2025 March Madness best bets, picks by Chris "The Bear" Fallica

"Bear Bets" are real wagers that Chris "The Bear" Fallica is actually making.

I literally can't stop talking about college basketball, and I'm not mad at it.

The first round of the NCAA Tournament begins Thursday and continues Friday. 

And with that, I'm not getting too far ahead of myself quite yet.

Here are my best bets for the Round of 64, and a few futures bets.

No. 9 Creighton vs. No. 8 Louisville

I’m curious if a three pops by tip, because I’m guessing the world will be on the Cards playing in their home state. But the ACC was down bad this year and Louisville played four non-conference games against NCAA tourney teams, losing to Tennessee by 22, Oklahoma by 5, Ole Miss by 23 and Kentucky by 8. It was a total surprise turnaround season in Pat Kelsey’s first year, but I think it comes to an end against the inside-outside combo of Steven Ashworth and Ryan Kalkbrenner. 

PICK: Creighton (+2.5) to lose by fewer than 2.5 points or win outright

No. 9 Georgia vs. No. 8 Gonzaga

UGA has wins over a 1-seed and 2-seed this year, in Florida and St. John’s, respectively. This is a talented team. Yes, it has had its fair share of late-game meltdowns, costing it a few more wins. While top-10 in KenPom, I’m not in on Gonzaga laying points here. It beat Baylor in the season opener and Saint Mary’s in the WCC title game, but didn't do much to impress in between. I know I'm potentially bucking the trend of Gonzaga winning in the first round, but I'll be taking Asa Newell & Co. plus the points. 

PICK: Georgia (+6.5) to lose by fewer than 6.5 points or win outright

No. 9 Oklahoma vs. No. 8 Connecticut

This number feels high. It's like you’re paying extra because of the Connecticut name. This UConn team