Alabama
March Madness Elite Eight: High-Scoring Alabama Vs. Duke Headlines Top Teams Shooting For 2025 Final Four
Auburn and Alabama are two of the four remaining teams in the men’s 2025 NCAA Tournament with Elite … More
The 2025 men’s NCAA Tournament is playing out to form with seven of the top-8 seeds advancing from the Sweet Sixteen to the Elite Eight this weekend. That includes all four No. 1 seeds with Auburn, Florida, Duke and Houston shooting to make the Final Four next weekend in San Antonio.
Elite Eight Matchups, Odds And TV Schedule
The Southeastern Conference sent a record 14 SEC teams to the 2025 NCAA Tournament, and all four SEC teams in the Elite Eight have a chance to make the Final Four – No. 1 seeds Auburn Tigers and Florida Gators and No. 2 seeds Alabama Crimson Tide and Tennessee Volunteers.
While online betting is regulated in nearly 40 states with easy access also available for mobile betting, the three most populous states in the U.S. do not offer betting at U.S. Sportsbooks—California, Texas and Florida. These are also states where some of college basketball’s top teams play, like Florida, Houston and Texas Tech of the remaining Elite Eight teams. Also, regulated, legal sports betting is not available in Alabama, where the Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers entertain and engage fans but not for regulated sports betting.
Panama-based BetOnline has been a market leader for more than 30 years providing more betting options, contests and NCAA bracket pools for fans.
Updated Men’s College Basketball NCAA Tournament Bracket And Scores
BetOnline and leading online sportsbooks provide college basketball betting odds for the most watched and wagered college basketball games including the Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight and Final Four. Odds and futures refresh periodically and are subject to change, including on props and live betting. Favorites (-) listed, all times Eastern.
Sat., March 29
East – Prudential Center (Newark, NJ)
No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 1 Duke (-7) | Total 174.5 | 8:49 p.m. | TBS/truTV
Pick: Alabama
West – Chase Center (San Francisco, CA)
No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 1 Florida (-6.5) | Total 157 | 6:09 p.m. | TBS/truTV
Sun., March 30
South – State Farm Arena (Atlanta, GA)
No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 1 Auburn (-5) | Total 149 | 5:05 p.m. | CBS
Midwest – Lucas Oil Stadium, (Indianapolis, IN)
No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 1 Houston (-3.5) | Total 124 | 1:20 p.m. | CBS
Pick: Tennessee
The four No. 1 seeds profiles are included below following their Sweet Sixteen wins. The favorites are rewarding bettors and especially moneyline bets as more moneyline parlays cashed in during Sweet 16 games. While no perfect brackets remain across the country in online March Madness pools, many are doing well with all four No. 1 seeds still alive into the Elite Eight along with three No. 2 seeds and one No. 3 seed.
Alabama’s 113 points in their Sweet 16 victory was the most points ever scored by a team in a NCAA Tournament game. The Crimson Tide also set records with 25 made 3-pointers and 51 three-point attempts.
- Alabama 113, BYU 88
- Duke 100, Arizona 93
- Florida 87, Maryland 71
- Texas Tech 85, Arkansas 83 OT
- Michigan State 73, Ole Miss 70
- Auburn 78, Michigan 65
- Houston 62, Purdue 60
- Tennessee 78, Kentucky 65
Betting favorites went 8-0 straight up in the Sweet Sixteen, and 4-4 against the spread (ATS) after Mississippi player hit a 3-point shot at the final buzzer to cover the closing spread (+3.5) in a 73-70 loss to Michigan State, who opened a -2.5 point favorite and took more money.
No. 1 Seeds To The Final Four And National Champions
Since the First Round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, favorites are 44-12 SU and 30-26 ATS. The over/under game totals are 24-31-1 with Friday night Sweet 16 games going 4-0 to the under.
Since the men’s NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, there have been 62 No. 1 seeds make the Final Four. Of those, 39 made the championship game and 25 have become national champions, including 13 of the past 17 title winners.
Only once in NCAA Tournament history have all four No. 1 seeds made the Final Four, and it happened in 2008.
Auburn Tigers
Most experts believed No. 1 overall seed Auburn had the “easiest” path to the national semifinals. KenPom ratings and research notes that a top-2 NCAA Tournament seed has never made a Final Four if they began the year outside the preseason AP Top 25 like Michigan State. Auburn held the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll for eight consecutive weeks before Duke took over the top spot on March 10. The Tigers were 25-2 with 14 Quad 1 wins in late February, including a road win over No. 2 Alabama.
Auburn ranks No. 3 in adjusted offensive efficiency despite No. 29 in effective FG percentage shooting (55.2%). Auburn’s adjusted defensive efficiency and effective field goal percentage are both top-15, with elite 3-point defense (29.6%) and block percentage. Auburn made their first and only Final Four appearance in 2019, but the Tigers have never made it to a national championship game. Auburn’s Elite Eight opponent Michigan State is has made the Final Four ten times with their last appearance in 2019. The Spartans won the national championship in 2000 under current head coach Tom Izzo – the last Big Ten team to win the NCAA Tournament with Purdue playing in the national title game last year.
Florida Gators
Florida is 15-1 since a blowout loss at Tennessee Feb. 1. The Gators rolled through the SEC tournament as champions and were on a 6-0 ATS run until failing to cover their first two NCAA Tournament games but rebounding with a double-digit win over Maryland.
The Gators are the nation’s No. 2 efficiency offense with an elite offensive rebounding team. Florida is also a top defensive team, and up to No. 9 in adjusted efficiency and top-5 in effective field goal defense (45.4%) and 3-point defense (29.3%). The Gators made the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017 and are now 1-game from a Final Four, which they last made in 2014. The Gators won back-to-back national championships in 2006 and 2007. Florida’s Elite Eight opponent Texas Tech made their only Final Four appearance in 2019 and lost to Virginia in overtime in the national championship game.
Duke Blue Devils
Duke has won 14 in a row and 30 of its last 31 games, scoring 93, 89 and 100 points in three NCAA Tournament games to move back to No. 1 in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency ratings. The Blue Devils sport a 58.2% effective field goal percentage to rank No. 3 in the country. Duke is also the only team to rank top-5 in offensive and defensive efficiency ratings with their 44.4% effective field goal defense No. 1 in the country. The Blue Devils program has made the Final Four 17 times most recently in 2022 with their last national championship victory in 2015. Duke’s Elite Eight opponent Alabama reached its first-ever Final Four last year losing to eventual national champion Connecticut.
Houston Cougars
Houston has the country’s best defense, trapping and forcing turnovers while allowing just 58.4 points per game in winning the Big 12 regular season and conference tournament title. Houston’s 38.4% field goal defense tops college basketball along with Tennessee (38.5%) and Duke (38.5%). The Cougars rank No. 1 in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency defense, and their offense is No. 12 with strong offensive rebounding and the No. 1 team in 3-point shooting (39.8%). Houston also plays at the slowest pace of the remaining tournament teams on offense while forcing the longest possession on defense. Houston has made 8-straight Sweet 16’s and six Final Four’s with their last in 2019. The Cougars have never won the national championship, but were runner-up in 1983 and 1984. Houston’s Elite Eight opponent Tennessee is shooting to make their first-ever Final Four, and making their second-straight Elite Eight appearance and third overall.
As noted previously in March Madness coverage, 21 of the last 22 National Champions have finished in the Top 20 in both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency ratings by KenPom’s advanced metrics. Five remaining teams fit the profile.
- Duke (1 offense, 5 defense)
- Florida (2,9)
- Auburn (3,8)
- Houston (12,1)
- Tennessee (17,3)
KenPom offensive and defensive efficiency rankings for the remaining teams include Alabama (4,28), Michigan State (23,4) and Texas Tech (5,39).
Elite Eight Betting Trends And Notes
Courtesy of Playbook Sports newsletter and research.
- No. 1 Seeds are 9-3 ATS the last 8 years.
- No. 3 seeds are 4-16 ATS the last 17 years.
- Underdogs off an ATS loss in the Sweet 16 are 1-4 ATS the last 11 years (Texas Tech, Michigan State).
Follow along for more March Madness betting coverage into the Elite Eight this weekend as the top teams shoot for the Final Four at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
You can bet on it.
MORE FROM FORBES
Alabama
Alabama offensive lineman transferring to Georgia Tech
Joseph Ionata, who spent two years with the Tide, will be joining former teammate Jaylen Mbakwe.
Georgia Tech fans celebrate during the second half against Syracuse on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta. (Hyosub Shin/AJC 2025)
A second former member of the Alabama Crimson Tide is transferring to Georgia Tech.
Offensive lineman Joseph Ionata intends to play for the Yellow Jackets, according to On3. Ionata spent two years with the Tide and would be joining former Alabama defensive back and wide receiver Jaylen Mbakwe.
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Alabama
Alabama Farmers Federation endorses Kristin Nelson for House District 38
The Alabama Farmers Federation has endorsed Kristin Nelson in the upcoming special election for Alabama House District 38, a seat left vacant following the resignation of Rep. Debbie Wood (R-Valley). The district includes portions of Chambers and Lee counties.
Nelson recently secured the Republican nomination after winning a runoff election. The special general election is scheduled for Tuesday, February 3.
“Kristin Nelson is a well-respected community leader in Chambers County, and we are proud to endorse her,” said Jason McKay, president of the Chambers County Farmers Federation. “We know she will represent us well in Montgomery and ensure District 38 gets the attention it needs in the business and agricultural arenas.”
Support for Nelson’s candidacy also came from farmers in neighboring Lee County. “Kristin Nelson is a strong conservative with incredible knowledge of House District 38,” said Robert Walters, president of the Lee County Farmers Federation. “There is no doubt she will work hard and represent the people of Lee and Chambers counties well in the Legislature.”
Nelson grew up along the Chambers-Lee county line and brings experience from both the public and private sectors. Her background includes seven years in city administration with the City of Valley and three years as a third-grade teacher with Lanett City Schools.
She has also been active in homeschooling through Classical Conversations, where she has served as both a tutor and a local representative supporting other families.
In addition to returning to part-time work with Harris Gray LLC, Nelson serves as worship leader at Fairfax Methodist Church, secretary of the Junior Variety Club and president of the EAMC Lanier Auxiliary Board.
She also founded the Chambers County Young Republicans and currently serves as the chair of the Chambers County Republican Party.
“The farmers of this district and I share the same strong work ethic and conservative values,” said Nelson. “It is an honor to have their support and to be able to represent them and all the people of this district in Montgomery.”
Nelson and her husband, Jeff, live in the Huguley community with their two teenage sons.
The Alabama Farmers Federation is the state’s largest farm organization, representing more than 360,000 member families. The organization uses a grassroots endorsement process that relies on decisions made by county Farmers Federation boards of directors in local elections.
Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
Alabama
Tuberville officially files for 2026 Alabama governor’s race
HOOVER, Ala. (WSFA) – Senator Tommy Tuberville officially filed the paperwork to run for governor at the Alabama Republican Party Headquarters in Hoover Monday morning.
“I want to make the lives of the people of this state better,” said Sen. Tuberville. “If I thought that staying in the U.S. Senate would be best for Alabama, I would’ve stayed. but I think the best thing for Alabama is for me to come back.”
He talked about the need to grow Alabama’s economy, with attracting manufacturers being a primary focus. Sen. Tuberville said that to do that, he would focus on improving the state’s infrastructure and making the state’s education and workforce systems more attractive to new residents.
When asked about cutting waste, fraud and abuse, a focus of his time in Washington, D.C., alongside President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, Sen. Tuberville said, he expects to make changes if elected governor.
“You have a lot of different agencies here, we want to make them all better,” he said. “We also want to make sure that we save the taxpayers’ money, that we use it wisely and we give it back to them.”
The former Auburn football coach said he did not expect to go into politics, but now, he is ready to transition from national to state politics.
“It’s time to come home, put together a staff and worry about the state of Alabama and the people here,” he said.
According to Alabama’s constitution, someone running for governor has to have lived in the state for at least seven years. Some have questioned whether Sen. Tuberville fits that requirement. He said during the candidacy filing that the Republican Party of Alabama says he does fulfill the requirement.
The filing deadline for candidates to qualify for a major political party is Jan. 23.
Alabama’s Democratic primary has the following candidates:
- Former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones
- Dr. Will Boyd – businessman and engineer
- JaMel Brown – pastor and talk show host
- Chad ‘Chig’ Martin – businessowner
Alabama’s Republican Primary has the following candidates:
- Sen. Tommy Tuberville
- Ken McFeeters – former congressional candidate
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