego State this year. The Aztecs have gone dancing in the last four years while making 11 of the previous 14 tournaments. However, their 10-point loss to Boise State in the Mountain West quarterfinal might have doomed their chances. The selection committee will likely choose only one of San Diego State and Boise State to come off the bubble and I'm leaning towards the Broncos.
The Aztecs (52) are eight spots behind the Broncos (44) in the NET Rankings and while they beat Boise State twice during the regular season, that loss in the tourney hurts. The Aztecs are 3-3 in their last six games while the Broncos have won seven of their last nine. While San Diego State's resume is pumped up by early-season wins against Houston and Creighton, the Broncos also had impressive non-conference victories versus Clemson and Saint Mary's.
Field of 68 pick: Out
Who Chooses the Teams on Selection Sunday?
The responsibility of selecting the teams for the NCAA Tournament falls to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament Selection Committee. This group is composed of 12 members, including athletic directors, conference commissioners, and other basketball experts, all of whom have extensive knowledge and experience in college hoops.
Each member represents different conferences or regions of the country, ensuring a broad and diverse perspective when selecting and ranking teams. These committee members are appointed by the NCAA and work together throughout the season to evaluate teams and ultimately decide which 68 teams will make the tournament field.
This year’s committee is chaired by North Carolina Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham, who has been the chief shot caller for the past five seasons and will be stepping down after this year’s tournament.
Bubble Watch: Oklahoma
Should a team that finished 13th in its conference really make the NCAA Tournament? Sure, kenpom.com considers the Oklahoma Sooners to be the No. 38 team in the country, but shouldn’t a 20-13 record matter? Yes, it should.
No, Oklahoma does not really have national title hopes, if even Elite Eight aspirations. One cannot even claim the Sooners have impressed lately, ranking as the No. 49 team in the country since Feb. 1, per barttorvik.com. But as long as Boise State makes it in, how much of a difference is there between Oklahoma and Indiana or Xavier?
The Sooners at least beat a plethora of impressive teams, including Arizona, Louisville and Michigan in the non-conference slate. Indiana owns no such early-season win, a résumé dependent on its own 10-10 conference record. Oklahoma might be the 68th team into the Big Dance, but the Sooners have at least proven they can win outside the SEC. Indiana’s 19-13 record is even more embarrassing.
Field of 68 pick: In
Bubble Watch: Xavier
Xavier's 1-9 record in Quad 1 games is ugly but this is a team that has beaten Creighton, UConn, and Marquette this year. The Muskateers are peaking at the right time and had won seven in a row before losing a heartbreaker to the Golden Eagles in the Big East quarterfinal.
With a 21-11 record and a fourth-place finish in the conference standings, the Musketeers should make the cut. And if they make the NCAA Tournament they could make noise since they have one of the most experienced lineups in the country and a devastating inside-outside duo in Zach Freemantle (17.3 ppg, 52.6 FG%) and Ryan Conwell (16.8 ppg, 41.8 3PT%)
Field of 68 pick: In
How are Teams Chosen on Selection Sunday?
Alabama Crimson Tide guard Mark Sears (1) celebrates with teammates after making the game winning shot to beat the Auburn Tigers.
During the selection process, the committee engages in discussions and deliberations, where they carefully review each team’s performance based on a variety of criteria, such as win-loss records, strength of schedule, and metrics like the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET). They also consider factors like conference championships, injuries, and head-to-head matchups.
The committee members then give automatic bids to teams that win their conference tournaments and debate which teams deserve at-large bids based on their overall body of work.
After much deliberation, the committee finalizes the bracket, assigning seedings and regional placements, before revealing it to the public today on Selection Sunday.
Who Will Be This Year's Cinderella?
Selection Sunday is here!
If you don't recognize some of the teams in the NCAA Tournament, here's a quick rundown of six less-heralded programs to keep an eye on.
Yale Bulldogs
22-7 SU, 17-9 ATS, 13-13 O/U
STRENGTHS
-Great coaching/NCAA experience
-3-Point shooting (2nd 3P 37.7%)
-Scoring (80.7 ppg/59th Off Eff)
NOTABLE FOES
-Purdue (L)
-Minnesota (L)
-UTEP (L)
Grand Canyon Antelopes
26-7 SU, 10-19 ATS, 14-15 O/U)
STRENGTHS
-Fast-paced attack (78.5 PPG/14th Tempo)
-PTS off Turnovers (15 Opp TOV/15.9 POTOV)
-Grant-Foster/JaKobe Coles (Two Stars)
NOTABLE FOES
-Arizona State (L)
-Stanford (W)
-Georgia (L)
McNeese Cowboys (Southland)
27-6 SU, 14-15 ATS, 13-14-2 O/U
Strengths
-Experienced/NCAA reps (28th in age)
-Defense (66th Def Eff)
-Coach Will Wade (LSU/VCU)
NOTABLE FOES
-Alabama (L)
-Mississippi State (L)
-Liberty (L)
UC San Diego Tritons
30-4 SU, 23-7 ATS, 13-16-1 O/U
STRENGTHS
-Defense (30th Def Eff/1st POTOV 19.8)
-Star scorer Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones (19.5 ppg)
-3-Point Offense (10.4 3PM/ 36.5%)
NOTABLE FOES
-San Diego State (L)
-Utah State (W)
-UC Irvine (L/W/W)
High Point Panthers
29-5 SU, 15-14 ATS, 14-15 O/U
STRENGTHS
-Scoring (25th OFF EFF/81.7 PPG)
-3-Point Shooting (36.6%)
-Experience backcourt (67th oldest)
NOTABLE FOES
-UNC Greensboro (L)
-North Texas (W)
Drake Bulldogs
30-3 SU, 15-13 ATS, 12-16 O/U
STRENGTHS
-Methodical pace (364th/46.2 Opp FGA 1st)
-Defense (46th Def Eff)
-Great Rebounding (54.7% reb rate 15th)
NOTABLE FOES
-Miami (W)
-Vanderbilt (W)
-Kansas State (W)
Bubble Watch: North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels forward Jae'Lyn Withers (24).
It is not Jae’Lyn Withers’ fault. Any North Carolina Tar Heels fan that considers faulting the veteran forward for the Tar Heels missing the NCAA Tournament needs to get offline for the rest of the week. He may be remembered for his costly lane violation against Duke on Friday, but Withers was not why North Carolina shot just 16-of-24 from the line in a three-point loss. He was also not the sole reason only one Heel made a single 3-pointer.
Perhaps most notable, Withers played just six minutes when North Carolina lost at home to Stanford in mid-January. Win that and the Heels would probably be dancing. Instead, they simply do not have enough impressive wins — beating UCLA in December is about it on that side of the ledger — to offset embarrassing losses — to Stanford and Pittsburgh, namely.
Field of 68 pick: Out
Bubble Watch: Texas
The Texas Longhorns have a mediocre 19-15 record but shouldn't be punished for playing a tough schedule. They had to walk through the gauntlet of the SEC but finished with a pair of upset wins against Vanderbilt and No. 14 Texas A&M in the conference tournament.
The Longhorns are 7-10 in Quad 1 games and no team with seven or more Quad 1 victories has missed the NCAA Tourney during the NET era. Not going to lie, I also just really want to see Tre Johnson ball out in the tourney.
Field of 68 pick: In
What is Selection Sunday?
Selection Sunday is a pivotal day for basketball fans and sports bettors alike as it marks the reveal of the 68-team field for the men’s NCAA Tournament. On this day, the Selection Committee announces the bracket, detailing the matchups, seedings, and locations for the first round. It’s a thrilling moment, as fans start filling out their brackets, hoping for the perfect upset or Cinderella story to unfold.
The anticipation surrounding Selection Sunday lies in the drama of the committee’s decisions. Fans debate which teams made the cut, which ones were snubbed, and where the most intriguing storylines are. It’s the official kickoff to March Madness, and an evening full of excitement from beginning to end.
Welcome to Selection Sunday
March Madness basketball in a rack.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year to be a college basketball fan! Two weeks of frenzied conference tournament play have led us to Selection Sunday and the grand unveiling of this year’s March Madness field. We’re just moments away from discovering which teams will land coveted No. 1 seeds, which squads will sneak into the First Four, and which programs will be snubbed altogether.
Join Covers college basketball experts Jason Logan, Rohit Ponnaiya, and Douglas Farmer as they make sense of the selections, report on the latest March Madness odds movement, and offer their early leans on the first week’s most enticing matchups.
Whether you’re looking for your next big upset pick, scoping out future bets, or just hoping to see how your favorite team fares, we’ve got you covered.
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