Though Arizona will begin its push for a deep NCAA Tournament run in Seattle, those games are part of the tourney’s East Region. For the past 20 or so years the sites for the first weekend have not been directly linked to a region, and this time around Seattle’s games feed into the East and West regions.
The Wildcats have never been in the East, their previous 10 NCAA appearances being in the South or West, but if they were to get out of the first weekend they’d be playing across the country in New Jersey for the Sweet 16.
But as any UA fan knows, looking that far ahead is a recipe for disaster. Many of those same fans will remind you that, while Arizona was a No. 4 seed when it won the national title in 1997 that was also the case in 2018 when it lost to Buffalo.
The Wildcats (22-12) open the 2025 NCAA Tournament on Friday against Akron, the No. 13 seed and champions of the Mid-American Conference. Win that game and they’ll face either No. 5 Oregon, an old friend from the Pac-12, or No. 12 Liberty, in Sunday’s second round for a right to advance to the Sweet 16.
Arizona is a heavy favorite for that first game against the Zips but after that its odds shrink dramatically. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the UA is -190 to reach its third Sweet 16 in the past four seasons, +410 to get to its first Elite Eight since 2015 and +800 to get back to the Final Four for the first time since 2001.
In addition, FanDuel is offering a Dog of the Day Jackpot:
What is it?
- Bet the lowest seeded team to advance that day and win a share of $1M in bonus bets!
Timing
- 3/20 – 3/23
- This will occur every day of the first weekend of the tournament
- Daily promotion (4x total, 1x each day – Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
- Marketing for this promotion will begin on 3/17 with first occurrence on 3/20
How to Play
- Download or Log In to FanDuel Sportsbook with new or existing account
- Claim your “Sweepstakes” token
- Place a Pre-Live, Straight, Moneyline wager on any qualifying Men’s NCAA Tournament games for the day (utilize token)
- Bet the lowest seeded team (higher number: 16, 15, 14, etc) to advance that day and win a share of $1M in bonus bets!
- Lowest seed = Higher number (16, 15, 14, 13, etc.)
But what about the rest of the East Region? Here’s how that quadrant of the bracket stacks up, including odds for who will win it to reach the Final Four as well as potential Cinderellas:
Opening matchups
(Friday in Raleigh)
No. 8 Mississippi State vs. No. 9 Baylor (9:15 a.m. PT, CBS)
No. 1 Duke vs. American/Mount St. Mary’s First Four winner (12:50 p.m. PT, CBS)
(Friday in Seattle)
No. 4 Arizona vs. No. 13 Akron (4:35 p.m. PT, truTV)
No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 12 Liberty (7:10 p.m. PT, truTV)
(Thursday in Denver)
No. 3 Wisconsin vs. No. 14 Montana (10:30 a.m. PT, TNT)
No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 VCU (1:05 p.m. PT, TNT)
(Friday in Cleveland)
No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 15 Robert Morris (9:40 a.m. PT, truTV)
No. 7 Saint Mary’s vs. No. 10 Vanderbilt (12:15 p.m. PT, truTV)
The favorite
No. 1 seed Duke (31-3) brings an 11-game win streak into the tourney, its only loss since late November coming at Clemson in early February. The Blue Devils have the best player in the nation in freshman forward Cooper Flagg, the likely No. 1 pick in June’s NBA Draft, but are far from a one-man show.
Flagg injured his ankle in the ACC quarterfinals and did not play the next two games but is expected to be at full stretch for the NCAA tourney. The Blue Devils are -700 to reach the Sweet 16 and -140 to win the East and reach its first Final Four since 2022.
Top challengers
- No. 2 Alabama (25-8) reached its first Final Four last year and returns two starters from that team in seniors Grant Nelson and Mark Sears. The Crimson Tide have lost five of their last nine, but each was to an SEC opponent that’s in the NCAA field including three against No. 1 seeds (Florida twice, Auburn once).
The fastest pace in Division I produces more than 91 points per game, tops in the country, but Alabama also gives up quite a few. It allowed 104 to Florida in the SEC semifinals and 110 at Missouri in mid-February. The Crimson Tide are -240 to make it to the Sweet 16 and +440 to get back to the Final Four
- No. 3 Wisconsin (26-9) played four games in four days to reach the Big Ten title game on Sunday, where it scored only 53 points in a loss to Michigan. That’s far below the Badgers’ season average of 79.7, but so it goes when you make only 7 of 39 3-point attempts.
For the season Wisconsin is making almost 10 3s per game and leads the nation in free throw shooting at 82.8 percent. The Badgers are -116 to reach the Sweet 16 and +1110 to go to the Final Four, where they last played in 2015 after beating Arizona for a second straight year in the Elite Eight.
Sleepers
- No. 6 BYU: The Cougars (24-9) were one of the hottest teams in the country down the stretch, winning nine in a row before running into the Houston buzzsaw in the Big 12 semifinals. This team lives and dies by the 3, going 10-0 when it makes 14 or more but losing 7 of 12 when failing to shoot better than 34 percent from deep. Sweet 16 odds: +210.
- No. 7 Saint Mary’s: The Gaels (28-5) won the West Coast Conference by three games over Gonzaga, beating their rivals twice before losing in the conference tourney final. They play at a plodding pace and are ultra efficient on both ends of the court, making a comeback against them very difficult. Sweet 16 odds: +310
- No. 9 Baylor: Injuries have kept the Bears (19-14) from reaching their full potential, but there’s no shortage of talent on this team. Norchad Omier is the active Division I leader in rebounds with 1,675 and freshmen guards VJ Edgecombe and Robert Wright III can both go off. Sweet 16 odds: +940.
Potential Cinderellas
- No. 11 VCU: The Rams (28-6) won the Atlantic 10’s automatic bid to earn their fourth NCAA bid since 2019, but 2016 was the last time they got out of the first round and it’s been 14 years since that magical run from the First Four to the Final Four under Shaka Smart. Coach Ryan Odom has some history pulling off shockers, as his UMBC team in 2018 became the first No. 16 seed to beat a No. 1 when it upset Virginia. Sweet 16 odds: +380.
- No. 12 Liberty: The Flames (28-6) are back in the tourney for the first time since 2021, when they nearly knocked off Oklahoma State in the first round. Their only NCAA win came in 2019 but coach their combination of 3-point shooting (39.5 percent) and defense (62.9 points allowed per game) can be a winning formula in March. Sweet 16 odds: +1340.
- No. 13 Akron: The Zips (28-6) have won 21 of 22 games and play at a super-fast pace that involves a lot of 3-point attempts, the kind of team that can make noise if it gets hot. Akron is seeking its first NCAA Tournament win, having gone 0-6 with two of those losses coming in the previous three tourneys. Sweet 16 odds: +2200.
Sweet 16 info
The East Regional is being held in the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. It is the home of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils and where Seton Hall plays most of its home games. The arena last hosted a regional in 2011.
The Sweet 16 games are set for March 27 and the Elite Eight is on March 29.