🏀 March Madness Bracket Predictions Today 2026: Expert Picks for Every Game

Our March Madness bracket predictions start with today's first 16 games of the Round of 64, and we have you covered for all 63 games of the 2026 NCAA Tournament from today through the national championship on Monday, April 6. The tournament begins with TCU and Ohio State squaring up in Buffalo, N.Y., at 12:15 p.m. ET.

Though my Final Four predictions expect a chalky showing in Indianapolis in early April, I have more than a few upsets with my 2026 NCAA Tournament picks. See my 2026 March Madness bracket below, along with our experts' March Madness predictions for every game.

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🏀 Expert March Madness bracket 2026: Full picks & predictions

Click here to download our free printable NCAA Tournament bracket ahead of today's first-round tournament play. Distribute it among your pool competitors, have everyone fill in their best March Madness predictions through the national championship on April 6, and watch the madness over the next three weeks.

Need some help with your bracket? Our expert March Madness bracket predictions are here to help! Here is my instant-reaction bracket from Sunday night, which I'm standing by heading into today's first tournament games:

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💸  March Madness predictions: Thursday

Here are today's best March Madness picks for all 16 games:

TCU vs. Ohio State odds & predictions

TCU vs. Ohio State prediction: Ohio State ML

"Based on adjusted offensive efficiency metrics, Ohio State has recorded four of its six best offensive games of the season since the calendar flipped to March. This stretch started with an 82-74 win over Purdue and featured 90-point efforts against Penn State and Indiana." - via Shane Thurston

Troy vs. Nebraska odds & predictions

Troy vs. Nebraska prediction: Troy +13.5

"Troy returned 44% of the minutes from a team that lost by 19 in the NCAA Tournament to Kentucky. But those Wildcats fared much better than this year’s Nebraska squad in terms of adjusted offensive efficiency (10th vs. 55th) and 3-point shooting (24th vs. 103rd)." - via Mike Spector

South Florida vs. Louisville odds & predictions

South Florida vs. Louisville prediction: South Florida +5.5

"Louisville is a team that can go on a run, but it's also susceptible to an early upset because it lives and dies by the 3-ball. The Cardinals have the fourth-highest 3-point rate in the country, shooting 35.7% from distance. Louisville is 7-8 straight up this year when it shoots worse than 35% from 3-point range." - via Shane Thurston

High Point vs. Wisconsin odds & predictions

High Point vs. Wisconsin prediction: High Point +10

"As was the case last year, you want to back the team with superior talent in a battle of strength vs. strength. The difference is that we are getting +10 for High Point this year, compared to a closing spread of 7.5 against Purdue." - via Shane Thurston

Siena vs. Duke odds & predictions

Siena vs. Duke prediction: Duke -29.5

"This mismatch is one of the biggest reasons there is a plus-42.51 AdjEM gap between the No. 1 and No. 16 seeds, the second-highest all-time. Siena’s undoing will be a defensive turnover rate that lowered to 15.8% in MAAC play (11th-worst), meaning Duke will have plenty of clean possessions." - via Mike Spector

McNeese vs. Vanderbilt odds & predictions

McNeese vs. Vanderbilt prediction: McNeese Under 69.5 points

"The Cowboys lead the country with an average of 21.3 points off turnovers per game. According to BBall Index, their transition offense ranks in the 96th percentile and half-court offense in the 44th percentile." - via Shane Thurston

North Dakota State vs. Michigan State odds & predictions

North Dakota State vs. Michigan State prediction: Under 143.5

"North Dakota State has the offensive system necessary to space out Michigan State’s defense, ranking in the 93rd percentile in catch-and-shoot rate combined with a 93rd percentile efficiency on such shots. But the Bison also generated many open looks by playing inside-out with an 82nd percentile post-up rate. The Spartans will not have to overhelp on post touches like other mid-majors." - via Mike Spector

Hawaii vs. Arkansas odds & predictions

Hawaii vs. Arkansas prediction: Hawaii +16.5

"Hawaii’s defense ranks in the top 15 in the country in 3-point attempt rate, and the top three in assist rate. And not only are the Rainbow Warriors not allowing long range attempts, but its 3-point percentage defense ranks in the top 30 in the country." - via Mike Spector

VCU vs. North Carolina odds & predictions

VCU vs. North Carolina prediction: VCU moneyline

"The data says that VCU is the better team in this matchup, as North Carolina is without its best player. According to Bart Torvik's ratings, North Carolina ranks No. 38 overall and has gone 5-3 over its last eight games. The Tar Heels are 50th in adjusted offensive efficiency and 49th in adjusted defensive efficiency." - via Shane Thurston

Howard vs. Michigan odds & predictions

Howard vs. Michigan prediction: Howard +31.5

"Howard deploys full-court pressure at the ninth-highest rate among all NCAA Tournament teams. The fact that it had a 98th percentile Press Defensive Rating suggests it should press Michigan at a high rate, since it’s without its backup point guard." - via Mike Spector

Texas vs. BYU odds & predictions

Texas vs. BYU prediction: Over 157.5

"The Cougars don't deserve this much respect in the market. According to Bart Torvik's ratings, the Cougars rank 46th in the country since Feb. 15. They are 119th in adjusted defensive efficiency over that span. For comparison, BYU was No. 26 overall and 61st on defense before Saunders went down." - via Shane Thurston

Texas A&M vs. Saint Mary's odds & predictions

Texas A&M vs. Saint Mary's prediction: Saint Mary's -2.5

"There isn't much separating these two teams, so I think Saint Mary's rebounding advantage will be the biggest difference. The Gaels rank fourth in the country in rebound margin, posting the 15th-best offensive rebound rate and fourth-best defensive rebound rate. For comparison, the Aggies are 284th in defensive rebounding." - via Shane Thurston

Penn vs. Illinois odds & predictions

Penn vs. Illinois prediction: Illinois -24.5

"Penn had a big advantage on the sideline in the Ivy finals in Fran McCaffery who went 5-1 on the Friday-Saturday back-to-backs with no rest while Yale was 1-4. This is obviously a much different scenario with three days to prepare, and the Quakers offense that was 283rd offensively from Jan. 24 to Sunday will not keep up with Illinois." - via Mike Spector

Saint Louis vs. Georgia odds & predictions

Saint Louis vs. Georgia prediction: Saint Louis ML

"The Billikens run a lot of great ball-screen sets, which is why their half-court offense ranks in the 96th percentile, and their man offense is in the 97th percentile (per BBall Index). Georgia ranks in the 58th and 53rd percentiles, respectively, due to its struggles when defending ball screens. If the Bulldogs don't find success with their press, the Billikens will score a lot of points." via Shane Thurston

Kennesaw State vs. Gonzaga odds & predictions

Kennesaw State vs. Gonzaga prediction: Gonzaga -10.5 first-half spread

"Gonzaga ranks fourth nationally with a plus-9.4 point margin in the first halves of games. That dominance is due in large part to an offense that averages 41.1 first-half points, which ranks 16th nationally." - via Mike Spector

Idaho vs. Houston odds & predictions

Idaho vs. Houston prediction: Houston -23.5

"If the Vandals use their league-high 45.5% 3-point rate to catch fire from the perimeter, they could make this a game against Houston. But they'll have to get the Cougars defense moving, which Idaho, with its bottom-25 assist rate nationally, will struggle to do." - via Mike Spector

🤖 March Madness AI bracket predictions

Want some help with your bracket? Our C Jackson Cowart trained the latest version of Claude for its best 2026 March Madness AI predictions.

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🎯 Ranking the No. 1 seeds: The clearest path to the Final Four

Check out the latest March Madness odds and Final Four odds.

The overall favorite: Michigan (+360)

Despite losing the Big Ten Tournament championship to Purdue and slipping behind Arizona in the selection committee's rankings, Michigan is the March Madness odds favorite. That's because the Wolverines have the clearest path to the Final Four.

Dusty May's team is in a Midwest region that includes several single-digit seeds that are susceptible to upsets (Alabama, Texas Tech, Tennessee, Kentucky) and the lowest-ranked No. 3 seed by KenPom (Virginia).

Though guard play remains a question, especially with the injury to L.J. Cason, Michigan's dominant frontcourt is capable of bullying its way to the Final Four in Indianapolis. There's also a realistic chance that Yaxel Lendeborg and Co. won't even have to play a high-major until the Elite Eight.

The most vulnerable No. 1 seed: Florida (+750)

Everyone's talking about the East region being loaded with blue bloods and legendary coaches, which it is, but I do not envy what the defending champions will need to deal with in the South. 

Todd Golden's Gators have the best No. 2 seed (Houston) and No. 3 seed (Illinois) in the bracket for my money. Kelvin Sampson's Cougars are one of five teams ranked in the top 15 in both offensive and defensive efficiency, while the Fighting Illini are No. 1 in the country in offensive rating (125.5).

The South is also home to a Vanderbilt team that just beat Florida in the SEC Tournament, not to mention two potential March heroes. Iowa's Bennett Stirtz is one of three high-major players in the country averaging 20-plus PPG and 4.5-plus APG, while Troy's Victor Valdes has earned the nickname "Mexican Luka" for a reason.

When you're ready, test your skills via these FREE March Madness bracket contests.

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👠 March Madness upset alerts: Bracket busters to watch

Best first-round upset pick: No. 11 South Florida over No. 6 Louisville

There's plenty of upset potential with this year's NCAA Tournament, and it should make up for last year's lack of madness. But no single-digit seed jumps out more in the first round as a potential upset candidate than Louisville ... so of course, they draw a mid-major darling in South Florida.

Pat Kelsey's Cardinals have been struggling to take flight down the stretch, losing four of their last eight games. Plus, star freshman Mikel Brown Jr. has missed the team's last four games with a back injury.

Even worse for Louisville? South Florida's a wagon under the fiery leadership of bench boss Bryan Hodgson. His Bulls are ranked No. 8 nationally in PPG (88.3) and No. 15 in adjusted tempo behind the play American Player of the Year Izaiyah Nelson.

Best Cinderella pick to reach Sweet 16: No. 12 Akron

Everyone loves the No. 12 vs. No. 5 upset pick, and rightfully so. A No. 12 seed has beaten a No. 5 seed 10 times in the last six NCAA Tournaments, and it's poised to happen again in 2026.

While Miami (OH) got all of the attention out of the MAC this year, thanks to its undefeated regular season, Akron is the better team on paper and won the conference tournament. The Zips are more than a bid stealer, too; they're a legit threat to make a run in March.

John Groce's team is top 10 in the country in PPG (88.4), offensive rating (123.1), and field-goal percentage (50.3%). Guard Tavari Johnson is one of the most lethal mid-major players in the nation (20.1 PPG), and should give Texas Tech plenty of problems in the first round. 

The Red Raiders are without All-American JT Toppin, and All-Big 12 guard Christian Anderson exited the Big 12 Tournament with an injury after slipping on the LED glass court.

Double-digit seeds ready for a run: 5 Cinderellas to watch

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⏰ 2026 March Madness bracket deadlines

What you definitely don't want to do, is miss the March Madness bracket deadline for these March Madness bracket challenges - and your own pools.

Here are the deadlines for some of the best FREE March Madness bracket challenges, including the Kalshi Billion Dollar Bracket - that's the one deadline you definitely don't want to miss this year!

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🔮 2026 Regional breakdowns: Predicting the winners

East Region (Washington, D.C.)

Our C Jackson Cowart made his East Region predictions for the first round.

• Quick take: This region is stacked with blue blood programs and championship-winning coaches, but no team has the talent to stop Wooden Award odds favorite Cameron Boozer
• Best regional value bet: St. John's (+1300) - Rick Pitino has done it all in his Hall of Fame career and just blew out UConn to win a second straight
• Best first round matchup: No. 11 South Florida vs. No. 6 Louisville
• Dark horse: South Florida (+75000) - Hodgson's team plays with absurd pace and is one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the country
• Final Four pick: Duke (-165)

West Region (San Jose)

See our full West Region first-round preview.

• Quick take: The West is full of star guards, from Darius Acuff Jr. to Braden Smith; however, no team has the length and defensive dominance of Arizona, with Tommy Lloyd's team sitting No. 3 in adjusted defensive efficiency
• Best regional value bet: Purdue (+800) - the preseason favorites to win it all are heating up at the right time after dismantling Michigan in the NCAA Tournament
• Best first round matchup: No. 9 Utah State vs. No. 8 Villanova
• Dark horse: Utah State (+10000) - the Aggies should have been at least a top eight seed with Jerrod Calhoun having a nasty guard combo in Mason Falslev and MJ Collins
• Final Four pick: Arizona (-120)

South Region (Houston)

Cowart has Vanderbilt making a run to the Sweet 16 as a long shot with his South Region predictions.

• Quick take: This is going to be the most competitive region (Florida, Houston, and Illinois are all capable of making a push to the Final Four), with Houston having the highest ceiling due to its combo of guard play and defensive talent
• Best regional value bet: Illinois (+460) - at its best, Illinois can beat anyone because of Keaton Wagler and the insane size of Brad Underwood's roster, and I think the Sweet 16 winner of Illinois vs. Houston will beat Florida
• Best first round matchup: No. 9 Iowa vs. No. 8 Clemson
• Dark horse: Troy (+50000) - Scott Cross is one hell of a coach, and the Trojans surround their scary frontcourt duo of Valdes and Thomas Dowd with capable shooters in the Campbell brothers (Cooper and Cobi)
• Final Four pick: Houston (+230)

Midwest Region (Chicago)

We cover our Midwest Region best bets, with Alabama as a potential darkhorse.

• Quick take: Maybe losing to Purdue worked out for Michigan, which ends up in what appears to be the easiest region, one full of inconsistent teams that do not have the size to match May's Wolverines
• Best regional value bet: Iowa State (+460) - the Cyclones are the hardest top three seed to gauge, some nights looking like championship contenders and others looking like frauds, but they're the only Midwest team that can compete with Michigan
• Best first round matchup: No. 8 Saint Louis vs. No. 9 Georgia
• Dark horse: Akron (+30000) - the Zips have an explosive offense that plays with tempo and is led by a star guard in Johnson, who could lead Akron to some shocking wins
• Final Four pick: Houston (+230)

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🏆 Final Four & national championship picks

 Need tips for your bracket? Here are a few things to know about how to fill out a March Madness bracket. 

💰️ National champion prediction: Duke (+400)

Duke's been able to weather the storm of losing Caleb Foster and Patrick Ngongba to injury, and Ngongba is expected to be back sooner rather than later.

Couple that with the Blue Devils seeing improved play from Cayden Boozer in the ACC Tournament championship, and I think Scheyer's team is poised to live up to the hype in this year's NCAA Tournament. 

Not only does Duke have the best player in the country in Cameron Boozer, but it also has a microwave scorer in Isaiah Evans, a defensive stopper in Dame Sarr, and one of the best coaches in college basketball.

Duke is the only team ranked in the top four nationally in adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency, and it's lost just one game this year that wasn't a true road game.

I'm expecting Scheyer to finally step out of Coach K's shadow this March.

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🆚 March Madness first-round matchups & previews

Here is the first-round March Madness schedule, and our betting preview:

🏀 March Madness bracket previews: East | Midwest | West | South

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💡 Expert March Madness bracket picks & contests

Here are the rest of our March Madness bracket tips ahead of Thursday's deadline:

• Kalshi Billion Dollar Bracket
• Today's best March Madness bracket contests
• March Madness bracket predictions
• When are March Madness brackets due?
• Free printable March Madness bracket
• Expert March Madness bracket predictions
• March Madness AI bracket predictions

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💰 March Madness predictions: Round 1 schedule

Here is the March Madness first-round schedule, along with our predictions for every game; odds via DraftKings:

Thursday, March 19

Friday, March 20

Tuesday, March 17

Wednesday, March 18

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March Madness predictions: Friday

Santa Clara vs. Kentucky odds & predictions

Santa Clara vs. Kentucky prediction: Kentucky -3.5

"The Broncos haven't experienced many affairs against teams of Kentucky's caliber, and they haven't had a ton of success when they have. Santa Clara is 2-6 in Quad 1 games, with its only wins coming against similarly-underexposed WCC foe, Saint Mary's. The Broncos have allowed 80.25 PPG in Quad 1 games, and should struggle to contain the Wildcats (80.8 PPG)." - via Brenden Schaeffer

Akron vs. Texas Tech odds & predictions

Akron vs. Texas Tech prediction: Over 155.5

"Akron (113th in DRtg) allows 35.1% to its opponents on 3-point attempts (253rd) and plays at a pace (32nd in adjusted tempo) that should speed up the Red Raiders, leading one of the nation's best offenses to have ample possessions to do damage." - via Brenden Schaeffer

Long Island vs. Arizona odds & predictions

Long Island vs. Arizona prediction: Arizona -31.5

"The first thing I notice about this matchup is the size mismatch. Long Island's tallest starter is 6'6", while Arizona has multiple key players 6'7" and taller, including 7'2" Motiejus Krivas. Additionally, Long Island doesn't shoot well, averaging just 6.0 made 3-pointers per game, the 326th-most in the country." - via Phil Wood

Wright State vs. Virginia odds & predictions

Wright State vs. Virginia prediction: Over 145.5

"Virginia can't do all the scoring alone. Thankfully, Wright State is averaging 80.7 points per game. The Raiders rank 30th in the country in shooting percentage (48.8%), so they should be able to at least partially overcome this brutal matchup against the nation's 13th-best shooting defense." - via Phil Wood

Tennessee State vs. Iowa State odds & predictions

Tennessee State vs. Iowa State prediction: Iowa State -24.5

"Iowa State is one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country, knocking down 38.7% of its attempts from deep. Six different Cyclones shoot over 30% from deep, including Milan Momcilovic, who shoots 49.6% from 3-point range." - via Phil Wood

Hofstra vs. Alabama odds & predictions

Hofstra vs. Alabama prediction: Hofstra +12.5

"Hofstra ranks 33rd in 3-point field goal percentage (36.8%), which could be a huge problem for an Alabama defense that ranks 169th in opponent 3-point field goal percentage. This excellent shooting, combined with the nation's 19th-best scoring defense (66.1 points per game), has allowed the Pride to go 21-11 ATS this season." - via Phil Wood

Utah State vs. Villanova odds & predictions

Utah State vs. Villanova prediction: Utah State ML

"Despite coming from the superior league, I'm looking at Villanova as susceptible to an early exit due to its pedigree against quality teams. The Wildcats are 1-6 against Quad 1 opponents that made the NCAA Tournament field." - via Brenden Schaeffer

TBD vs. Tennessee odds & predictions

Check back for this matchup once Tennessee's first-round opponent is decided.

Iowa vs. Clemson odds & predictions

Iowa vs. Clemson prediction: Iowa ML

"With few points and possessions expected, I lean toward the more-balanced Hawkeyes, who also happen to be the group with stronger free-throw efficiency (77.0%, 33rd) to close out a close game." - via Brenden Schaeffer

Northern Iowa vs. St. John's odds & predictions

Northern Iowa vs. St. John's prediction: Northern Iowa +9.5

"St. John's doesn't shoot the three well (33.2%, 215th), and it's not especially efficient on two-point field goals (51.6%, 190th). That provides an opening for Northern Iowa, who pairs sturdy defense with the third-slowest adjusted tempo in the country. UNI wants a rock fight, and St. John's may not have the necessary characteristics to avoid one." - via Brenden Schaeffer

UCF vs. UCLA odds & predictions

UCF vs. UCLA prediction: UCLA -5.5

"The Knights fall outside the top-100 in adjusted defensive efficiency and allow opponents to shoot 45.6% from the field (237th). Key Bruin scorers Donovan Dent and Tyler Bilodeau exited UCLA's last game due to injury, but both are expected to play on Friday. Wheels up for UCLA's explosive offense against this soft defensive team." - via Brenden Schaeffer

Queens vs. Purdue odds & predictions

Queens vs. Purdue prediction: Purdue -25.5

"Not only is Purdue averaging 81.7 points per game and 49.9% from the field this season, but they get to face a defense that is allowing 82.9 points per game, which ranks 353rd in the nation. Purdue is also averaging 11.3 offensive rebounds per game and should get plenty of extra possessions against a team that ranks 267th in rebounds per game." - via Phil Wood

TBD vs. Florida odds & predictions

Check back for this matchup once Florida's first-round opponent is decided.

Cal Baptist vs. Kansas odds & predictions

Cal Baptist vs. Kansas prediction: Under 137.5

"And while I believe Kansas could end up scoring in the 70s, I never see Cal Baptist getting into the mid-60s or higher. The Lancers rank 267th in shooting percentage (43.2%), and they're probably going to shoot even worse from the field against a Kansas defense that ranks third in opponent field goal percentage (38.8%)." - via Phil Wood

Furman vs. UConn odds & predictions

Furman vs. UConn prediction: Under 136.5

"Considering UConn has the 23rd-best 3-point shooting defense and 19th-best shooting defense, I don't expect Furman to score enough to offset UConn's recent offensive struggles." - via Phil Wood

Missouri vs. Miami odds & predictions

Missouri vs. Miami prediction: Miami ML

"I'm a Mizzou grad who will be in the building on Friday night, but I see containing interior threats Malik Reneau (18.8 PPG) and Ernest Udeh Jr. as a problem if Missouri center Shawn Phillips Jr. can't stay out of foul trouble—and he rarely stays out of foul trouble." - via Brenden Schaeffer

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📅 March Madness schedule & key dates

• Selection Sunday: March 15
• First Four: March 17-18 (Dayton, Ohio)
• First round: March 19-20
• Second round: March 21-22
• Sweet 16: March 26-27
• Elite Eight: March 28-29
• Final Four: Saturday, April 4
• National championship game: Monday, April 6

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