Expert Picks for the 2025 Men's NCAA Championship Game

The 2025 men's NCAA tournament started with 68 teams vying for this year's national championship, and now the field has been trimmed to the just two as the Florida Gators and Houston Cougars will square off for the title.

The Gators dispatched SEC foe Auburn in the first game of the day on Saturday, limiting Johni Broome to 15 points and seven rebounds while their own star Walter Clayton Jr. poured in 34 points on 11-of-18 shooting and 5-of-8 from beyond the arc to lead the way in a 79-73 victory.

In the late game, Duke was in control for much of the contest, but the Cougars closed the game on a 15-3 run, taking their first lead of the second half with 19 seconds remaining en route to a 70-67 win.

With the matchup now set, it's time for one final round of picks from the Bleacher Report college basketball team—David Kenyon, Kerry Miller and Joel Reuter—for who will hoist the trophy on Monday night.

Also included are relevant viewing and betting details for the national championship game, along with a look back at how Florida and Houston got to this point.

Game Information

Don Juan Moore/Getty Images

Date: Monday, April 17th

Location: Alamodome (San Antonio, Texas)

Time: 8:50 p.m. ET

TV: CBS

Spread: Florida (-1) via DraftKings

Moneyline: Florida (-112), Houston (-108)

Total: o/u 141.5

How the Florida Gators Got Here

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The Florida Gators won 24 games during the 2023-24 season and earned a No. 7 seed in the 2024 NCAA tournament, but they were bounced in the first round when they lost a 102-100 shootout against Colorado.

With Walter Clayton Jr. and Will Richard returning from that team and Florida Atlantic guard Alijah Martin added in the transfer portal, the Gators began the year at No. 21 in the AP poll on the strength of one that guard trio.

By the time the calendar flipped to 2025, they had climbed into the top 10 while going 13-0 to open the year. After a 5-3 start to conference play, they went 9-1 in their final 10 games of the regular season before running through Missouri, Alabama and Tennessee to win the SEC tournament and secure a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

Here is a look back at their path to the national championship game:

First Round: (1) Florida 95, (16) Norfolk State 69
Second Round: (1) Florida 77, (8) UConn 75
Sweet 16: (1) Florida 87, (4) Maryland 71
Elite Eight: (1) Florida 84, (3) Texas Tech 79
Final Four: (1) Florida 79, (1) Auburn 73

With first team All-American Walter Clayton Jr. averaging 24.6 points per game during March Madness and coming off consecutive 30-point performances, the Gators have the No. 2 offense in the country and a battle-tested defense that weathered a season-long storm in the SEC.

The Gators are in the national championship game for the fourth time, and looking for their third title alongside the back-to-back champions in 2006 and 2007.

How the Houston Cougars Got Here

Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images

LJ Cryer

A No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament for the third year in a row, the Houston Cougars were ousted in the Elite Eight in back-to-back years before finally getting over the hump this season.

LJ Cryer, Emanuel Sharp and J'Wan Roberts all returned from last year's team, while Oklahoma transfer Milos Uzan was scooped up in the portal to replace Jamal Shead at point guard.

They began the year at No. 4 in the AP poll, but started the season just 4-3 with early losses to Auburn, Alabama and San Diego State. However, from the beginning of December through the end of the year, they went 26-1 and ran the table in the Big 12 tournament to stake their claim to a top seed.

Here is a look back at their path to the national championship game:

First Round: (1) Houston 78, (16) SIU-Edwardsville 40
Second Round: (1) Houston 81, (8) Gonzaga 76
Sweet 16: (1) Houston 62, (4) Purdue 60
Elite Eight: (1) Houston 69, (2) Tennessee 50
Final Four: (1) Houston 70, (1) Duke 67

The Cougars have survived some tight games during the NCAA tournament thanks to the No. 1 defense in the nation, showing the ability to clamp down time and again when it matters most.

It was only fitting that the three holdovers Cryer (26 points, 6 threes), Sharp (16 points, 3 threes) and Roberts (11 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists) led the way in the win over Duke.

The Cougars have never won the national championship, and they are in the title game for the third time after making back-to-back trips in 1983 and 1984.

Predictions

Brett Wilhelm/NCAA Photos via Getty Images

It feels appropriate that Florida and Houston are the two teams left standing to compete for the national championship, as they were the conference tournament winners for the two best conferences in the country this year and ended the season as two of the hottest teams in the nation.

The Cougars defense bent but didn't break against Duke's top-ranked offense, keeping things close enough to mount a furious comeback down the stretch, so they will not be intimidated by the Gators high-powered offense.

However, Walter Clayton Jr. is playing as well as anyone in this year's tournament, and matching up with Florida's guards has been a tall order for some of the best teams in the country all season.

The B/R team is all giving the nod to Houston, but in a year where the SEC put 14 teams in the NCAA tournament, it would be foolish to overlook the last of that record-setting group that is still alive.

Predictions

David Kenyon: Houston

Kerry Miller: Houston

Joel Reuter: Houston