The 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket is set and this year everybody will have their eyes on Florida Atlantic as one of the potential 2024 March Madness bracket busters. The Owls made the Final Four last season as a No. 9 seed and are a No. 8 seed in the East Region of the 2024 March Madness college basketball with over 90% of their scoring back from last season. They’re looking at a potential second-round matchup against No. 1 overall seed UConn and the other No. 1 seeds during March Madness 2024 are Purdue, Houston and North Carolina.
Could FAU play the role of 2024 March Madness Cinderella again during the NCAA Tournament 2024 and send the defending national champions packing in the second round? At least one No. 7 seed or higher has made the Final Four of the Big Dance in nine of the last 10 seasons, so it might be smart to create a 2024 March Madness bracket where you have a high seed going deep. Before making any 2024 NCAA Tournament predictions, see the March Madness bracket picks from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
This model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, has nailed 20 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds since its inception in 2016 and nailed UConn’s dramatic Final Four run as a 4-seed last year. It went an amazing 22-10 in the first round, including an astounding 12-4 in the Midwest and West regions.
Last year, SportsLine’s computer simulation nailed massive upsets, including huge wins by No. 13 Furman over No. 4 Virginia and No. 10 Penn State over No. 7 Texas A&M. The model has beaten over 92% of all CBS Sports bracket players in three of the past five tournaments.
Now, SportsLine’s advanced computer model has simulated the entire 2024 NCAA Tournament 10,000 times to come up with the perfect 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket and find out which teams will pull off the biggest upsets. You shouldn’t even think about making a pick without seeing what their model has to say.
Top 2024 March Madness bracket upset picks
One Midwest Region surprise the model has identified: No. 11 seed Oregon knocks off No. 6 South Carolina in the first round. The Gamecocks overachieved by every metric this season after being picked to finish last in the SEC. However, they went just 5-4 in their last nine games and were 3-5 when they allowed at least 70 points in a game. Oregon has advanced to at least the Sweet 16 in each of its last four NCAA Tournament appearances, racking up the second-most tournament victories of any Pac-12 team since 2013. Head coach Dana Altman has coached 31 NCAA Tournament games in his career, while South Carolina coach Lamont Paris has only coached one game in the Big Dance.
Another surprise from the Midwest Region: No. 5 Gonzaga takes out No. 4 Kansas in the second round. The Bulldogs are making their 25th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, while the Jayhawks are in for the 34th time in a row. However, both teams have had to overcome challenges this season, with Gonzaga failing to capture a share of the league title for the first time since 2012 and Kansas dealing with mounting injuries.
Kevin McCullar and Hunter Dickinson, Kansas’ two best players, were both held out of the 2024 Big 12 Tournament. Now, they’re looking questionable for the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament bracket 2024. Dickinson (shoulder) has been non-contact in practice, while McCullar (knee) hasn’t been able to do any work so far this week. Those are big reasons why the model has Gonzaga sneaking past Kansas in the Round of 32 to make the Sweet 16. See which other 2024 March Madness upsets to target here.
How to make 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket predictions
SportsLine’s model is also predicting a stunning No. 12 seed that will reach the Sweet Sixteen and has one region where three double-digit underdogs pull off first-round shockers, busting brackets everywhere. 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 how should you fill out your NCAA Tournament 2024 bracket, and which NCAA Tournament Cinderella teams will shock college basketball? Visit SportsLine to see which 12-seed reaches the Sweet 16, and which region features a 10-seed, 11-seed, and 13-seed delivering first-round shockers and has a 9-seed in the Elite Eight, all from the model that has beaten 92% of bracket players three of the last five tournaments.
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