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 25, 2026 at 9:25 am ET • 2 min read 
Imagn Images Another thrilling opening weekend of March Madness is in the books, and now the 2026 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 bracket is set. Three out of the four No. 1 seeds advanced, with defending champion Florida losing to Iowa in the second round on Sunday. Does that set up an ideal path for Houston, the No. 2 seed in the South, to return to the Final Four and make a run at its first national title?
No true mid-major Cinderellas made it to the second weekend, but major programs that had inconsistent seasons such as Texas, Iowa and Tennessee remain in the 2026 NCAA bracket. How far can they go, and which Sweet 16 bracket picks can you trust? Before locking in any March Madness picks or filling out any kind of second-chance 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. The Spartans had some concerning losses late in the season, falling to Minnesota and UCLA. They also had double-digit setbacks against Michigan twice and lost at Wisconsin by 21 in February.
Dan Hurley has proven to be an extremely tough out in March after leading UConn to back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024. The Huskies have bounced back from their big loss to St. John's in the Big East title game with a pair of double-digit wins in the NCAA Tournament thus far. SportsLine's model projects that UConn wins and advances 63% of the time. You can see the model's updated 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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