Nebraska is seeking its first March Madness win in school history this season and is a No. 4 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket. The Cornhuskers will face No. 13 seed Troy in the first round in the South Region, which is one of the most intriguing first-round matchups in the March Madness bracket 2026. Nebraska is in the same region as No. 1 seed Florida, the defending national champion. The Gators are trying to go back-to-back just like UConn did in 2022-23 and 2023-24, and they will be among the most popular 2026 March Madness picks.
The other No. 1 seeds in the 2026 NCAA bracket are Michigan and Arizona, while the No. 2 seeds are UConn, Houston, Purdue and Iowa State. Should you pick one of those teams to cut down the nets in your 2026 March Madness pool picks? 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. This is the best NCAA Tournament seed for Saint Louis since 2014, as it tied the most wins in school history with 28 this year. The Billikens rank tenth in Division I in points per game (87.2) and fourth in points per game differential (+17.7). They also have the second-best 3-point shooting percentage (40.1) in the country, making them a dangerous first-round opponent.
Georgia has the third-longest active drought by a power conference team without an NCAA Tournament victory; its last win came in 2002 vs. No. 11 seed Southern Illinois. The Bulldogs have lost five straight games in the Big Dance since then, including an 89-68 loss to Gonzaga last year. They are just 3-11 in their last 14 games against top-25 opponents, and they are facing a balanced Saint Louis team.
Another surprise in the Midwest: No. 5 Texas Tech defeats No. 4 Alabama in the second round. Bama made headlines when former G-League player, Charles Bediako, returned to the school and suited up for five games. He’s now ineligible, but the need for him highlights Bama’s defensive deficiencies. Of the 68 NCAA Tournament teams, none allow more points per game than Alabama at 83.5.
That, somewhat, mitigates the fact that Texas Tech is without its best player in JT Toppin (torn ACL). For all that he brought to the table for TTU, Toppin was a liability from beyond the arc, making just 28% of his 3-pointers. However, as a team, Texas Tech ranks fifth in the nation with 39.3% from beyond the arc, so it still has plenty of firepower to overcome his absence. Playing Alabama’s suspect defense is the perfect matchup for Texas Tech, which already has wins over top-2 seeds Duke, Houston and Arizona this season. 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.
