🏀 Printable March Madness Second Chance Bracket Picks 2026: Full Sweet 16 Predictions

There are no perfect March Madness brackets remaining entering the Sweet 16, but there's still hope on the horizon as we break down our March Madness second chance bracket picks for every remaining game of the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

Download our free printable March Madness second-chance bracket here!

Below, I break down every matchup region by region from the Sweet 16 to the Final Four and eventually my national championship pick following the first weekend. For more analysis on each individual game, check out the rest of our March Madness predictions ahead of the first Sweet 16 matchups on Thursday.

🤔 What is a March Madness second chance bracket?

Every person in the world who filled out a bracket entering the NCAA Tournament last week has already seen their bracket busted - the final perfect bracket was killed with Tennessee's win over Virginia in the second round. But that doesn't mean you have to punt on cheering for your bracket over the next two weeks.

Instead, you can fill out a March Madness second chance bracket, which is as simple as it sounds: you can fill out a fresh bracket starting from the Sweet 16 through the title game with 15 picks to get right instead of the full 63 matchups. It's the perfect reset for anyone whose original bracket was decimated by Florida's loss or any other early exit.

The most popular option is the ESPN Tournament Challenge Second Chance - the deadline to submit is before the first Sweet 16 game tips off on Thursday at 7:10 p.m. ET.

🔮 My March Madness second chance bracket picks & full predictions

Follow along with your own free printable March Madness second chance bracket for the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

Download our free printable March Madness second-chance bracket here!

🏀 March Madness second chance bracket picks: East Region

Here are my March Madness second chance bracket picks for every remaining game in the East Region:

St. John’s vs. Duke prediction (Sweet 16)

I picked Duke in my original March Madness bracket predictions, and I wasn't exactly impressed with what I saw through the first two rounds - surviving a scare against Siena in the first round before escaping a second-round fight with TCU. St. John’s has the depth and coaching under Rick Pitino to give the Blue Devils 40 minutes of hell ... but I expect Duke to pull away in the second half as it's done twice this tournament.

Pick to advance: Duke

Michigan State vs. UConn prediction (Sweet 16)

This is a virtual pick ’em: UConn opened as just a 1.5-point favorite, and Michigan State profiles as the better team in KenPom despite the worse seed. The Spartans have been splashing threes (21-for-46) with star guard Jeremy Fears dishing out 27 assists through two rounds, while UConn has shot just 26.5% from deep thus far and needed to turn it on late against a shorthanded UCLA squad. That simply won't cut it against a Michigan State team that leads the country in defensive rebounding rate.

Pick to advance: Michigan State

Michigan State vs. Duke prediction (Elite Eight)

Two of the sport’s most iconic programs meet in the Elite Eight for the second time since 2019, when the Spartans got the best of a star-studded Blue Devils squad led by Zion Williamson and Co. It wouldn't shock me to see a repeat, but Duke seemed to find another gear in the second half against TCU - that version of this team will be hard to beat in a one-game setting with a trip to the Final Four at stake.

Pick to advance: Duke

🏀 March Madness second chance bracket picks: South Region

Here are my March Madness second chance bracket picks for every remaining game in the South Region:

Iowa vs. Nebraska prediction (Sweet 16)

Iowa is a dangerous team that went toe to toe with defending champion Florida and looked like the better team. But Nebraska remains one of the most underrated squads in the field: the Cornhuskers rank sixth nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency and hold opponents to just 30.1% from three while preventing easy looks inside. Nebraska won the last meeting between these two on March 8, and I like Fred Hoiberg's team in the rematch.

Pick to advance: Nebraska

Illinois vs. Houston prediction (Sweet 16)

This is an Elite Eight matchup masquerading as a Sweet 16 clash ... and that’s bad news for Illinois. The Fighting Illini feature the nation's tallest lineup and arguably its best offense (No. 2 in adjusted efficiency), but Houston’s top-five defense is built to frustrate what Illinois does so well, and the Cougars are essentially playing a home game at the Toyota Center. This should be an epic battle, but give me the defending runner-up in their own backyard.

Pick to advance: Houston

Nebraska vs. Houston prediction (Elite Eight)

I picked Houston to reach the Final Four in my original bracket, in part because of how skeptical I was of Florida surviving this region. Nebraska is enjoying a storybook season, but it doesn’t have the experience, roster talent, or coaching advantage that Kelvin Sampson’s squad brings to this stage after last year’s run to the title game.

Pick to advance: Houston

🏀 March Madness second chance bracket picks: West Region

Here are my March Madness second chance bracket picks for every remaining game in the West Region:

Arkansas vs. Arizona prediction (Sweet 16)

Arkansas is riding high behind freshman Darius Acuff Jr., who scored 60 points through two rounds - the most ever by a freshman in his first two NCAA Tournament games - and has looked like the best player in the tournament. Yet Arizona is a step up from a pair of double-digit seeds that the Hogs have faced so far. The Wildcats have looked like the best team in the country for most of the season with a top-five offense and defense, and they have the size inside to neutralize the athleticism of John Calipari’s squad.

Pick to advance: Arizona

Texas vs. Purdue prediction (Sweet 16)

I didn't expect either of these teams to reach this stage and especially Texas, which lost five of its last six to end the regular season before ripping off three wins in five days (NC State, BYU, Gonzaga) to become the only double-digit seed in the Sweet 16. It’s hard to bet against what Sean Miller’s squad is doing, particularly if its frontcourt duo of Dailyn Swain (6-8) and Matas Vokietaitis (7-0) can take advantage of a vulnerable Purdue defense in the Sweet 16.

Pick to advance: Texas

Texas vs. Arizona prediction (Elite Eight)

The road ends here for the Longhorns. Texas is only the sixth team to go from the First Four to the Sweet 16, but Arizona boasts one of the deepest rosters in the field and should be able to take advantage of tired legs (and a personnel mismatch) in the Elite Eight. The Wildcats haven't lost a game since February; that won't change here.

Pick to advance: Arizona

🏀 March Madness second chance bracket picks: Midwest Region

Here are my March Madness second chance bracket picks for every remaining game in the Midwest Region:

Alabama vs. Michigan prediction (Sweet 16)

Michigan entered the tournament with question marks after a sluggish Big Ten tournament, but the Wolverines have answered the call loud and clear - scoring 101 and 95 points in dominant wins through the first two rounds. Alabama has been sharp even without second-leading scorer Aden Holloway (16.8 PPG), but Michigan has too much size and defensive versatility with three projected first-round picks in Yaxel Lendeborg (6-9), Morez Johnson (6-9), and Aday Mara (7-3) anchoring a top-five unit.

Pick to advance: Michigan

Tennessee vs. Iowa State prediction (Sweet 16)

I had Iowa State in my Final Four with a long-shot ticket on the Cyclones winning it all, but that was before All-American Joshua Jefferson went down with a sprained left ankle that has him in a walking boot and on a scooter. There’s a chance Jefferson returns for the Sweet 16, but even if he does, I’m not betting on a hobbled star in a tournament setting against a physical team like Tennessee, which survived a gutsy effort from Virginia to reach this point. The Vols have the advanced profile of an Elite Eight squad ... as long as Rick Barnes doesn’t find a way to blow it.

Pick to advance: Tennessee

Tennessee vs. Michigan prediction (Elite Eight)

This is a sneaky good matchup: Tennessee ranks 14th in KenPom with the best offensive rebounding rate in the country and enough size down low to keep things close. But Michigan is on a different level right now. Lendeborg has made nearly half of his 3-point attempts since the start of the Big Ten tournament (10-for-21), Mara is a matchup nightmare, and the Wolverines’ combination of elite defense and three-level scoring is too much for Tennessee to contain for 40 minutes.

Pick to advance: Michigan

🏆 Final Four and national championship predictions

Here are my March Madness second chance bracket picks to win each Final Four game and the national championship:

Houston vs. Duke prediction (Final Four)

Duke had every opportunity to win the national title last year but was tripped up by a physical Houston team that gutted its way to the title game. That could happen again, but these Cougars lack the scoring upside of last year's group, and Duke clearly has the higher ceiling with Cameron Boozer - the March Madness MVP odds favorite - in the midst of a historic campaign. If the Blue Devils can match Houston's toughness, their perimeter talent gives them more ways to win - especially if Caleb Foster (foot) can return by the Final Four.

Pick to advance: Duke

Michigan vs. Arizona prediction (Final Four)

This is the best game of the tournament on paper: these teams rank first and second in KenPom net rating with top-six units on both ends of the court. Michigan’s frontcourt with Mara and Johnson is the more imposing of the two, but Arizona’s interior defense is arguably the best in the country, and backcourt stars Jaden Bradley and five-star freshman Koa Peat can keep up with the Wolverines' up-tempo attack. Arizona has passed every single test this season aside from a tough two-game stretch in February, and I'm riding with the 'Cats into the title game.

Pick to advance: Arizona

Arizona vs. Duke prediction (national championship)

As I mentioned before, I haven't been all that impressed with Duke through the first two rounds. So why pick the Blue Devils in my second chance bracket? Because roster talent usually wins out in the tournament, and this is the most talented team in the field. Boozer has an outside shot at being the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft and likely would be in most years, and there's a chance Duke's roster is finally whole when it matters most. Arizona has the profile of a champion, but I'm sticking with my gut and backing the Blue Devils to cut down the nets for the first time since 2015.

National champion pick: Duke

📊 2026 March Madness odds entering Sweet 16

Here are the latest March Madness odds via FanDuel entering the Sweet 16, along with each team's implied probability to win the 2026 NCAA Tournament.