Upsets are a key part of March Madness and last year's NCAA Tournament featured historic upsets, including a 16th-place finish and a 15th-place finish in the same season for the first time. Since the NCAA Tournament bracket expanded to 64 teams (then to 68) in 1985, there have been only two No. 16 seeds and 11 No. 15 seeds to advance to the second round. Saint Peter's made a historic run to the Elite Eight as a No. 15 seed in 2022, and the Peacocks are on the 15-seed again when they open the 2024 March Madness bracket against No. 2 Tennessee on Thursday.
Could lightning strike twice with St. Peter's making another Cinderella via the 2024 March Madness bracket or are there better picks to play in the 2024 March Madness bracket? Before you make any predictions for the March Madness 2024 arc, check this out Check out our 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket picks from SportsLine's proven computer model.
Our proven display model has simulated every match in the tournament 10,000 times. It has absolutely crushed March Madness picks recently, beating more than 92 percent of all CBS Sports brackets in three of the past five tournaments. In an upset-filled 2023 NCAA Tournament, the model was all over UConn's shocking Final Four run as a 4-seed. They went an impressive 23-9 in the first round, including an impressive 12-4 finish in the Midwest and West regions.
He knows how to detect discomfort, too. The same model has produced brackets that have produced 20 first-round upsets with 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 the 2024 March Madness brackets. Now, with the 2024 NCAA bracket revealed, the model is simulating the matchups and its results are in. You can only see it on SportsLine.
The 2024 March Madness bracket games worth watching
One 2024 March Madness matchup to watch: No. 4 seed Duke vs. No. 13 seed Vermont in the South Region. This is John Shear's second season at the helm after Mike Krzyzewski led the Blue Devils to 13 Final Fours and five national championships. Kyle Filipowski returned after last year's second-round loss to Tennessee and is averaging 17.1 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, the Catamounts went 28-6 overall and 15-1 in conference play to win the AEC title. This is Vermont's third straight NCAA Tournament appearance, and John Baker's team nearly upset Arkansas (75-71) two years ago as a No. 13 seed.
Also in the South Region, Wisconsin's matchup against James Madison will be another pivotal 5 vs. 12 matchup. The Badgers are led by St. John's transfer AJ Storr, who averaged 16.9 points per game this season and 22.5 during Wisconsin's run to the Big Ten Tournament final. However, Wisconsin has not advanced to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament since 2017, which was coach Greg Gard's first season. Meanwhile, James Madison ranks in the top 50 in the country in field goal percentage (26) and field goal percentage on defense (45). The Dukes have won 31 games this season and have had success against the Big Ten this season, upsetting Michigan State on its way to start the year.
The third game to watch in the South Region pits No. 3 seed Kentucky versus No. 14 seed Oakland. The Wildcats went 23-9 on the season and finished in a four-way tie for second place in the SEC after going 13-5 in the conference. Antonio Reaves averaged 20.0 points per game to lead Kentucky while the Wildcats had five players averaging double figures in scoring. Oakland will make its fourth-ever NCAA Tournament appearance and Greg Camby has led the program all 25 seasons since joining Division I in 1999-2000. Trey Townsend averaged 16.9 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game this year, winning Horizon League Most Valuable Player and Horizon League Tournament MVP honors. You can see how far all these teams have come at SportsLine.
How to make 2024 NCAA bracket predictions
How far will these major programs reach? And which Cinderella teams will make surprise runs during the 2024 NCAA Tournament? With the model's track record of bracket-busting surprises, you'll want to Find out what amazing things this year calls for before you lock in any NCAA picks.
So what's the ideal 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket? Who are the underdogs in March Madness that will shock college basketball? Visit SportsLine now to see which teams you can support with confidence, all from a model that has pulled off 20 upsets with double-digit rankings since its debut and has beaten more than 92 percent of players in three of the last five tournaments.
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