Who Will Win the 2025 March Madness East Region Bracket? Favorites, Sleepers & Final Four Picks
All eyes will be on the East throughout March Madness with No. 1 seed Duke set to have freshman phenom Cooper Flagg back on the court as the Blue Devils attempt to live up to the hype as March Madness bracket favorites. The tournament begins today, while Duke plays tomorrow against Mount St. Mary's.
With Flagg back from injury, our 2025 March Madness East Region betting preview is picking Duke to reach the Final Four as part of our March Madness predictions. However, No. 2 seed Alabama has one of the best offenses in the country, and there's an interesting sleeper to watch in No. 11 seed VCU.
đ 2025 March Madness East Region odds & betting favorites
Here are the odds for every team to win the NCAA Tournament East Region.
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đŽ East Region expert picks
- East Region betting preview
- Duke vs. Mount St. Mary's prediction
- Baylor vs. Mississippi State prediction
- Oregon vs. Liberty prediction
- Arizona vs. Akron prediction
- VCU vs. BYU prediction
- Wisconsin vs. Montana prediction
- Saint Mary's vs. Vanderbilt prediction
- Alabama vs. Robert Morris prediction
đ March Madness East Region betting preview
The whole nation held its breath when Flagg went down against Georgia Tech with an ankle injury in the ACC tournament. And while the player the NBA draft odds center around didn't return to the court for the Blue Devils' conference tournament run, head coach Jon Scheyer believes his star will be back for the first round of March Madness.
The rest of the East region is in trouble if Duke is at full strength because this is the most talented team in the country. Still, Alabama and Wisconsin both have potent offenses led by All-American caliber guards, but beyond those two programs, there doesn't appear to be many challengers for Duke in the East.
đĒ Who is the favorite to reach the Final Four?
No team has shorter March Madness odds than Duke, and rightfully so. Scheyer has four freshmen with NBA futures in Flagg, Kon Knueppel, Khaman Maluach, and Isaiah Evans, plus trustworthy veterans in Tyrese Proctor, Sion James, and Mason Gillis (and Maliq Brown if he's healthy enough to go).
Even if it takes Flagg a few games to get back to looking like the Wooden Award odds favorite, the Blue Devils are built to weather the storm ... just like they did in the ACC tournament. Overall, the East doesn't look like an overly difficult region, and Duke has a roster that could go down as one of the best in recent memory.
đ Best odds to win the East Region: -120 via DraftKings ($10 to win $8.33)
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đ Which Cinderella sleeper can make a deep run?
The East might have the worst crop of potential Cinderella teams. Outside of No. 11 seed VCU, and maybe No. 13 seed Akron, I don't see much of a shot at any team seeded worse than No. 5 reaching the Sweet 16.
With that said, I think VCU will take down BYU in the first round and live up to the strong history of No. 11 seeds pulling off upsets. The Rams are one of the highest-ranked mid-majors by KenPom and have two absolute gamers in guards Max Shulga and Joseph Bamisile. Maybe if the stars align, Ryan Odom's VCU team will fit a glass slipper.
But if I'm taking a non-Duke team to win the East, it's No. 3 seed Wisconsin (+1000), even though the Badgers don't qualify as a Cinderella.
đ Best odds to win the East Region: +4000 via Caesars ($10 to win $400)
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đ¨ What is the best first-round upset pick?
Without many options for lower seeds with a real shot in the first round, VCU jumps out as the obvious choice here. While BYU has had some bright moments in Kevin Young's first season at the helm, the Cougars faithful might have to wait for AJ Dybansta to show up in Provo next season to make a March Madness run.
For as fun of a combination as Richie Saunders and Egor Demin are, BYU has some serious issues on defense that Shulga and Bamisile should be able to expose. Plus, the Rams are top 25 in adjusted defensive efficiency. Another upset to watch is No. 13 seed Akron over No. 4 seed Arizona.
đ Best odds to win in first round: +143 via Caesars ($10 to win $14.30)
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đ Which first-round matchup is the most intriguing?
The four games that jump out most are No. 11 seed VCU vs. No. 6 seed BYU, No. 13 seed Akron vs. No. 4 seed Arizona, No. 10 seed Vanderbilt vs. No. 7 seed Saint Mary's, and No. 9 seed Baylor vs. No. 8 seed Mississippi State. While I have VCU taking down BYU, I do think the Bears and Bulldogs will give us a sneaky jaw-dropping No. 9 vs. No. 8 game.
Both teams have wickedly talented guards that should put on a show. Baylor's V.J. Edgecombe is projected to be a top-five pick in the NBA draft, while Mississippi State's Josh Hubbard is one of the most dynamic scorers in the SEC. Watching those two go head-to-head for a chance to lose to Duke in the second round will be eye-popping.
đ Baylor best odds to beat Mississippi State: +110 via bet365 ($10 to win $11)
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âšī¸ Who are the best players in the East Region ?
â Cooper Flagg, G/F (Duke)
What more can be said about Flagg at this point? He's the future No. 1 pick and arguably the best offensive and defensive player in the country. Instead of waxing poetic about him, let me point out that Knueppel is also a freshman superstar and likely a top-10 pick who doesn't get nearly enough credit. They're a terrifying duo.
â Mark Sears, G (Alabama)
The lead guard for the No. 4 team in adjusted offensive efficiency, Sears is having another All-American season for the Crimson Tide. He's the perfect point guard for Nate Oats' high-paced 3-point-heavy offense, and he's got the ability to take over a game. If Grant Nelson is healthy, he and Sears could take down Duke.
â John Tonje, G (Wisconsin)
One of the coolest stories in the Big Ten this season, Tonje spent last season rarely used and injured at Missouri after a strong four years at Colorado State. This season, he helped breath life into Wisconsin's offense while putting up the fifth-most PPG in the Big Ten (19.2) and earning all-conference honors.
đ Check out our complete guide to the best players in the NCAA Tournament.
đ Who will win the East Region?
Picking against Duke just seems like bad process. Not only because the Blue Devils put together the most complete season of any team in the country and have the future top pick and Wooden Award winner, but because the East just doesn't look that strong on paper.
Yes, Alabama can be a terrifying matchup with its offense, but it's such a flawed team with a defense that's 356th in points allowed per game (81.4). And Wisconsin just doesn't have anywhere near the talent of the Blue Devils ... and after those two programs, there's a colossal drop off in my mind to Arizona.
With three lottery picks in Flagg, Knueppel, and Maluach, a 3-and-D wing in Proctor, a steady point guard in James, and an electric freshman sixth man in Evans, Duke should run through the East with ease. As I wrote in my instant bracket reactions, I think Scheyer is about to bring Duke its first title post-Mike Krzyzewski.
đ Best odds to win the East Region: -120 via DraftKings ($10 to win $8.33)
đ° March Madness East Region best bets & Final Four expert prediction
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| Bet | Team | Odds | Profit ($10 bet) |
|---|---|---|---|
| đ Pick to win | East | -120 | $8.33 |
| đ¯ Best sleeper | Wisconsin | +1000 | $100 |
| đ¨ Best upset pick | VCU over BYU | +143 | $14.30 |
đŽ March Madness East Region bracket predictions & expert picks for every game
Here's my pick for every game in the 2025 March Madness East Region from the first round to the Final Four. You can also check out my comprehensive guide on how to fill out a March Madness bracket.
1ī¸âŖ First round
- No. 1 Duke over No. 16 American/Mount St. Mary's
- No. 9 Baylor over No. 8 Mississippi State
- No. 5 Oregon over No. 12 Liberty
- No. 4 Arizona over No. 13 Akron
- No. 11 VCU over No. 6 BYU
- No. 3 Wisconsin over No. 14 Montana
- No. 7 Saint Mary's over No. 10 Vanderbilt
- No. 2 Alabama over No. 15 Robert Morris
2ī¸âŖ Second round
- No. 1 Duke over No. 9 Baylor
- No. 5 Oregon over No. 4 Arizona
- No. 3 Wisconsin over No. 11 VCU
- No. 2 Alabama over No. 7 Saint Mary's
đŦ Sweet 16
- No. 1 Duke over No. 5 Oregon
- No. 2 Alabama over No. 3 Wisconsin
đą Elite Eight
- No. 1 Duke over No. 2 Alabama
đ More March Madness regional previews: South | East | Midwest | West
đ March Madness first-round expert picks
- March Madness upset predictions
- Ranking No. 12 vs. No. 5 seed upsets
- How to predict March Madness upsets
- What are the most common March Madness upsets?
- What are the biggest March Madness upsets of all time?
- What are the best March Madness buzzer-beaters?
đŽ March Madness predictions for every game today
- Louisville vs. Creighton prediction
- Purdue vs. High Point prediction
- Wisconsin vs. Montana prediction
- Houston vs. SIU Edwardsville prediction
- Auburn vs. Alabama State prediction
- Clemson vs. McNeese prediction
- BYU vs. VCU prediction
- Gonzaga vs. Georgia prediction
- Tennessee vs. Wofford prediction
- Kansas vs. Arkansas prediction
- Texas A&M vs. Yale prediction
- Missouri vs. Drake prediction
- UCLA vs. Utah State prediction
- St. John's vs. Omaha prediction
- Michigan vs. UC San Diego prediction
- Texas Tech vs. UNC Wilmington prediction
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