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 19, 2026 at 9:16 am ET • 3 min read 
Imagn Images It's difficult to argue that any region of the March Madness bracket 2026 besides the East has more name appeal. Big-time programs led by proven coaches make up the region, including Duke, UConn, Michigan State, Kansas, St. John's, Louisville, UCLA and Ohio State. Legendary coaches, such as Tom Izzo, Rick Pitino and Bill Self, will try to lead their teams to another Final Four in the NCAA Tournament 2026, as this region creates some of the toughest matchups to predict when making 2026 March Madness bracket picks.
If the seeds hold up, Self and Pitino would square off in a second round of No. 4 Kansas vs. No. 5 St. John's. The Red Storm are coming off winning the Big East Tournament title, knocking off UConn for the second time this year in the final, so could Pitino be about to bring the Red Storm back to the Final Four in the 2026 NCAA Tournament? 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. The Bulldogs are playing in their second straight NCAA Tournament, but they lost in the first round last year. Saint Louis (28-5) had one of the most dominant stretches in the nation this season, going on an 18-game winning streak over the winter.
Saint Louis was the co-champion in the Atlantic 10 during the regular season. The Billikens score with balance, having seven players averaging more than nine points per game this season. That makes the Billikens a challenging team to game plan for, and the model likes Saint Louis to pull off the 9 over 8 upset.
Another surprise in the Midwest: No. 5 Texas Tech defeats No. 4 Alabama in the second round. The Red Raiders' resume is as impressive as any team's as they boast wins over 1-seeds Duke and Arizona, as well as 2-seeds Houston and Iowa State. While JT Toppin's (ACL) loss certainly impacts Texas Tech's long-term tourney prospects, they still have a star in Christian Anderson who could help propel it past one of the college basketball's worst defenses in Alabama.
Anderson is a Third-Team All-American, ranks sixth in the Big 12 with 18.9 points and is third in the nation with 7.6 assists. He powers a squad that ranks fifth in D1 in both made 3Ps and 3P%. Meanwhile, Bama ranks 356th (out of 365 D1 teams) in points allowed per game, and no NCAA tourney team allows more than its 83.5 ppg. The Tide also allow the second-most offensive rebounds per game of any team in college basketball as defensive deficiencies should end Alabama's tourney run in the second round. 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.
Join the Conversation comments
