NCAA Basketball: Houston at Oklahoma State
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All four No. 1 seeds made the Final Four last season, and many fans will bank on deep runs from the top seeds in the 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket. Fourteen of the past 18 champions have been No. 1 seeds, but the overall No. 1 seed has won only four of the 21 editions since the committee began naming the top overall team. This year's No. 1 overall seed is Duke, which won the ACC regular season and tournament titles entering March Madness 2026. Should you look past the Blue Devils with your 2026 March Madness picks?

No. 2 seeds have struggled in recent years, with only one No. 2 seed making the championship game in the past 12 tournaments. There have been eight consecutive tournaments without a No. 2 seed in the title game, which is something to consider with your 2026 March Madness 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. Georgia reached an AP-high ranking of No. 18 this season, but it struggled down the stretch and is just 3-11 in its last 14 games against ranked opponents. The Bulldogs have the third-longest active drought by a power conference team without an NCAA Tournament victory.

Saint Louis has won 28 games this season, which is tied for the most in school history. The Billikens rank tenth in Division I in points per game (87.2), fourth in points per game differential (+17.7) and second in 3-point percentage (40.1%). The Billikens have one of the most balanced lineups in the country with all seven leading scorers averaging between nine and 13 points per game, making them a trustworthy team in this 8-9 matchup.

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.