SportsLine's model beat over 91% of all CBS Sports brackets in four of the past seven tournaments and just revealed its NCAA bracket 2026 picks for the Sweet 16 and beyond
By Ross Kelly Mar 23, 2026 at 12:57 pm ET • 2 min read 
Imagn Images The 2026 Sweet 16 bracket has an interesting mix of contenders vying to cut down the nets at the conclusion of March Madness. There are Blue Bloods like Duke and UConn, recent title game finalists such as Houston and Purdue, and teams that haven't been at this stage in a while, like St. John's, or at all with Nebraska. This diversity adds a bit more intrigue to Sweet 16 picks as the second week of the 2026 NCAA Tournament begins on Thursday.
Last year's Sweet 16 was all chalk, as the team seeded better won each of the eight matchups. How much should what happened in March Madness a year ago affect your 2026 Sweet 16 predictions? Before locking in any March Madness picks or filling out your NCAA Tournament bracket 2026, be sure to see the 2026 Sweet 16 picks from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
Their proven projection model has simulated every game in the tournament 10,000 times. It has absolutely crushed its March Madness picks recently, beating over 91% of all CBS Sports brackets in four of the past seven tournaments. It was all over UConn's championship run two years ago and nailed 12 teams in the Sweet 16 last year. It also correctly predicted all four Final Four teams in 2025.
It knows how to spot an upset as well. The same model has produced brackets that have nailed 27 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds since its inception in 2016, including VCU and Texas A&M this year.
There's no reason to rely on luck when there's proven technology to help you dominate your 2026 March Madness picks. Now, with the 2026 NCAA bracket revealed, the model is simulating the Sweet 16 matchups and its results are in. You can only see it over at SportsLine.
Top 2026 March Madness Sweet 16 picks
One of the Sweet 16 picks from the model: No. 2 UConn defeats No. 3 Michigan State in the East Region, despite the Huskies dropping their last two meetings versus the Spartans. UConn has won both of its 2026 March Madness games by 10-plus points, making it the only in its region which can make that claim. UConn has balance offensively, with five players averaging in double-figures, and defends exceptionally well in key areas. Dan Hurley's squad led the Big East in blocks, field goal percentage allowed and 3-point defense.
MSU is somewhat similar to UConn in style of play, including a preferred slower tempo, but the Spartans have notable deficiencies. The Spartans don't necessarily possess a swarming defense, as they rank 61st out of 68 NCAA tourney teams in forcing turnovers. Not creative extra offensive possessions is then compounded by the fact that just six tournament teams allow more made 3-pointers than the Spartans. Michigan State has holes that UConn can exploit as SportsLine's model calls for Connecticut to win this Sweet 16 matchup in 63% of simulations. You can see the model's 2026 NCAA bracket picks here.
How to make 2026 NCAA bracket predictions
SportsLine's model is also calling for a team to win its Sweet 16 matchup by double-digits. With the model's track record of success in the NCAA Tournament, you'll want to see which stunners it's calling this year before locking in any 2026 NCAA bracket picks.
So what's the optimal NCAA Tournament 2026 bracket, and which team advances by double-digits over its Sweet 16 opponent? Visit SportsLine now to see which teams you can back with confidence, all from the model that's beaten 91% of bracket players in four of the last seven tournaments.
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