March Madness 2026 bracket: NCAA Tournament picks, predictions by top-rated college basketball model

The Big 12 has eight teams in the 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket. Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark called his conference the "second-best league behind the NBA," and with talented teams like Arizona, Houston and Iowa State, there's an argument for that. Given how battle-tested Big 12 teams are from the regular season, should you have multiple Big 12 teams in your Final Four for 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket picks?

The Big 12 has won two of the last five national championships and has a chance to make that three in six years given its top-level talent in March Madness 2026. With Kansas, Baylor and Texas Tech to consider as well, how should the Big 12 factor into your 2026 March Madness bracket strategy? 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. Saint Louis was ranked at multiple points throughout the season after starting 24-1 and having an 18-game winning streak from December to the middle of February. But after some late-season losses, the Billikens are on the No. 9 line at 28-5 overall. Saint Louis was the co-champion for the Atlantic 10, but lost by one point to Dayton in the A-10 semifinals.

This could be an offensive shootout on both sides, with Georgia ranking third in scoring (89.8 points per game) and Saint Louis 11th at 86.4 ppg. But whereas the Bulldogs rank 302nd in defensive scoring average (79.2 ppg), Saint Louis is 73rd at 70.7 ppg allowed. Georgia has allowed at least 80 points in four of its last six games, and the model likes Saint Louis' offensive and defensive balance to advance to the weekend. 

Another surprise in the Midwest: No. 5 Texas Tech defeats No. 4 Alabama in the second round. Both of these programs are coming off of Elite Eight runs a season ago and also made their first Final Four appearance within the last decade. However, we know at least one of the two teams won't make it out of the first weekend after they wound up next to each other in the bracket and with tricky first-round matchups.

Both teams are top 12 in the country in adjusted offensive efficiency according to KenPom, but the Red Raiders have a decided advantage defensively, where they rank 33rd nationally while the Crimson Tide rank 67th. Both teams also lean heavily on the 3-pointer, but Texas Tech is fifth in the nation in 3-point percentage (39.5%) while Alabama is 81st (35.8%). Those are big reasons why the model puts McCasland's squad into the Sweet 16 over Oats' squad. 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.