The 2025 NCAA Tournament, known to all and sundry as March Madness, is upon us and sports fans in the US cannot wait.

College basketball is a seriously big deal and it won’t just be the students and old boys from the 68 seats of learning who have qualified who will be glued to the action over the next few weeks.

As to who is crowned champion in San Antonio on April 7, be sure everyone has a view. But put in context, there have been 37 different winners of the previous 85 tournaments and last year’s win for the UConn Huskies was the first time since 2011 the No.1 overall seed landed the honours.

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Tips:

• Michigan State Spartans to win NCAA @ 25/1 each-way
• Tennessee Volunteers to win NCAA @ 16/1 each-way
• Colorado State -2.5 v Memphis @ 9/10
• UC San Diego Tritons +2.5 v Michigan @ 9/10

*Odds correct at time of publishing

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Spartans can lead South to the Alamo

Being seeded No.1 doesn’t guarantee success in March Madness. Being seeded outside the top two, though, is a definite limitation.

A team seeded two or lower has won the NCAA Tournament only six times since 1990, so it’s possible but unlikely. UConn, going for a three-peat, are No.8 in the West, so we’re putting a red line through them and the other 60 teams who aren’t in the top eight.

Two from the top eight to consider at decent prices are Tennessee, No.2 in the Midwest, and Michigan State, No.2 in the South.

The Spartans are 25/1 with talkSPORTBET and need to come through a bracket where Auburn are the heavyweights.

Johni Broome, one of the top all-round big men in the country, will help Auburn power their way through to the Elite Eight, where Michigan should lie in wait now that Iowa have lost Keshon Gilbert for the tournament.

There’s a balanced look to Big Ten conference winners MSU under the guidance of 30-year veteran Tom Izzo, with Jase Richardson and Jaden Akins the stars who can lead the Spartans to the Final Four at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

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Houston are No.1 seeds in the Midwest, where Tennessee can upset the odds.

The Cougars have failed to get past the Sweet 16 in each of the last two seasons, despite being top ranked, so third time unlucky is definitely on the cards in Texas.

They have the firepower, but Tennessee have an elite defense – they have held 12 regular-season opponents to under 60 points – and have demonstrated all their class by beating Texas and Auburn last week before losing to the Florida Gators in the SEC finals.

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Colorado can leave Memphis feeling grizzly

There will be upsets, there always are, although it’s questionable whether No.12 seed Colorado State beating No.5 Memphis actually constitutes a surprise in the West.

The Rams have won 10 in a row and rightly get to be 2.5-point favourites, a spread they can cover.

No.12 may well take out No.5 in the South, as well, where San Diego can topple the Michigan Wolverines.

The Tritons are on a 15-game winning streak, boast Big West player of the year in Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones and Michigan need scoring depth beyond their big men, Vlad Goldin and Danny Wolf. 

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