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 24, 2026 at 10:42 am ET • 3 min read 
Imagn Images Mid-majors are always fun to root for and back with March Madness picks, but none can be found in the 2026 Sweet 16 bracket of the NCAA Tournament. Only programs from power conferences advanced to the second weekend, including perennial contenders like UConn, Duke and Michigan State. They've all won national championships before, while others like Houston, St. John's and Illinois are searching for their first. Many may lean to the former group of schools with their March Madness picks and Sweet 16 predictions as it's often hard to bet against history.
It was in 2021 with Baylor when we last saw a first-time national champion. That year's Final Four, just like this year's, was held in Indianapolis. Indy could have the magic touch when it comes to crowning new champs, and we could be in for several closely-contested matchups this weekend. 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 is knocking on the door of the Elite 8 despite getting just 2 points in the entire tourney from All-Big East First-Team selection Silas Demary Jr. He was hurt in the Big East Tournament and missed the March Madness opener, as another week of rest will certainly benefit him and make UConn even more deadly on both ends of the court as Demary led the Big East in assists and made the conference's All-Defensive Team.
Speaking of defense, that is sometimes lacking for Tom Izzo's bunch as the Spartans force just 10 turnovers per game. That ranks 319th out of 365 D1 teams, and UConn is a team which excels with extra possessions on offense. The Huskies are 17-2 when they commit 10 or fewer turnovers, and even have a 24-2 mark when committing up to 13 turnovers in a game. UConn defeated MSU when these teams last met in the NCAA Tournament in 2014, and the model sees the same happening a dozen years later. 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.
Join the Conversation comments
