SportsLine's model has nailed 25 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds and revealed its optimal NCAA Tournament bracket 2026
By Daniel Lewis Mar 18, 2026 at 5:10 pm ET • 3 min read 
Imagn Images Of the 68 teams in the 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket, 35 come from the SEC (10), Big Ten (9), Big 12 (8) or ACC (8). However, no conference has produced more national championships in the last 15 years than the Big East (7). The Big East only has three representatives in the 2026 March Madness bracket, with UConn earning a No. 2 seed and St. John's earning a No. 5 seed in the East Region. Villanova is a No. 8 seed in the West.
However, all three programs have managed a national championship in the last decade or have a national title-winning head coach. Which of the Big East teams pose the biggest threat this season and how deep should you be advancing each in your March Madness picks 2026? Before filling out your NCAA Tournament bracket 2026, be sure to see the 2026 March Madness bracket 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 25 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds since its inception in 2016.
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 matchups and its results are in. You can only see it over at SportsLine.
Top 2026 March Madness bracket picks (preview two matchups)
One of the Midwest Region picks from the model: No. 9 Saint Louis defeats No. 8 Georgia in the first round. As you might expect, the 8 vs. 9 matchup has historically been the biggest coin flip in NCAA Tournament history, with the No. 9 seeds actually holding a slight edge (83-77) since the field expanded in 1985. Last season, the 8 vs. 9 games went right down the middle, but the model feels like Saint Louis was underseeded here. The Billikens were effective on both sides of the ball this season, ranking 13th nationally in offensive rating and 12th in defensive rating. Meanwhile, Georgia ranked 16th in offensive rating but ranked 161st on the other side of the ball. Saint Louis also ranked second in the nation in 3-point shooting percentage (40.1%) while Georgia 177th in 3-point shooting percentage allowed (33.7%).
Another surprise in the Midwest: No. 5 Texas Tech defeats No. 4 Alabama in the second round. Nate Oats has transformed Alabama into one of the best programs in the country, taking Alabama to its first Final Four two seasons ago and backing it up with an Elite Eight trip last year. However, Oats would be one of the first to admit that his defense hasn't been good enough this year.
Alabama ranks 356th out of 365 DI teams in points allowed per game (83.5) and even with the offense playing at a breakneck pace, it will be tough to outscore teams long enough to put together another deep run. Texas Tech is an extremely capable offensive team (12th in adjusted offensive efficiency) that can also string together stops when needed (33rd in adjusted defensive efficiency). Without significant defensive improvements, that simply looks like a bad matchup for the Crimson Tide. You can see the model's 2026 NCAA bracket picks here.
How to make 2026 NCAA bracket predictions
Who wins every tournament-defining matchup, and which region does the model project the No. 1 seed not making the Final Four, plus there being two double-digit seed stunners? With the model's track record of calling bracket-busting upsets, 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 NCAA Tournament double-digit seeds will shock college basketball? Visit SportsLine now to see which region is loaded with upsets, all from the model that's beaten 91% of bracket players in four of the last seven tournaments.
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