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Sports

NCAA bracket predictions: Model reveals surprising March Madness 2026 tournament picks to target

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5 hours ago

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Virginia plays a bit differently under head coach Ryan Odom compared to Tony Bennett, but the emphasis on defense remains the same. The Cavs lead all of college basketball with 6.5 blocks per game, while they also defend on the perimeter by allowing the lowest three-point percentage in the ACC. That has No. 3 UVA as the pick of many to represent the Midwest Region in the Final Four of the 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket. The program’s last March Madness victory was winning the National Championship Game in 2019 and it will begin March Madness 2026 with a contest against No. 14 Wright State.

Potential future matchups could see the Cavaliers take on No. 7 Kentucky, No. 2 Iowa State or No. 1 Michigan in the March Madness bracket 2026. It took Bennett five years at Virginia to win his first tournament game, while Odom is looking for a sustained NCAA Tournament run in his first year at the school. Before making any 2026 March Madness bracket predictions, be sure to check out the 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket picks from the proven computer model at SportsLine.

Their proven projection model has simulated every game in the tournament 10,000 times. It has absolutely crushed its March Madness picks recently, beating over 91 percent of all CBS Sports brackets in four of the past seven tournaments. It was all over UConn’s championship run two years ago and nailed 12 teams in the Sweet 16 last year. It also correctly predicted all four Final Four teams in 2025.

It knows how to spot an upset as well. The same model has produced brackets that have nailed 25 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds since its inception in 2016.

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Now, with the 2026 NCAA bracket revealed, the model is simulating the matchups and its results are in. You can only see it over at SportsLine.

Three 2026 March Madness bracket games to watch

One of the most intriguing 2026 March Madness matchups to watch: No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 9 TCU in the East region. This is one of just five first-round matchups between power conference teams, and these squads have similar profiles. Ohio State’s average point differential of +7.0 is slightly better than TCU’s mark of +6.2, but the Horned Frogs are a bit better versus Top 25 teams (3-6 record) than the Buckeyes (2-8). OSU does own a 4-0 all-time record versus TCU, but 9-seeds have gotten the better of 8-seeds in recent tourneys, winning 64.3% of matchups since 2018.

Another 2026 NCAA Tournament matchup to keep an eye on is No. 7 UCLA vs. No. 10 UCF in the East Region. UCLA is in the Big Dance for the 54th time, which is tied for the third-most all-time. The Bruins have the sixth-most experienced roster in college basketball and are led by head coach Mick Cronin, who took them to the 2021 Final Four as a No. 11 seed. UCF is just 1-5 in NCAA Tournament games all-time, with its lone win coming against VCU in the Round of 64 in 2019.  

Another 2026 March Madness game to watch out for: No. 6 Louisville vs. No. 11 South Florida in the East Region. The Cardinals can lean on a 29-4 all-time record versus USF, but Louisville HC Pat Kelsey is also 0-5 all-time in the Round of 64. The status of star Mikel Brown Jr. (back) looms large as he missed the last four games, and UofL is 16-5 with him compared to 7-5 without him. As for South Florida, it swept the American regular season and tournament titles and is riding an 11-game win streak. The Bulls also have five players averaging 11-plus ppg, which is tied for the most in Division I. You can only see the model’s 2026 NCAA bracket picks here.

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How to make 2026 NCAA bracket predictions

Who wins every tournament-defining matchup? And which teams will make surprising runs through the 2026 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 2026 NCAA bracket picks.

So what’s the optimal NCAA Tournament 2026 bracket? And which NCAA Tournament Cinderella teams will shock college basketball? Visit SportsLine now to see which double-digit seeds you can back with confidence, all from the model that called all four Final Four teams in 2025.

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Sports

Jaylen Waddle thrilled about reunion with Broncos star Patrick Surtain II

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13 minutes ago

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19 March 2026

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NFL: Cincinnati Bengals at Miami DolphinsDec 21, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (17) runs the ball during the second quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

One of the perks of being traded to the Denver Broncos for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle is the opportunity to be a teammate of close friend Patrick Surtain II.

The former Alabama teammates often discussed being on the same NFL team at some point during their careers, even more so when both were top-10 picks in the 2021 NFL Draft. Waddle went sixth overall to the Miami Dolphins and Surtain, a cornerback, was chosen at No. 9 by the Broncos.

But Wednesday, the duo officially became NFL teammates when the Broncos formally announced they acquired Waddle and a fourth-round pick in the 2026 draft from the Dolphins for three 2026 picks – a first-rounder, a third-rounder and a fourth-rounder.

“It was special,” Waddle said of learning he’d be playing with Surtain, the 2024 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. “He was one of the first calls that I made. We talked about this earlier in our careers, we wanted to get together and play with each other. Just seeing it happen, it’s special.”

The frequent conversations allowed Waddle to glean some information about Denver coach Sean Payton’s methods.

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“Not too many details,” Waddle said. “We kept in contact through the years when Coach Payton has been here. He’s been keeping me in the loop without even knowing.”

The acquisition of Waddle gives Denver another solid target for quarterback Bo Nix. The Broncos feature two-time Pro Bowl wideout Courtland Sutton, who led the team in catches (74), receiving yards (1,017) and receiving touchdowns (seven) in 2025.

The 5-foot-10 Waddle recorded 64 catches for 910 yards and six touchdowns in 16 games last season for the Dolphins. He is signed through the 2028 season.

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“I don’t think there are No. 1s, everyone is here to make plays and try to win,” Waddle said of the receiving room. “That’s ultimately the goal for the team and for the organization.”

Waddle, 27, has 373 receptions for 5,039 yards and 26 touchdowns in 78 career games (all starts) since entering the NFL. He topped 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons and had a career-high 104 catches as a rookie in 2021.

Best of the deal for Waddle is he gets to play on a team expected to contend for a second straight AFC Championship Game berth. The Dolphins aren’t part of that conversation after going 7-10 last season and entering a rebuilding phase.

“It’s exciting, like I said, just playing with great players,” Waddle said. “Everyone is talking about how great and close the team is. I’m excited to be around the guys, get to know them, and they get to know me and go from there.”

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–Field Level Media

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Sports

Cam Ward crashes Wan’Dale Robinson’s presser as Titans’ new WR reveals reason for joining Tennessee

Published

27 minutes ago

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19 March 2026

By

Wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson had his introductory press conference on Wednesday after joining the Tennessee Titans.

During this interview, quarterback Cam Ward crashed the press conference, which was held virtually. He questioned Robinson about his thoughts on playing alongside him on the Titans.

“Wandale, how excited are you to play with Cam Ward,” the Titans quarterback asked.

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Wan’Dale Robinson was initially surprised by Ward’s presence in the press conference. He then revealed that the quarterback was one of the reasons why he decided to join the team.

Looking to predict NFL playoff Scenarios? Try our NFL Playoff Predictor for real-time simulations and stay ahead of the game!

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“My dog! I appreciate you,” Robinson said. “You know, I’m ready to play with you. That’s part of the reason I came.”

Wan’Dale Robinson began his NFL journey with the New York Giants. They drafted him with the 43rd overall pick in 2022. In four seasons, he recorded 2,465 yards on 268 receptions and nine touchdowns. However, the wide receiver failed to make the playoffs even once.

Last season, the Giants finished dead last in the NFC East with a 4-13 record. Robinson recorded 1,014 yards on 92 receptions and four touchdowns. Last Thursday, he finalized a four-year deal worth $78 million with the Titans.

This move reunites him with his former coach Brian Daboll. He coached the Giants from 2022 to 2025, but was fired midway through last season. In January, Titans new coach Robert Saleh hired him as the new offensive coordinator of the team.

ALSO READ: Ex-NFL QB raises major Cam Ward question as Mel Kiper links Jeremiyah Love to Titans in latest mock draft

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ALSO READ: “Good replacement for Wan’Dale Robinson” “Another weapon for Jaxson Dart”: NFL fans react as Giants sign Darnell Mooney in free agency

Wan’Dale Robinson reveals what the Titans can expect from him in 2026

During his introductory press conference, Wan’Dale Robinson did not shy away from talking about his strengths. He also opened up about what to expect from him as he joins the Titans for a new journey.

“I think the biggest thing is toughness, and making impact plays,” Robinson said as per SI. “Just doing a lot of different things for an offense, being able to move the chess piece that can always line up in different places where defenses can’t exactly know what and when I’m going to do stuff.

“Obviously, they believed in me, and it’s great to have that feeling of being wanted. So obviously, you want to make them proud and make them feel like they made the right decision in choosing me. And for myself, I want to show I can have success here and help this thing get going on the right track.”

Last season, the Titans finished fourth in the AFC South with a 3-14 record. This resulted in the firing of coach Brian Callahan in October after a 1-5 start. In February, new Giants coach John Harbaugh hired him as the quarterbacks coach and pass game coordinator.