
NCAA 2025: Surprising Predictions for March Madness Sweet 16
Expert insights on the Sweet 16 matchups of the NCAA 2025 Tournament.
As we advance into the Sweet 16 of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, the Tennessee Volunteers are following a familiar pattern for success. Coach Rick Barnes has leveraged a strong defense to lead Tennessee to the Sweet 16 for the third consecutive year. Currently, they allow just 60 points per game during March Madness 2025, and they are gearing up for a semifinal showdown against the Kentucky Wildcats this Friday in Indianapolis.
Kentucky outperformed Tennessee in both regular-season matches. Will this time be different for the Volunteers? Whether making March Madness picks or completing a second-chance bracket, expert advice can prove invaluable. Be sure to check out Thomas Casale’s picks for the 2025 NCAA bracket.
Casale, who has appeared frequently on national radio and television to discuss college sports, has consistently accurate predictions: 341-208 (62.1%) over the past three seasons. Since joining SportsLine in 2024, he has recorded a stellar 28-14-1 in college basketball, marking a return of $1,215 for $100 players. His current record is 60-36 (+1828) in his latest official college basketball picks on SportsLine.
It is wise not to leave outcomes to chance when you have a skilled analyst at your side. Casale has scrutinized the Sweet 16 teams and shared his forecasts for the rest of the NCAA Tournament bracket for 2025. View his second-chance 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket.
Top Upset Picks for 2025 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16
One of Casale’s major predictions is for the No. 10 seed Arkansas to upset No. 3 seed Texas Tech in the West Region semifinals. Following a rough five-game losing stretch during the season, they managed to secure a No. 10 seed and Coach John Calipari has successfully guided the team to peak performance at the right juncture.
Boogie Fland has returned from his thumb injury, contributing to wins over Kansas and St. John’s. Now, top scorer Adou Thiero could return from a knee injury just in time for their match against Texas Tech. Casale anticipates that Calipari will continue to disrupt expectations in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, potentially shaking up the competition in the Elite Eight. See the full breakdown of predictions here.
Additional Predictions and Insights
Casale has also forecasted the remaining outcomes of the 2025 March Madness bracket, highlighting forthcoming challenges for a top-seeded team expected to drop out in the Elite Eight. Given his accuracy in college basketball over the past three years, you won’t want to miss the remainder of his predictions here.
Which teams should you support while making your NCAA picks and planning your second-chance brackets for the 2025 Tournament? What top seed might falter? Visit SportsLine for insights from an expert currently on a 60-36 winning streak in college basketball predictions.