March Madness Picks: Expert Predictions & Best Bets for the National Championship Game

Our best bet, SGP, and more for the upcoming men's National Championship Game.

Jason Logan: Senior Betting Analyst at Covers
Jason Logan • Senior Betting Analyst
Apr 7, 2025 • 13:51 ET • 4 min read
Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. (1) attempts to shoot against Auburn Tigers forward Chaney Johnson (31).
Photo By - Imagn Images. Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. (1) attempts to shoot against Auburn Tigers forward Chaney Johnson (31).

The national title game matchup is set — and so are our expert March Madness picks.

We've got a large selection of picks from tonight's national championship game between the Florida Gators and Houston Cougars, from player props to same-game parlays, and more.

Below, we'll list all of our expert selections ahead of tonight's 8:50 p.m. tip in San Antonio.

March Madness National Championship picks - Men's

1 Florida vs 1 Houston picks

8:50 p.m. ET | San Antonio, TX | CBS

  • Best bet: LJ Cryer Over 2.5 threes (+110 at bet365)

  • SGP
    LJ Cryer Over 2.5 threes
    Milos Uzan 3+ assists
    Joseph Tugler 7+ rebounds
    (+525 at bet365)

Jason Logan broke down the matchup and is favoring LJ Cryer's 3-pointer prowess in his Houston vs. Florida predictions.

1 Florida vs 1 Houston prop picks

Rohit Ponnayia also likes Cryer's scoring from downtown but has a few more options to pick from in his Houston vs. Florida player props.

LJ Cryer prop picks

We're sensing a trend. Jeremy Jones is similarly bullish on the Houston guard's skills from downtown, as detailed in his LJ Cryer props spotlight.

Walter Clayton Jr. prop picks

  • Best bet: Walter Clayton Jr. Over 19.5 points (-115 at bet365)

  • SGP
    Walter Clayton Jr. Over 19.5 points
    Alex Condon Under 8.5 points
    Florida ML

Not to be outdone, Jason Ence's Walter Clayton Jr. props spotlight expect the Gators star to thrive against the Cougars' vaunted defense.

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Jason Logan Senior Industry Analyst Covers.com
Senior Betting Analyst

In his 20 years with Covers, lead NFL betting analyst “JLo” has seen it all and bet it all. Through the wild west of early Internet gambling to lobbying for legalized sports betting to our brave new wagering world, Jason has been a consistent source of actionable info and entertainment for squares and sharps alike.

Since joining the Covers team back in 2005, he’s honed his handicapping skills to provide audiences with the most thorough insights, blending traditional capping methods with advanced modelling and predictive analysis. Jason has studied the ins and outs of the sports betting business, learning from some of the most successful gamblers in the industry and the biggest sportsbook operators on the planet.

He is under center for Covers during NFL season as our top NFL expert, taking the points in his infamous “NFL Underdogs” column and representing the Covers Community at the Super Bowl. While he lives for football season, Jason’s first love is basketball and that shows in his in-depth NBA, NCAA, and WNBA betting breakdowns.

On top of being a mainstay in media from coast to coast – WPIX, PHL17, Fox 5 San Diego, WGNO, TSN, SportsNet, ESPN Radio – he’s had his analysis featured in USA Today, MSNBC, ESPN, the Wall Street Journal, CBS, Bloomberg, the L.A. Times, the New York Times and other major publications. You can also find JLo stuffing all the top picks and predictions he can into 10 minutes as the host of Covers’ flagship podcast, The Sharp 600.

His best advice for bettors new and old is “Handicapping isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ process. The impact and importance of information varies from bet to bet. Treat each wager different than the last.”

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