The 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket has been revealed, and fans are joining 2026 March Madness pools to compete against friends and family. The most important way to ensure success in those bracket groups is correctly identifying who is predicted to win March Madness 2026. Duke, Michigan, Arizona and Florida are the four No. 1 seeds in the 2026 March Madness bracket, so they could be the most popular 2026 NCAA Tournament picks to cut down the nets. Should you look beyond that group with your 2026 March Madness picks?

Winning a big March Madness group usually requires strong picks throughout the first round, where 2026 March Madness Cinderella teams could come into play. Are there any double-digit seeds worth advancing to the second weekend with your 2026 March Madness bracket strategy? Before you make your 2026 NCAA Tournament predictions, see the 2026 March Madness bracket picks from the proven computer model at SportsLine.

Two years ago, SportsLine’s computer simulation nailed massive upsets, including huge wins by No. 11 Oregon over No. 6 South Carolina, No. 11 NC State over No. 6 Texas Tech, No. 10 Colorado over No. 7 Florida. Last year, SportsLine’s computer simulation nailed massive upsets, including calling both 9-seeds that advanced in the first round, No. 12 Colorado State over No. 5 Memphis, and No. 6 BYU advancing to the Sweet 16. The model has beaten over 91 percent of all CBS Sports bracket players in four of the past seven tournaments.

This model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, has nailed 25 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds since its inception in 2016 and nailed UConn’s championship run in 2024. It nailed 12 teams in the Sweet 16 and correctly predicted all four Final Four teams a year ago.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every college basketball game 10,000 times. It entered conference tournament week on a sizzling 14-2 run on its top-rated over/under college basketball picks dating back to last season, and is on a 28-21 run on top-rated CBB side picks. You shouldn’t even think about making a pick without seeing what their model has to say.

Top 2026 March Madness bracket upset picks

One South Region surprise the model has identified: No. 11 VCU upsets six-time national champion and No. 6-seeded North Carolina. The Tar Heels lost star freshman Caleb Wilson to a season-ending hand injury at the end of the regular season, and they lost to Clemson in their first game of the ACC Tournament. They went just 5-3 without Wilson this season, as his 19.8 points per game were the most by a freshman in school history.

VCU has lost only one game in the last two months and is averaging its most points per game (81.6) in the last 50 years. The Rams are a deep team, ranked seventh in Division I in bench points per game (34.0) this season. Head coach Phil Martelli Jr. led the team to 27 wins in his first season, tied for the second-most ever behind Anthony Grant. 

Another South Region surprise the model has identified: No. 5 Vanderbilt over No. 4 Nebraska to advance to the Sweet 16. The Huskers are having one of their best seasons ever, going 26-6 overall and finishing tied for second in the Big Ten at 15-5. Vanderbilt, meanwhile, is 26-8 overall and tied for fourth in the SEC at 11-7. The Commodores made it to the SEC Tournament championship game, where they lost 86-75 to Arkansas.

Nebraska appears to be trending in the wrong direction. After starting the season 20-0, the Cornhuskers have gone just 6-6 since, including a 20-point loss at UCLA on March 3. They fell 74-58 to eventual champion Purdue in the Big Ten Conference Tournament quarterfinals. Vanderbilt, meanwhile, appears to be on a roll, having won four of its last five games, including three of those games coming against ranked opponents. See which other 2026 March Madness upsets and matchups to target here.

How to make 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket predictions

Who wins every tournament-defining matchup? And which teams will make surprising runs through the 2026 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 2026 NCAA bracket picks.

So what’s the optimal NCAA Tournament 2026 bracket? And which NCAA Tournament Cinderella teams will shock college basketball? Visit SportsLine now to see which region features two mammoth upsets in the first round, including one by a No. 14 seed, and see which 6-seed makes the Sweet 16, all from the model that’s nailed 25 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds.