Men’s March Madness live scores: NCAA Tournament results, first-round updates

The March Madness debut of the projected No. 1 pick in the NBA draft and a slew of popular upset picks highlight the first-round action as the 2025 NCAA Tournament rolls on throughout the country on Friday.

There are another 16 games on the schedule and the East region matchup between No. 1 seed Duke and No. 16 seed Mount St. Mary’s will garner a lot of the attention early now that Cooper Flagg is expected to play after suffering an ankle injury in the ACC Tournament. But that’s just the start. 

Two-time defending national champion UConn is also in action, this time as a No. 8 seed facing No. 9 seed Oklahoma. No. 6 seed Illinois will face No. 11 seed Xavier in an intriguing matchup between the Big Ten and Big East in the Midwest region bracket and No. 12 Colorado State is favored over No. 5 seed Memphis in their South Region first-round game. Popular Final Four and national championship picks like No. 1 seed Florida, No. 2 seed Alabama, No. 2 seed Michigan State also begin their NCAA Tournament journeys during this second full day of March Madness.

USA TODAY Sports is keeping track of all the games from the 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket taking place at sites around the country on Friday with live updates, upset alerts, highlights and more. Follow along.

March Madness picks: March Madness bold predictions: 10 unexpected forecasts for 2025 NCAA Tournament

FOLLOW THE MADNESS: NCAA men’s tournament bracket, scores, schedules, teams and more.

No. 9 Baylor vs. No. 8 Mississippi keep it close

The No. 9 seeded Baylor Bears and No. 8 Mississippi State faced off early in the first quarter to kick off the Friday March Madness action. The Bulldogs led 16-14 with 11:16 left in the first half.

March Madness Friday schedule has started

The Friday first-round games at the men’s 2025 NCAA Tournament are officially underway with No. 9 seed Baylor facing No. 8 seed Mississippi State the first to tip off from Raleigh, North Carolina.

March Madness 2025 expert predictions

USA TODAY experts set their picks ahead of the NCAA Tournament. Here is who they picked.

Jordan Mendoza

Full bracket

  • Final Four: Michigan State, Florida, Duke, Houston
  • Final: Florida vs. Houston
  • National champion: Houston

NCAA Tournament Survivor Pool: Join USA Today’s Survivor Pool sweepstakes for a shot at $1 million prize

Paul Myerberg

Full bracket

  • Final Four: Auburn, St. John’s, Duke, Tennessee
  • Final: Auburn vs. Duke
  • National champion: Duke

Eddie Timanus

Full bracket

  • Final Four: Auburn, Florida, Duke, Houston
  • Final: Florida vs. Duke
  • National champion: Florida

Dan Wolken

Full bracket

  • Final Four: Michigan State, Florida, Duke, Houston
  • Final: Florida vs. Duke
  • National champion: Duke

Bracket Predictions: March Madness expert picks: Bracket predictions for 2025 NCAA Tournament

2025 Men’s March Madness Printable Bracket

Here is your printable March Madness bracket.

Is Cooper Flagg playing in March Madness for Duke?

Cooper Flagg, the projected top pick in this year’s NBA draft and one of the favorites to win national player of the year, will be available to play for No. 1-ranked Duke on Friday in the first round of the Men’s NCAA Tournament after spraining his ankle a week ago in the ACC quarterfinals. — Dan Wolken

Cooper Flagg news: Cooper Flagg injury status: Is Duke star playing in March Madness opener?

March Madness bracket: Dates, times, TV, results and scores (needs updates)

All times Eastern

Tuesday, March 18

First Four games

NCAA Tournament News: Trump, Musk play role in March Madness saga about Native American team

Wednesday, March 19

First Four games

FIRST FOUR PREVIEW: Breaking down the opening games of March Madness 2025

Thursday, March 20

Round of 64 games

WHO HAS THE BEST SHOT? Power ranking all 68 men’s March Madness teams by odds to win NCAA Tournament

Friday March 21

Round of 64 games

Watch 2025 NCAA Tournament games with Sling TV

Saturday, March 22

Sunday, March 23

  • Round of 32 games, Time and TV channel TBD

Thursday, March 27

  • East and West region Sweet 16 games, Time and TV channel TBD

Friday, March 28

  • Midwest and South region Sweet 16 games, Time and TV channel TBD

Saturday, March 29

  • East and West region finals, Time and TV channel TBD

Sunday, March 30

  • Midwest and South region finals, Time and TV channel TBD

Saturday, April 5

Final Four

  • Game 1: 6:09 p.m. on CBS
  • Game 2: 8:49 p.m. on CBS

Monday, April 7

  • National championship game: 8:50 p.m. on CBS

What time are March Madness games today?

March Madness continues Friday with another 16 games slated throughout the day. The action kicks off with No. 9 Baylor taking on No. 8 Mississippi State at 12:15 p.m. ET. The first round concludes with No. 12 Liberty vs. No. 5 Oregon at 10:10 p.m. ET.

How to watch March Madness Friday: TV, streaming coverage 

  • TV channels: Coverage across CBS, TNT, TBS, TruTV
  • Live stream: Max and Sling for games carried on TNT, TBS, TruTV; CBS games available on Fubo

Watch March Madness with Sling

What channel is March Madness on?

Coverage for Friday’s Day 2 action will be broadcast across CBS, TNT, TBS, and TruTV channels. You can also watch the conclusion of the first round via streaming options: Max and Sling for games carried on TNT, TBS, TruTV. Games carried on CBS are available on Fubo, which offers a free trial subscription to new users.

March Madness odds

March Madness First Four odds, according to BetMGMOdds as of Thursday, March 20.

Here’s a full look at the favorites to win the men’s tournament, everyone who sits at better odds than +2500.

  • T1. Duke (+325)
  • T1. Florida (+325)
  • 3. Auburn (+400)
  • 4. Houston (+600)
  • 5. Tennessee (+1800)
  • 6. Alabama (+2000)
  • T7. Michigan State (+2500)
  • T7. St. John’s (+2500)

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

Gambling involves risk. Please only gamble with funds that you can comfortably afford to lose. While we do our utmost to offer good advice and information we cannot be held responsible for any loss that may be incurred as a result of gambling. We do our best to make sure all the information that we provide on this site is correct. However, from time to time mistakes will be made and we will not be held liable. Please check any stats or information if you are unsure how accurate they are. No guarantees are made with regards to results or financial gain. All forms of betting carry financial risk and it is up to the individual to make bets with or without the assistance of information provided on this site and we cannot be held responsible for any loss that may be incurred as a result of following the betting tips provided on this site. Past performances do not guarantee success in the future and betting odds fluctuate from one minute to the next. The material contained on this site is intended to inform, entertain and educate the reader and in no way represents an inducement to gamble legally or illegally or any sort of professional advice.

Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside. It is your sole responsibility to act in accordance with your local laws.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *