Who will win March Madness 2025? See our NCAA Tournament expert picks for every game in Thursday’s first round bracket.
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The first round of the men’s 2025 NCAA Tournament starts Thursday with No. 8 Louisville vs. No. 9 Creighton opening the 16-game schedule.
Top seeds Houston and Auburn highlight the day’s action. The Cougars face SIU Edwardsville (2 p.m., TBS, Sling TV), and the Tigers go against Alabama State (2:50 p.m., CBS, Fubo). Here is Thursday’s full first-round March Madness schedule and expert picks from reporters across the USA TODAY Sports Network.
March Madness 2025 bracket picks
All times EST.
Louisville (8) vs. Creighton (9) prediction
Time, TV: 12:15 p.m. | CBS (Fubo)
- Jordan Mendoza: Louisville
- Paul Myerberg: Creighton
- Erick Smith: Louisville
- Eddie Timanus: Creighton
- Dan Wolken: Louisville
- Craig Meyer: Creighton 74, Louisville 72
- Brooks Holton: Louisville 72, Creighton 68
Purdue (4) vs. High Point (13) prediction
Time, TV: 12:40 p.m. | truTV (Sling TV)
- Mendoza: Purdue
- Myerberg: Purdue
- Smith: Purdue
- Timanus: Purdue
- Wolken: High Point
- Meyer: High Point 80, Purdue 79
- Sam King: Purdue 93, High Point 80
Wisconsin (3) vs. Montana (14) prediction
Time, TV: 1:30 p.m. | TNT (Sling TV)
- Mendoza: Wisconsin
- Myerberg: Wisconsin
- Smith: Wisconsin
- Timanus: Wisconsin
- Wolken: Wisconsin
- Meyer: Wisconsin 86, Montana 72
- Mark Stewart: Wisconsin 82, Montana 65
Houston (1) vs. SIU Edwardsville (16) prediction
Time, TV: 2 p.m. | TBS (Sling TV)
- Mendoza: Houston
- Myerberg: Houston
- Smith: Houston
- Timanus: Houston
- Wolken: Houston
- Meyer: Houston 77, SIU Edwardsville 48
Auburn (1) vs. Alabama State (16) prediction
Time, TV: 2:50 p.m. | CBS (Fubo)
- Mendoza: Auburn
- Myerberg: Auburn
- Smith: Auburn
- Timanus: Auburn
- Wolken: Auburn
- Meyer: Auburn 94, Alabama State 61
Clemson (5) vs. McNeese (12) prediction
Time, TV: 3:15 p.m. | truTV (Sling TV)
- Mendoza: Clemson
- Myerberg: Clemson
- Smith: Clemson
- Timanus: Clemson
- Wolken: Clemson
- Meyer: Clemson 67, McNeese 64
- Derrian Carter: Clemson 74, McNeese 67
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Sports Pulse
BYU (6) vs. VCU (11) prediction
Time, TV: 4:05 p.m. | TNT (Sling TV)
- Jordan Mendoza: BYU
- Paul Myerberg: BYU
- Erick Smith: VCU
- Eddie Timanus: VCU
- Dan Wolken: BYU
- Craig Meyer: BYU 76, VCU 75
- Jeremy Cluff: BYU 79, VCU 73
Gonzaga (8) vs. Georgia (9) prediction
Time, TV: 4:35 p.m. | TBS (Sling TV)
- Mendoza: Gonzaga
- Myerberg: Gonzaga
- Smith: Gonzaga
- Timanus: Gonzaga
- Wolken: Georgia
- Marc Weiszer: Georgia
- Meyer: Gonzaga 81, Georgia 73
- Jeremy Cluff: Gonzaga 68, Georgia 67
Tennessee (2) vs. Wofford (15) prediction
Time, TV: 6:50 p.m. | TNT (Sling TV)
- Mendoza: Tennessee
- Myerberg: Tennessee
- Smith: Tennessee
- Timanus: Tennessee
- Wolken: Tennessee
- Meyer: Tennessee 71, Wofford 49
- Mike Wilson: Tennessee 79, Wofford 49
Kansas (7) vs. Arkansas (10) prediction
Time, TV: 7:10 p.m. | CBS (Fubo)
- Mendoza: Arkansas
- Myerberg: Kansas
- Smith: Kansas
- Timanus: Kansas
- Wolken: Arkansas
- Meyer: Kansas 73, Arkansas 64
- Jackson Fuller: Arkansas 75, Kansas 70
- Jordan Guskey: Kansas 88, Arkansas 84
Texas A&M (4) vs. Yale (13) prediction
Time, TV: 7:25 p.m. | TBS (Sling TV)
- Mendoza: Yale
- Myerberg: Texas A&M
- Smith: Texas A&M
- Timanus: Texas A&M
- Wolken: Texas A&M
- Meyer: Yale 62, Texas A&M 60
- Cameron Ohnysty: Texas A&M 78, Yale 76
Missouri (6) vs. Drake (11) prediction
Time, TV: 7:35 p.m. | truTV (Sling TV)
- Mendoza: Drake
- Myerberg: Missouri
- Smith: Missouri
- Timanus: Drake
- Wolken: Missouri
- Meyer: Drake 66, Missouri 65
- Calum McAndrew: Missouri 81, Drake 72
UCLA (7) vs. Utah State (10) prediction
Time, TV: 9:25 p.m. | TNT (Sling TV)
- Mendoza: UCLA
- Myerberg: UCLA
- Smith: UCLA
- Timanus: Utah State
- Wolken: Utah State
- Meyer: Utah State 72, UCLA 66
- Jeremy Cluff: Utah State 66, UCLA 63
St. John’s (2) vs. Omaha (15) prediction
Time, TV: 9:45 p.m. | CBS (Fubo)
- Mendoza: St. John’s
- Myerberg: St. John’s
- Smith: St. John’s
- Timanus: St. John’s
- Wolken: St. John’s
- Meyer: St. John’s 80, Omaha 58
- Jeremy Cluff: St. John’s 83, Omaha 63
Michigan (5) vs. UC San Diego (12) prediction
Time, TV: 10 p.m. | TBS (Sling TV)
- Mendoza: UC San Diego
- Myerberg: Michigan
- Smith: UC San Diego
- Timanus: UC San Diego
- Wolken: Michigan
- Meyer: UC San Diego 67, Michigan 63
- Jeremy Cluff: Michigan 71, UC San Diego 70
Texas Tech (3) vs. UNC Wilmington (14) prediction
Time, TV: 10:10 p.m. | truTV (Sling TV)
- Mendoza: Texas Tech
- Myerberg: Texas Tech
- Smith: Texas Tech
- Timanus: Texas Tech
- Wolken: Texas Tech
- Meyer: Texas Tech 78, UNC Wilmington 61
- Nathan Giese: Texas Tech 83, UNC-Wilmington 74
