Michigan vs. UC San Diego: 2025 NCAA Tournament Odds & Picks

Image of author by |

The 2025 NCAA Tournament is officially here! The March Madness Bracket is set, and first-round NCAA Tournament matchups are in place. It’s time to make your picks and predictions for the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament! We’re here to help as we’ll have picks and predictions for each of the first-round 2025 NCAA Tournament games. Here are our top picks and predictions for Michigan vs. UC San Diego.

March Madness Pick'Em Contest

2025 NCAA Tournament Odds & Picks: Michigan vs. UC San Diego

Let’s dive into our top picks and predictions for this opening-round NCAA Tournament matchup.

2025 NCAA Tournament Preview: Michigan vs. UC San Diego

Michigan 2025 NCAA Tournament Preview

After handling business and taking down the Big Ten conference tournament, Michigan feels like an easy team to back as an underdog to make the Final Four. Dusty May has done an excellent job regrouping and taking a talented roster and elevating their play. The duo frontcourt pieces of Danny Wolf and Vlad Goldin give them a top-10 shooting percentage inside the arc to go with a top-25 interior defense. Tre Donaldson single-handily won them their game against Maryland despite almost blowing it late and his perimeter shooting, along with Nimari Burnett, allow for spacing and kick-out options to their two big men.

With their height and Dusty May's experience already in his favor, it's hard to doubt this team. The biggest question is how they play up to the competition, and if they can end up playing elite ball rather than really good ball. Against top-50 opponents, Michigan's defense ranks outside the top 70. The top offenses of DI aren't expected to struggle against the Wolverines so it will be interesting to see how they battle against them.

This is a team that has stayed consistent throughout the year. Despite just one top-25 regular season win, they are capable of battling for a Final Four spot leaning on their offense that has improved as Dusty May has put this team together. We'll see if he can lead another magical run.

UC San Diego 2025 NCAA Tournament Preview

The UC San Diego Tritons burst onto the NCAA Tournament scene in their first year of eligibility after completing their four-year transition to Division I. They boast an eye-popping 30-4 record as Big West championship, entering the tourney with the longest winning streak in hoops. Coach Eric Olen’s squad emerges as one of the tournament’s most intriguing mid-major threats, ranking 36th nationally on KenPom with a balanced attack that excels on both ends of the floor.

Defensively, the Tritons suffocate opponents with elite pressure, forcing teams to the second-highest turnover rate in the nation leading to momentum-swinging fast breaks off turnovers with the 19th-highest points per possession off steals. They rarely send opponents to the free throw line and keep teams away from the hoop, forcing looks from deep.

Their modern offensive system revolves around relentless pick-and-roll actions while spacing the floor with an accurate three-point shooting that accounts for a significant portion of their offensive arsenal. Their catch-and-shoot percentage ranks second-highest in the nation. Leading to 40 percent of their points coming from deep, a top-20 clip.

The backcourt duo of playmakers Hayden Gray and Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones orchestrates this attack with contrasting styles: the smaller Gray attacks the paint aggressively while still able to shoot from deep while the 6’6″ Tait-Jones uses his size advantage creatively. The Big West player of the year has come to his own out of New Zealand and draws fouls at one of the highest clips in the nation. Tyler McGhie provides spacing and the ability to get hot from deep, while Nordin Kapic offers a versatile frontcourt option that allows the Tritons to stretch defenses with five-out lineups.

It's tough to trust a team that hasn't played a top-50 unit all year. But with their unique offensive system, defensive tenacity, and remarkable ball security, UC San Diego presents a stylistic challenge that could frustrate higher-seeded opponents unprepared for their disciplined execution and deep shooting range.

2025 NCAA Tournament Predictions: Michigan vs. UC San Diego

Michigan’s prize for winning the Big Ten Tournament? Perhaps the most dangerous mid-major team in the tournament, UC-San Diego. The Tritons have put together an incredible defensive performance in the Big West this year and they can attack Michigan in their weak spot, taking care of the ball.

Michigan is one of the most turnover-prone teams in the country with a 19.8% turnover rate while UCSD finished second in the country at forcing turnovers and fourth in steals. If Michigan isn’t hitting shots from deep (only 33.4% on the season) then they could end up on the losing end of the dreaded 5-12 upset.

2025 NCAA Tournament Picks: Michigan vs. UC San Diego

Bet: UC San Diego +2.5 (-104 via FanDuel Sportsbook)

Check out all of our 2025 NCAA Tournament Bracket & Betting Coverage >>

2025 NCAA Tournament Sports Betting Picks

For those looking to place bets on the matchups, let's take a look at the early odds and picks for the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

EAST REGION

MIDWEST REGION

SOUTH REGION

WEST REGION

Subscribe to the BettingPros Podcast

Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | TuneIn