25 Mar

Surprising bracket upset picks, games, best advice, strategy, predictions

The NCAA Basketball Tournament 2024 already has four teams that have advanced as Colorado, Colorado State, Howard, Wagner and Grambling earned trips to the first round by winning in Dayton. Three 2024 First Four teams have gone to at least the Sweet 16 in the past decade, so those teams should all be in consideration for your 2024 NCAA bracket upset picks. 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket locks at 12:15 p.m. ET on Thursday, so time is running out to make your 2024 March Madness predictions for all the games.

What strategy should you use to differentiate your 2024 March Madness bracket picks? Only three seeds lower than No. 4 have ever won it all, but with parity increasing recently in the NCAA Tournament, perhaps this is a year to take a swing on a huge Cinderella. Before making any predictions for games in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, see the March Madness bracket picks from the proven computer model at SportsLine.

SportsLine’s projection model has simulated every game in the tournament 10,000 times. It has absolutely crushed its March Madness picks recently, beating over 92% of all CBS Sports brackets in three of the past five tournaments. In an upset-laden 2023 NCAA Tournament, the model was all over UConn’s shocking Final Four run as a 4-seed. It went an amazing 23-9 in the first round, including an astounding 12-4 in the Midwest and West regions.

It knows how to spot an upset as well. The same model has produced brackets that have nailed 20 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds since its inception in 2016.

Now, SportsLine’s advanced computer model has simulated the entire 2024 NCAA Tournament 10,000 times to come up with the perfect 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket and find out which teams will pull off the biggest upsets. You shouldn’t even think about making a pick without seeing what their model has to say.

Top 2024 NCAA Basketball Tournament bracket upset picks
One Midwest Region surprise the model has identified: No. 5 Gonzaga advances to the Sweet 16, getting past a dangerous underdog in McNeese in the first round and then knocking off No. 4 Kansas in the second round. The latest 2024 NCAA Tournament odds imply that Gonzaga has a less than 50% chance of advancing this far. SportsLine’s model, however, has the Bulldogs rolling by 16 points in the first round. They are then the projected model favorites against a banged-up Kansas team in the second round.

Mark Few’s team wasn’t as dominant this regular season, failing to win at least one of the WCC regular season or tournament championships for the first time since 2011-12. That has made some bracket players fade the Bulldogs, but the model sees them as a value pick that can give you an edge in 2024 March Madness bracket.

Another surprise from the Midwest Region: No. 3 Creighton runs the table in the region, getting past No. 2 Tennessee and No. 1 Purdue as the Bluejays punch their ticket to the Final Four in Phoenix. The Bluejays are playing in a region that features elite teams who lack recent NCAA Tournament success, as Purdue has not made the Final Four since 1980 and Tennessee has never made it.

Meanwhile, Creighton has won a game in the past three tournaments, including a Sweet 16 trip in 2021 and an Elite Eight run last year. The Bluejays have four seniors, one junior and one sophomore in their key six-man rotation, and all of them have prior tournament experience. KenPom ranks them as the eighth-most experienced lineup in college basketball, which is one reason why they can get past the Boilermakers and Vols in the Midwest Region. See which other 2024 March Madness upsets to target here.

How to make 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket predictions
SportsLine’s model is also predicting a stunning 4-seed that will reach the Final Four and has one region where the 1- and 3-seeds go down hard before the Elite Eight. 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 2024 NCAA bracket picks.

25 Mar

Top bracket busters, March Madness Cinderella picks by proven college basketball model

Will No. 12 McNeese be the March Madness Cinderella story coming out of the 2024 NCAA Tournament? The Cowboys topped the Southland Conference thanks to an 11-game winning streak and enter March Madness 2024 following a 30-3 season and conference tournament victory. McNeese got those wins by outscoring its opponents, averaging 80.5 points per game. They are still the underdogs against No. 8 Gonzaga in the Round of 64 in the 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket, but their recent form sets McNeese up to be one of the potential 2024 March Madness bracket busters.

There are several exciting underdogs to consider when putting together your 2024 March Madness bracket strategy, including No. 16 Stetson against reigning tournament champion No. 1 UConn in the East Region. Before making any 2024 NCAA Tournament predictions, see the March Madness bracket picks from the proven computer model at SportsLine.

This model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, has nailed 20 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds since its inception in 2016 and nailed UConn’s dramatic Final Four run as a 4-seed last year. It went an amazing 22-10 in the first round, including an astounding 12-4 in the Midwest and West regions.

Last year, SportsLine’s computer simulation nailed massive upsets, including huge wins by No. 13 Furman over No. 4 Virginia and No. 10 Penn State over No. 7 Texas A&M. The model has beaten over 92% of all CBS Sports bracket players in three of the past five tournaments.

Now, SportsLine’s advanced computer model has simulated the entire 2024 NCAA Tournament 10,000 times to come up with the perfect 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket and find out which teams will pull off the biggest upsets. You shouldn’t even think about making a pick without seeing what their model has to say.

Top 2024 March Madness bracket upset picks
One Midwest Region surprise the model has identified: No. 11 Oregon knocks off No. 6 South Carolina. You can throw the season statistics out of the window for Oregon since it played almost half of the year without its best player, N’Faly Dante. The Ducks are a different squad with him anchoring both ends of the court, as he leads the team in points (16.2), rebounds (8.8), steals (1.7) and blocks (1.9). He led Oregon to the Pac-12 tournament championship, while South Carolina is coming off a 31-point drubbing at the hands of Auburn in the SEC Tournament.

That was the latest example of South Carolina simply not showing up, and that’s happened far too often for Lamont Paris’ liking. South Carolina has losses of 27 points, 31 points and 40 points since the start of the new year. That’s a poor omen against an improved Oregon defense that has kept four straight opponents under 69 points, each failing to shoot 45% from the field.

Another surprise from the Midwest Region: No. 3 Creighton advances all the way to the Final Four, surpassing No. 2 seed Tennessee and top-seeded Purdue. A No. 3 seed hasn’t made it to the Final Four since Texas Tech in 2019, but Greg McDermott’s Bluejays are entering the NCAA Tournament 2024 strong. They ended the regular season 23-9 and notched key wins along the way, including a 89-75 victory against Marquette and a 85-66 rout against reigning March Madness champion UConn.

The last time the Vols made it to the Elite Eight was 2010, and they haven’t made it out of the first round in two of their last seven trips to The Big Dance. Meanwhile, the Boilermakers have been booted in the first round twice in recent history, including in 2023 when they were a No. 1 seed. See which other 2024 March Madness upsets to target here.

How to make 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket predictions
SportsLine’s model is also predicting a stunning No. 12 seed that will reach the Sweet Sixteen and has one region where three double-digit underdogs pull off first-round shockers, busting brackets everywhere. 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 2024 NCAA bracket picks.

25 Mar

NCAA Tournament picks, optimal predictions from top-rated college basketball model

The 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket has officially arrived and the madness already began during the First Four. There’s already been an overtime game, resulting in Grambling advancing to face No. 1 Purdue on Friday. In addition, Virginia’s offense went scoreless over the final 9:30 of the first half in a 67-42 victory for Colorado State. Since the introduction of the First Four round in 2011, every NCAA Tournament outside of 2019 had at least one First Four team win a game in the Round of 64. How should that affect how you build your 2024 March Madness bracket?

Purdue is hoping history doesn’t repeat itself when the Boilermakers lost to Fairleigh Dickinson after the Knights won their 1 vs. 16 game last season. Purdue finds itself in a similar situation, but only two No. 1 seeds have lost to a No. 16 seed in NCAA Tournament history, so you could feel confident that Purdue won’t fall victim to another opening loss. Purdue is now a No. 4 seed or better for the seventh straight season, but has only made it past the Sweet 16 once. Should you have Purdue in the Final Four of your 2024 NCAA bracket? Before filling out your NCAA Tournament bracket 2024, be sure to see the 2024 March Madness bracket picks from the proven computer model at SportsLine.

SportsLine’s projection model has simulated every game in the tournament 10,000 times. It has absolutely crushed its March Madness picks recently, beating over 92% of all CBS Sports brackets in three of the past five tournaments. In an upset-laden 2023 NCAA Tournament, the model was all over UConn’s shocking Final Four run as a 4-seed. It went an amazing 23-9 in the first round, including an astounding 12-4 in the Midwest and West regions.

It knows how to spot an upset as well. The same model has produced brackets that have nailed 20 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 2024 March Madness picks. Now, with the 2024 NCAA bracket revealed, the model is simulating the matchups and its results are in. You can only see it over at SportsLine.

Top 2024 March Madness bracket picks
One of the Midwest Region picks from the model: No. 3 seed Creighton goes on a surprise run to the Final Four. Creighton has proven capable of knocking off any team in the country, as displayed with a 19-point victory over UConn, the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Creighton has three players averaging more than 17 points per game, giving the Bluejays the offensive versatility that if one player has an off-scoring night, it doesn’t immediately signal the end of their run. Baylor Scheierman, a 6-foot-7 guard, leads the team in scoring (18.4 ppg), rebounds (9.0), and blocks (3.0) while shooting 37.2% on 3-pointers while making 99 triples. He’s tied for the 23rd-most made 3-pointers in college basketball, doing so against some of the top competition in the country.

Creighton is third in the country in effective field goal percentage (57.5%) and fourth in shooting efficiency. The Bluejays average 80.5 points per game, the 23rd-most in the nation, with the 17th-best average scoring margin in college basketball. Creighton is one of the few teams in the country to match an efficient offense with an efficient defense, pairing the fourth-best opponent shooting efficiency with the 13th-best opponent effective field goal percentage in the nation. The Bluejays have all you’d want in a Final Four team for your 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket.

Another surprise: No. 5 Gonzaga gets past No. 4 Kansas in the second round of the Midwest. Kansas is the only school with two Wooden Award finalists, but one of those, Kevin McCullar Jr., has been ruled out for the entire 2024 NCAA Tournament due to a knee injury. Kansas played six games without McCullar this season and averaged 10 fewer points than the 26 games they played with him.

Gonzaga has few questions offensively. The Zags have the 17th-lowest turnover rate in the nation, and those extra possessions on offense allow Graham Ike to dominate in the paint. The Wyoming transfer has effectively replaced Drew Timme and is scoring 16.5 points per game on over 60% shooting. Meanwhile, Creighton transfer Ryan Nembhard had a 30-point game in last year’s tournament and enters this year’s with three straight double-digit assist games. You can see the model’s 2024 NCAA bracket picks here.

How to make 2024 NCAA bracket predictions
Who wins every tournament-defining matchup, and which teams will make surprising runs through the 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket? 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 2024 NCAA bracket picks.

25 Mar

2024 NCAA Tournament picks by proven model

A first-round matchup in the 2024 NCAA Tournament has the No. 9 seed Michigan State Spartans and the No. 8 seed Mississippi State Bulldogs squaring off on Thursday. The Bulldogs have made the tournament 12 times in school history. On the other side, Michigan State has made the tournament 26 years in a row.

Tipoff from the Spectrum Center in Charlotte is set for 12:15 p.m. ET. The Spartans are 1-point favorites in the latest Michigan State vs. Mississippi State odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 130.5. Before making any Mississippi State vs. Michigan State picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven model.

The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the 2024 NCAA tournament on a 148-106 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. It also has a strong 29-19 (+810) record on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Michigan State vs. Mississippi State. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Mississippi State vs. Michigan State:

Michigan State vs. Mississippi State spread: Spartans -1
Michigan State vs. Mississippi State over/under: 130.5 points
Michigan State vs. Mississippi State money line: Spartans -121, Bulldogs +100
MSU: Michigan State has hit the team total Under in 21 of their last 35 games
MSST: Mississippi State has hit the 1H game total Under in 18 of their last 30 games
Michigan State vs. Mississippi State picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Michigan State can cover
Senior forward Malik Hall is an all-around player for the Spartans. Hall scores by attacking the basket while putting a lot of energy into defense and rebounding. The Illinois native averages 12.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. In his last matchup, Hall racked up 12 points, seven rebounds, and two steals.

Senior A.J. Hoggard is an aggressive and energetic guard in the backcourt. Hoggard excels at driving to the basket and plays feisty defense. The Pennsylvania native averages 11 points, three rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game. On Mar. 14 against Minnesota, Hoggard finished with 17 points and six assists. See which team to pick at SportsLine.

Why Mississippi State can cover
Freshman guard Josh Hubbard is a creative shot creator with a nice shooting touch on multiple spots on the court. The Mississippi native is putting up a team-best 17.1 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. He’s scored 20-plus points in seven of his last eight games. In the second round of the SEC Tournament, Hubbard totaled 24 points and two assists.

Senior forward Tolu Smith provides the Bulldogs with a force in the frontcourt. Smith scores from the low post with ease and uses his size to create space for rebounds. The Mississippi native logs 15.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and shoots 56% from the field. In his last outing, Smith had 10 points and 10 rebounds. See which team to pick at SportsLine.

How to make Mississippi State vs. Michigan State picks
The model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 138 points. It also says one side of the spread nearly 60% of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

25 Mar

2024 NCAA Tournament picks, best bets by proven model

The sixth-seeded BYU Cougars will look to reach the second round for the first time in 10 years when they battle the 11th-seeded Duquesne Dukes in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Thursday. The Cougars (23-10), who have won four of their past six games, are making their 31st NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2021. The Dukes (24-11), who have won eight consecutive games, last played in the NCAA Tournament in 1977. Duquesne holds a 2-0 all-time series lead, but the teams last met in 1953.

Tipoff from the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Neb., is set for 12:40 p.m. ET. The Cougars are 9.5-point favorites in the latest Duquesne vs. BYU odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 141.5. Before making any BYU vs. Duquesne picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven model.

The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the 2024 NCAA tournament on a 148-106 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. It also has a strong 29-19 (+810) record on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Duquesne vs. BYU. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for BYU vs. Duquesne:

Duquesne vs. BYU spread: BYU -9.5
Duquesne vs. BYU over/under: 141.5 points
Duquesne vs. BYU money line: Duquesne +353, BYU -460
DUQ: The Dukes are 18-16 against the spread this season
BYU: The Cougars are 6-4 ATS over the past 10 games
Duquesne vs. BYU picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why BYU can cover
Four players average double-digit scoring, including junior guard Trevin Knell. In 32 games, including 27 starts, he is averaging 10.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 24.5 minutes. He has reached double-figure scoring 18 times, including a season-high 27 points in a 71-60 loss to Cincinnati on Jan. 6. He scored 20 points in an 87-75 win over TCU on March 2.

Also providing offense for BYU is senior guard Spencer Johnson. He has started all 33 games for the Cougars and is averaging 10.3 points, six rebounds, 3.3 assists and one steal. He has scored 10 or more points in 18 games, including three double-doubles. He scored a season-high 28 points, while adding nine rebounds and five assists in an 87-72 win over Iowa State on Jan. 16. See which team to pick at SportsLine.

Why Duquesne can cover
The Dukes have been led by senior guard Dae Dae Grant. The fifth-year player in his second season at Duquesne, has played in 32 games, including 30 starts, and is averaging 16.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and one steal in 32.8 minutes. He has reached double-digit scoring in each of the last four games, including a 27-point performance in a 70-60 win over St. Bonaventure in the Atlantic 10 semifinals. In the league’s title game, he scored 10 points and added four steals and two assists. He is connecting on 93.9% of his free throws.

Senior guard Jimmy Clark also provides some scoring punch for Duquesne. He has scored in double figures in four of the past five games, including 20 or more in two of those. In a 67-65 win over George Washington on March 9, he scored 22 points, while adding three assists and two rebounds. He had 20 points, four assists and four rebounds in an 83-73 win over Saint Louis on March 13 in the second round of the A-10 Tournament. In 35 games, all starts, he is averaging 15.1 points, 3.8 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 2.4 steals in 31.1 minutes. See which team to pick at SportsLine.

How to make Duquesne vs. BYU picks
The model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 147 points. It also says one side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

25 Mar

Surprising bracket upset picks, games, best advice, strategy, predictions

The NCAA Basketball Tournament 2024 already has four teams that have advanced as Colorado, Colorado State, Howard, Wagner and Grambling earned trips to the first round by winning in Dayton. Three 2024 First Four teams have gone to at least the Sweet 16 in the past decade, so those teams should all be in consideration for your 2024 NCAA bracket upset picks. 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket locks at 12:15 p.m. ET on Thursday, so time is running out to make your 2024 March Madness predictions for all the games.

What strategy should you use to differentiate your 2024 March Madness bracket picks? Only three seeds lower than No. 4 have ever won it all, but with parity increasing recently in the NCAA Tournament, perhaps this is a year to take a swing on a huge Cinderella. Before making any predictions for games in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, see the March Madness bracket picks from the proven computer model at SportsLine.

SportsLine’s projection model has simulated every game in the tournament 10,000 times. It has absolutely crushed its March Madness picks recently, beating over 92% of all CBS Sports brackets in three of the past five tournaments. In an upset-laden 2023 NCAA Tournament, the model was all over UConn’s shocking Final Four run as a 4-seed. It went an amazing 23-9 in the first round, including an astounding 12-4 in the Midwest and West regions.

It knows how to spot an upset as well. The same model has produced brackets that have nailed 20 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds since its inception in 2016.

Now, SportsLine’s advanced computer model has simulated the entire 2024 NCAA Tournament 10,000 times to come up with the perfect 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket and find out which teams will pull off the biggest upsets. You shouldn’t even think about making a pick without seeing what their model has to say.

Top 2024 NCAA Basketball Tournament bracket upset picks
One Midwest Region surprise the model has identified: No. 5 Gonzaga advances to the Sweet 16, getting past a dangerous underdog in McNeese in the first round and then knocking off No. 4 Kansas in the second round. The latest 2024 NCAA Tournament odds imply that Gonzaga has a less than 50% chance of advancing this far. SportsLine’s model, however, has the Bulldogs rolling by 16 points in the first round. They are then the projected model favorites against a banged-up Kansas team in the second round.

Mark Few’s team wasn’t as dominant this regular season, failing to win at least one of the WCC regular season or tournament championships for the first time since 2011-12. That has made some bracket players fade the Bulldogs, but the model sees them as a value pick that can give you an edge in 2024 March Madness bracket.

Another surprise from the Midwest Region: No. 3 Creighton runs the table in the region, getting past No. 2 Tennessee and No. 1 Purdue as the Bluejays punch their ticket to the Final Four in Phoenix. The Bluejays are playing in a region that features elite teams who lack recent NCAA Tournament success, as Purdue has not made the Final Four since 1980 and Tennessee has never made it.

Meanwhile, Creighton has won a game in the past three tournaments, including a Sweet 16 trip in 2021 and an Elite Eight run last year. The Bluejays have four seniors, one junior and one sophomore in their key six-man rotation, and all of them have prior tournament experience. KenPom ranks them as the eighth-most experienced lineup in college basketball, which is one reason why they can get past the Boilermakers and Vols in the Midwest Region. See which other 2024 March Madness upsets to target here.

How to make 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket predictions
SportsLine’s model is also predicting a stunning 4-seed that will reach the Final Four and has one region where the 1- and 3-seeds go down hard before the Elite Eight. 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 2024 NCAA bracket picks.