Elite Eight Predictions: We Got The Updated Elite 8 Predictions in 2025

Know this before you make your Elite 8 predictions for March Madness

Let’s get the basics out of the way before you start making your March Madness Elite 8 predictions. The Elite 8 is effectively the quarter-finals of the games that make up the NCAA Division I college basketball tournament.

The tournament begins with 68 teams who are whittled down through the  single-game elimination series of games. By making the Elite 8, the teams will have already beaten at least three teams in the first round, second round and Sweet 16.

In the 2023 March Madness, the Elite 8 games take place on March 25 and 26. They will be played at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Madison Square Garden in New York, the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri and the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

How we made our March Madness Elite 8 picks for 2023

We’ve been following college basketball throughout the whole of the NCAA season and are now in the position to be reasonably confident about which eight teams will make up the Elite 8.

There is little doubt that certain teams like Houston and Kansas are looking extremely strong, while other teams like Baylor and even Tennessee are in with a good shot of making the Elite 8. However, there is much more to making decent Elite 8 picks than just looking at the NCAA rankings.

The key ingredients of our March Madness predictions include past form analysis, overviews of head-to-head encounters, performances of key players, and overall coach experience. All of this should be enough to help guide your Elite Eight bets.

The favorites in our March Madness Elite Eight predictions

We’ve spent plenty of time analyzing the progress of the top college basketball teams and are pretty confident the following sides have a strong chance of making the Elite Eight:

Houston Cougars

With a staggering 27-2 overall record and an unbeaten away record, it’s easy to see why Houston are at the top of the NCAA rankings. Plus that nine-game winning streak as well as star players like Marcus Sasser should set the Cougars up nicely for reaching the Elite Eight.

Alabama Crimson Tide

While Alabama have been suffering from some controversy in recent weeks, it’s hard to argue against any team with a 25-4 record. Time will tell whether the Brandon Miller controversy will stop the Crimson Tide from going all the way.

Kansas Jayhawks

Last year’s March Madness winners Kansas have shaken off their hangovers and enjoyed  a great season with a 25-5 record. With seven wins in their last seven games, we’re confident that the Jayhawks will make the Elite Eight.

UCLA Bruins

No team has won the NCAA Division I tournament more than UCLA, and the Bruins are looking good again this time around. With a 25-4 record including an unbeaten 15-game run at home, it could be UCLA’s year again.

Purdue Boilermakers

Purdue may be inconsistent but they have still managed to emerge with a 24-5 winning record. As such, we’re thinking that the Boilermakers have a good chance of making the Elite Eight.

Arizona Wildcats

The Wildcats have had a fairly positive season and they should reach the Elite Eight. While Arizona lost their last game, we think that they should bounce back by the time that March Madness comes around.

Baylor Bears

Another team who have been suffering from inconsistency, Baylor might be coming good at just the right time. With two wins on the bounce, it leaves the Bears with a 22-8 record and this makes them another one of our picks to reach the Elite Eight.

Tennessee Volunteers

This might cause a few surprises as Tennessee are just 12th place in the NCAA rankings, but we think that the Volunteers have the mindset and capability to cause a few shocks in this year’s March Madness.

Other contenders in our March Madness Elite 8 predictions

Of course, to reach the Elite 8, each team will have to have won at least three eliminator games. This is no easy task, and so there’s always the chance that one of the relative outsiders might make their way through. Here are the four teams we think have the strongest chance of doing so:

Marquette Golden Eagles

While Marquette are eighth place in the NCAA rankings and are on a five-game winning streak, it’s touch and go as to whether the Golden Eagles can make the Elite Eight.

Gonzaga Bulldogs

The Bulldogs have incredible players like Drew Timme and this is enough for us to have Gonzaga down as having a good chance of being in the last eight teams in this year’s March Madness.

Texas Longhorns

The Longhorns have suffered from some inconsistency but their 22-7 record belies the fact that Texas have the power to make the Elite Eight in their own hands.

Connecticut

Another team on 22-7, Connecticut will need to raise their game if they want to reach the Elite Eight. At just 14th place in the NCAA rankings, the odds might be against them, but stranger things have happened in March Madness.

Tips for making your March Madness Elite Eight picks

Our picks are just opinions and there is nothing stopping you from coming up with your own predictions for who will reach the Elite Eight. However, you should always be careful to include the following things in your March Madness predictions:

Conclusion - Your guide to making March Madness Elite 8 predictions

We’ve put in plenty of hard work in making our predictions for the Elite 8 in this year’s March Madness. However, it’s important to note that a lot can change in the first and second rounds, while everyone knows that the Sweet 16 round is a free-for-all.

As a result, we’ll be keeping this page updated with all of the facts you need about betting on the Elite 8 round. So bookmark this page to see which teams have the best shot of reaching this legendary phase of the NCAA Division I tournament.

NCAA basketball Elite 8 predictions FAQ