Florida -6.5 (-113)
With Florida's depth and lack of bench minutes from Maryland I think Florida pulls away late. They also may be the most talented team in the country, with maybe the exception of Duke.
Alabama -5 (-113)
With Grant back in the lineup, unless they are just cold, I think they win big. (Homer Bet)
Duke is just a much better team, they get another blowout here. UCONN matched up well against them
Maybe add some later in week. I hope not
March Madness 2025 scores, winners and losers: Duke dominating at historic level, UConn's incredible run ends
With Florida's depth and lack of bench minutes from Maryland I think Florida pulls away late. They also may be the most talented team in the country, with maybe the exception of Duke.
- Scouting the Gators -- Florida rolls into the West Regional as the team to beat. The Gators withstood a heavyweight fight against two-time reigning national champion UConn to advance to the Sweet 16. Florida's offense starts and stops with All-American Walter Clayton Jr., who is arguably the best guard in the country. Florida can overwhelm teams with its size down low and has the perfect blend of depth and star power to make a deep run. Florida ranks No. 1 in adjusted offensive efficiency and 10th in adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom. The Gators don't have many weaknesses.
- Scouting the Terrapins -- Maryland has one of the most talented starting lineups in this country. It starts with star big man Derik Queen, a projected first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Queen and fellow frontcourt mate Julian Reese -- the brother of former LSU star Angel Reese -- are a dynamic duo with each capable of finishing with a double-double every night. You can't forget about the guard play on this team, either. Ja'Kobi Gillespie (14.7 points per game), Rodney Rice (13.8) and Selton Miguel (12.0) all average double-digit points. Maryland did finish ranked No. 314 in bench minutes, and part of that is because the starting lineup is that good.
Alabama -5 (-113)
With Grant back in the lineup, unless they are just cold, I think they win big. (Homer Bet)
- Scouting the Crimson Tide -- Alabama's calling card is its potent offense that averaged 91.1 points per game, good enough for No. 1 among all Division l teams. The Crimson Tide made a run to the Final Four last spring behind one of the top-ranked offenses in the country and are in the Sweet 16 for the third consecutive year because of it. Nate Oats' team loves to push the pace. Alabama ranked No. 1 in adjusted tempo and fourth in average possession length (14.9 seconds). You must slow down the pace and limit All-American guard Mark Sears to beat this team. Alabama has one of the deepest rosters in the country, and that depth will be essential in making another run to the Final Four and beyond.
- Scouting the Cougars -- The new trend in college basketball has been to hire NBA assistants to run your program. BYU took that route this offseason when replacing former coach Mark Pope with Phoenix Suns assistant Kevin Young. The early returns have been overwhelmingly positive. The Cougars are playing in the Sweet 16 for the first time in 14 years. The best part is there's reason to believe better days are ahead if you're a BYU fan. BYU forward Richie Saunders went from scoring 9.6 points per game last season to 16 this year. Another name to know on this BYU roster is freshman guard Egor Demin. Although the star freshman has had an up-and-down season, Demin still projects as an early-to-mid first-round pick in this summer's draft.
Duke is just a much better team, they get another blowout here. UCONN matched up well against them
- Scouting the Blue Devils -- Duke is the tallest team in Division l basketball by average height. The Blue Devils have a lengthy starting lineup headlined by a pair of future NBA lottery picks: Cooper Flagg and Khaman Maluach. Duke has a veteran backcourt in Sion James and Tyrese Proctor that give opposing teams trouble on defense. The Blue Devils rank in the top five in offense and defensive adjusted efficiency and are top 20 in 3-point percentage (37.7%), 2-point percentage (58.2%) and free-throw percentage (78.4). Duke has the right blend of experience, talent and youth, making it the popular pick to cut down the nets next month in San Antonio.
- Scouting the Wildcats -- After a heartbreaking loss to Clemson in the Sweet 16 last year, the Wildcats are back in the second weekend. Arizona hasn't been to the Final Four since 2001. Arizona's defense has to find ways to create second chances on the glass to pull an upset against Duke. Arizona ranks 15th in offensive rebounding percentage and is averaging 82.1 points per game, good enough for 19th.
Maybe add some later in week. I hope not
March Madness 2025 scores, winners and losers: Duke dominating at historic level, UConn's incredible run ends
