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The UConn Huskies are two-time defending national champions and can be the first team to three-peat since UCLA won seven in a row from 1967-1973 during the John Wooden dynasty. However, they'll face a tough road in the 2025 NCAA Tournament after receiving a No. 8 seed in the West Region of the NCAA bracket 2025. UConn begins its 2025 March Madness run on Friday against No. 9 seed Oklahoma and No. 1 seed Florida looms large as a potential second-round matchup. How far should you advance the Huskies in your 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket picks and who are the potential 2025 March Madness Cinderella teams that might give you an early leg up? Before making any predictions for games in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, see the March Madness bracket picks from the proven computer model at SportsLine.

SportsLine's proven projection model has simulated every game in the tournament 10,000 times. It has absolutely crushed its March Madness picks recently, beating over 91% of all CBS Sports brackets in four of the past six tournaments. It was all over UConn's championship run a year ago and nailed 13 teams in the Sweet 16. It also nailed Alabama's Cinderella run to the Final Four as a 4-seed.

It knows how to spot an upset as well. The same model has produced brackets that have nailed 24 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds since its inception in 2016.

Now, SportsLine's advanced computer model has simulated the entire 2025 NCAA Tournament 10,000 times to come up with the perfect 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket and find out which teams will pull off the biggest upsets. You shouldn't even think about making a pick without seeing what their model has to say.

Top 2025 NCAA Basketball Tournament bracket upset picks

One of the matchups from the Midwest Region that could ultimately shape the 2025 NCAA bracket outcome: No. 8 Gonzaga vs. No. 9 Georgia. Gonzaga is making its 26th straight NCAA Tournament appearance, which is the fourth-longest streak of all time. It is entering the Big Dance with its worst seed since 2016, but it is ranked inside the top 10 overall at KenPom. Georgia is in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015, when it lost to Michigan State in the first round. It is chasing its first Big Dance victory since 2002, which is the third-longest active drought among major-conference teams. Georgia played 14 games against ranked teams this season, going 4-10 in those contests.

Another pivotal Midwest Region matchup: No. 5 Clemson vs. No. 12 McNeese State. A litmus test for a smaller-conference underdog is to see how it performed against powerful programs in non-conference play. McNeese State played Alabama and Mississippi State and kept both games within single digits, indicating that the Cowboys can stick around with this caliber of team. Clemson, however, ranks inside the top 25 in both offensive and defensive efficiency via KenPom's metrics, which makes the Tigers not only a tough out in the first round, but also a sleeper pick to go deep in the 2025 NCAA bracket.

Finally, the matchup between No. 4 Purdue and No. 13 High Point will be a fascinating one to watch in the Midwest. The Boilermakers lost in the national championship game to UConn last season and had to replace national player of the year Zach Edey, but Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer were both back in the lineup to give Purdue one of the most experienced backcourts in the country. Smith is averaging 16.1 points and 8.7 assists per game this season while Loyer is averaging 13.8 points and shooting 46.4% from the 3-point line. However, High Point is making its first NCAA Tournament appearance and has already set a new program record with 29 wins. The Big South regular-season and tournament champions rank top 25 in the nation in both scoring average (82.2 ppg) and KenPom adjusted offensive efficiency (118.5). You can see the model's 2025 NCAA bracket picks here. 

How to make 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket predictions

Who wins every tournament-defining matchup, and which teams will make surprising runs through the 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket? With the model's track record of calling bracket-busting upsets, you'll want to see which stunners it's calling this year before locking in any 2025 NCAA bracket picks.

So what's the optimal NCAA Tournament 2025 bracket, and which NCAA Tournament Cinderella teams will shock college basketball? Visit SportsLine now to see which region features three must-have upsets, including a play-in team that absolutely stuns its first-round opponent, all from the model that's beaten 91% of bracket players in four of the last six tournaments.