If you’re using history as a compass to making 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket picks, you should know that no team seeded No. 9 or worse has ever cut down the nets. While these seeds are normally reserved for mid-majors, several major conference programs landed these spots in the 2024 March Madness bracket. No. 9 Michigan State could attract the most interest for 2024 March Madness bracket picks. Tom Izzo’s name is synonymous with March, and only Kentucky’s John Calipari has more all-time tourney wins among active head coaches.
The Spartans are 13-1 in first-round games when seeded No. 9 or better, but exiting in the second round isn’t the standard for Izzo. MSU is rarely seeded this low, so this could be an opportune time to bank on the Spartans moving through the 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket and becoming the first 9-seed or worse to win a title. Before making any 2024 March Madness bracket predictions, be sure to check out the 2024 NCAA Tournament 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 92 percent of all CBS Sports brackets 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 simply no reason to rely on luck when there’s proven technology to help you dominate your 2024 March Madness pools. Now, with the 2024 NCAA bracket being revealed, the model is simulating the matchups and its results are in. You can only see it over at SportsLine.
2024 March Madness bracket games to watch
One of the 2024 March Madness matchups to keep an eye on: No. 4 seed Duke vs. No. 13 seed Vermont in the South Region. The Blue Devils are led by All-American Kyle Filipowski, who leads the team in points (17.1), rebounds (8.2) and blocks (1.6). But less of him may be more for Duke as it is 4-5 when he scores at least 22 points, compared to 20-3 when he scores under 22. The Catamounts have won 19 of their last 20 games thanks to an elite defense that ranks ninth nationally in points allowed per game. Vermont also takes care of the ball better than most as it commits the ninth-fewest turnovers per game in college basketball.
Also in the South Region, Wisconsin vs. James Madison figures to be yet another pivotal 5 vs. 12 matchup. Wisconsin navigated the second-hardest schedule in the nation to a 22-13 record, including victories over then-No. 3 seeds in Purdue and Marquette. However, the team struggled away from Wisconsin, as it went 8-10 in road and neutral-site games. As for James Madison, no team collected more victories than its 31 this season. Only one of those wins came against a team from a major conference, a season-opening win over a fellow Big Ten team in Michigan State.
The third matchup to watch in the South Region features No. 3 seed Kentucky vs. No. 14 seed Oakland. UK ranks fifth in KenPom’s offensive efficiency but is outside the top 100 in his defensive efficiency rankings. The Cats have allowed 90.2 ppg over their last six contests. The Golden Grizzlies are 1-3 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, with their lone victory being in the First Four in 2005. They have one of the most experienced coaches in all of college basketball as Greg Kampe is in his 40th year with the program and is the current longest-tenured head coach in Division I. You can see how far all these teams go over at SportsLine.
How to make 2024 NCAA bracket predictions
How far will those major programs go? And which Cinderella 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 is calling this year before locking in any NCAA bracket picks.
So what’s the optimal NCAA Tournament bracket 2024? And which March Madness underdogs will shock college basketball? Visit SportsLine now to see which teams you can back with confidence, all from the model that’s nailed 20 upsets by double-digit seeds since its inception and beat over 92 percent of players three of the last five tournaments.
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