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When it comes to seeds in the 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket, many think No. 5 St. John's got the short end of the stick. The Johnnies are ranked 10th in the latest AP Poll, while No. 11 Michigan State, No. 12 Gonzaga and No. 13 Illinois all drew 3-seeds in the March Madness bracket 2026. Rick Pitino's road to another Final Four begins out West in San Diego as St. John's faces 12-seed Northern Iowa in the first round of the NCAA Tournament 2026.
Potential matchups for the Red Storm include a Sweet 16 affair versus No. 1 Duke, before Pitino could see one of his former teams, No. 6 Louisville, in the Elite 8. Possibly getting shafted with their seeding could be added motivation for the Red Storm who, despite their prestige, are still searching for their first national title in the 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket. 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. 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.
