In the East Region of the 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket, the No. 1 Connecticut Huskies drew two Final Four teams from last year: FAU and San Diego State. They also drew three Power-6 tournament champions: Iowa State, Illinois, Auburn. However, UConn can take solace in the fact that it is the only of the 16 teams in the East Region ever to win a national title. Every other region in the 2024 March Madness bracket has multiple champions, including six title-winning programs in the South.
Connecticut is the favorite in the 2024 NCAA Tournament odds to repeat and become the first back-to-back NCAA Basketball champion since Florida in 2006-07. It starts its March Madness 2024 run against No. 16 Stetson, which is making its NCAA Tournament debut but does have a Quad 1 win over UCF this season. Tougher challenges are likely on the horizon for the Huskies, but how long will the champs stay alive in the 2024 March Madness 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. The Bluejays are efficient on offense and average 1.04 points per possession, the eighth-best mark in the nation. Creighton scored at least 85 points in games against UConn, Marquette and Alabama this season, which are all top-four seeds in the NCAA Tournament 2024.
On defense, Creighton prevents second-chance opportunities and keeps opponents off the line. Creighton ranks fourth in defensive rebounds per game thanks to the presence of Ryan Kalkbrenner and his 7-foot-5 wingspan. The team also commits the fewest fouls per game and allows the fewest free throw attempts per game in Division I. Creighton is battle-tested from playing in the Big East, and its two-way balance is why the model has it representing the Midwest Region in the Final Four.
Another surprise: No. 5 Gonzaga gets past No. 4 Kansas in the Midwest. The Jayhawks were dealt a massive blow when they learned that All-Big 12 selection Kevin McCullar Jr. will not play in the NCAA Tournament 2024 due to injury. He was leading Kansas in scoring (18.3 points per game), and his absence could have a seismic effect on the team. Against top-100 teams this season, Kansas had a plus-five net rating with McCullar on the court versus a minus-11 rating without him.
Meanwhile, the Zags are playing their best ball at the best possible time. They’ve gone 7-2 over their last nine games, which includes road wins at Kentucky and at Saint Mary’s. The team ranks second in the nation in field goal percentage, and it’s also stout on the other end, allowing the 19th-lowest field goal percentage in the country. So, KU without its leading scorer going up against a balanced Gonzaga team spells a short tournament stay for the Jayhawks. 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.
So what’s the optimal NCAA Tournament 2024 bracket, and which NCAA Tournament Cinderella teams will shock college basketball? Visit SportsLine now to see which region the 1- and 3-seeds go down in flames before the Elite Eight, and which region features a 4-seed in the Final Four, all from the model that has beaten 92% of bracket players three of the last five tournaments.
