Get Ready to Score Big with This Year's Sweet Ticket Chance!

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here . The Florida Gators are the defending NCAA national basketball champs, but a return visit to the Final Four could be a tough road.

The No. 1 team in the nation in 2025 has earned the top seed in the South Region, but the road to Indianapolis will likely require a meeting with either the Houston Cougars or the Illinois Fighting Illini — both of whom are elite in their own right. Here's a breakdown of the South Region: Odds to win the South Region Team Covers' Take (1) Florida Gators +160 SEC’s top-ranked high-octane offense (2) Houston Cougars +250 Nation’s most stifling interior defense (3) Illinois Fighting Illini +320 Elite scoring and veteran leadership (4) Nebraska Cornhuskers +1500 Sharpshooters thrive in transition game (5) Vanderbilt Commodores +1000 SEC tourney’s hottest surprise team (6) North Carolina Tar Heels +6500 Explosive backcourt fuels deep run (7) Saint Mary's Gaels +4500 Disciplined play slows game down (8) Clemson Tigers +7500 Physicality dominates the paint area (9) Iowa Hawkeyes +4000 High-scoring unit pushes the pace (10) Texas A&M Aggies +10000 Relentless rebounding wins extra possessions (11) VCU Rams +15000 Aggressive pressure forces constant turnovers (12) McNeese Cowboys +40000 Upset-minded with elite defensive metrics (13) Troy Trojans +40000 Deep bench generates plenty of reserve energy (14) Penn Quakers +40000 Three-point skills could keep them close (15) Idaho Vandals +40000 Dangerous scorers with nothing to lose (16) Prairie View A&M Panthers +40000 Fast-paced attack could test favorites (16) Lehigh Mountain Hawks +40000 Balanced roster seeking historic upset Odds from bet365, one of our best betting apps .

Sign up with our bet365 promo code , or get one of our other sportsbook promos . South Region Favorite: Florida Gators Defending a national championship is extraordinarily difficult — even if your elite starting frontcourt is returning. But Florida asserted itself well this season, finishing as the top rebounding team in the nation while boasting a Top 10 offense to get the nod as the South's top dog.

The Path: Florida will open its title defense against either Prairie View A&M or Lehigh, followed by a second-round date with the winner of the Clemson-Iowa tilt. The Concern: It's a small wonder Florida wound up with a No. 1 seed, and not just because of the seven losses: The Gators can't shoot free throws (234th nationally in FT%) or 3-pointers (327th in 3PT%).