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NCAA Tournament 2026 bracket: Simulation predicts surprising upsets, top sleepers, March Madness picks

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Finding success in the 2026 March Madness bracket often means going on a roll at just the right time. Which teams can do that will go a long way in determining who comes home with this year’s title at the end of the 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket. The obvious favorites are the top seeds like Duke in the East, Arizona in the West, Florida in the South and Michigan in the Midwest. However, due to the amount of talent throughout the 2026 NCAA bracket, nothing seems impossible for a good portion of the 2026 March Madness field.

In 2014, seventh-seeded UConn cut down the nets after defeating eighth-seeded Kentucky in the championship game. Nine years later, the Huskies won another championship when they downed fifth-seeded San Diego State. Who will be the 2026 March Madness Cinderella team? Before you make your 2026 NCAA Tournament predictions, see the 2026 March Madness bracket picks from the proven computer model at SportsLine.

Two years ago, SportsLine’s computer simulation nailed massive upsets, including huge wins by No. 11 Oregon over No. 6 South Carolina, No. 11 NC State over No. 6 Texas Tech, No. 10 Colorado over No. 7 Florida. Last year, SportsLine’s computer simulation nailed massive upsets, including calling both 9-seeds that advanced in the first round, No. 12 Colorado State over No. 5 Memphis, and No. 6 BYU advancing to the Sweet 16. The model has beaten over 91 percent of all CBS Sports bracket players in four of the past seven tournaments.

This model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, has nailed 25 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds since its inception in 2016 and nailed UConn’s championship run in 2024. It nailed 12 teams in the Sweet 16 and correctly predicted all four Final Four teams a year ago.

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The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every college basketball game 10,000 times. It entered conference tournament week on a sizzling 14-2 run on its top-rated over/under college basketball picks dating back to last season, and is on a 28-21 run on top-rated CBB side picks. You shouldn’t even think about making a pick without seeing what their model has to say.

Top 2026 March Madness bracket upset picks

One South Region surprise the model has identified: No. 9 Iowa defeats No. 8 Clemson in the first round. Iowa has completely changed its style under first-year head coach Ben McCollum, who led Drake to the Round of 32 in last year’s Big Dance. He brought six players with him to Iowa, including Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year Bennett Stirtz. That move has paid dividends, with Stirtz averaging 20.0 points and 4.5 assists per game this season.

The Hawkeyes play at the eighth-slowest adjusted tempo in college basketball, according to KenPom. They are facing a Clemson team that does not have anyone scoring 12 points per game, and second-leading scorer Carter Welling tore his ACL in the ACC Tournament. The Tigers lost to No. 12 seed McNeese State in the Round of 64 last season, and they are in line for another first-round exit this year.  

Another South Region surprise the model has identified: No. 5 Vanderbilt over No. 4 Nebraska to advance to the Sweet 16. The Huskers are having one of their best seasons ever, going 26-6 overall and finishing tied for second in the Big Ten at 15-5. Vanderbilt, meanwhile, is 26-8 overall and tied for fourth in the SEC at 11-7. The Commodores made it to the SEC Tournament championship game, where they lost 86-75 to Arkansas.

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Nebraska appears to be trending in the wrong direction. After starting the season 20-0, the Cornhuskers have gone just 6-6 since, including a 20-point loss at UCLA on March 3. They fell 74-58 to eventual champion Purdue in the Big Ten Conference Tournament quarterfinals. Vanderbilt, meanwhile, appears to be on a roll, having won four of its last five games, including three of those games coming against ranked opponents. See which other 2026 March Madness upsets and matchups to target here.

How to make 2026 NCAA Tournament 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 region features two mammoth upsets in the first round, including one by a No. 14 seed, and see which 6-seed makes the Sweet 16, all from the model that’s nailed 25 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds.

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2026 Masters winner predictions, picks: One of these nine players will likely take the green jacket

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Who among the 91 players in this year’s Masters field has an actual chance to slip on the green jacket?

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Shane Mosley says injury could disrupt Mayweather vs Pacquiao 2: “He’s having complications”

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The Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao rematch promotional run is not going smoothly following the official announcement.

Mayweather and Pacquiao faced off back in 2015, where ‘TBE’ claimed a legendary decision win over the Filipino phenomenon before hanging up the gloves two years later.

‘Pac Man’ revealed that he had suffered a severe right rotator cuff tear before the fight and has later said opting not to postpone the clash was the biggest regret of his career. He had surgery on his shoulder shortly after the fight but was unable to secure a rematch, that was until earlier this year, with a shock second encounter announced for September – undoubtedly one of the biggest events of the 2026 boxing calendar despite disapproval from many fans.

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However, in recent days the fight has been thrown into doubt after Mayweather said that the venue was not finalised and that it would be an exhibition, not a pro contest as announced. Pacquiao’s team say he is in breach of contract for that, as well as other reasons.

Now, in an interview with FightHype, Shane Mosley, who lost to Mayweather in 2010 and Pacquiao the year after, declared that he has heard rumours that Pacquiao’s shoulder is hindering him once again.

“Floyd’s not the same Floyd that he was … but Manny also has some complications. I don’t know if it’s his shoulder, in his sparring or something like that. There’s stuff going on with him too.

“I’m seeing that he [Pacquiao] is having complications with his shoulder and stuff, so I don’t think that he will be able to train the same way that he did to get ready for the [Mario] Barrios fight. So, that could be something.

“Before [hearing of the shoulder injury] I was saying Pacquiao [will win], now I am saying that I don’t really know because I don’t know what Pacquiao can do. I don’t know if he can still run or spar, he can’t do what he used to do.”

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It remains to be seen whether those whispers are true or not, with Pacquiao claiming to be fighting fit ahead of what is, until official word says otherwise, a professional rematch with Mayweather, scheduled for Saturday, September 19, live on Netflix.

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Coco Gauff drops 8-minute response to Miu Miu hair controversy after facing rampant criticism

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Coco Gauff released a shocking 8-minute response addressing the backlash to her Miu Miu campaign. The American star spoke out in defense of her natural hair and used the moment to stand up against the criticism faced by Black individuals.

The controversy around Gauff and Miu Miu started after their latest campaign began circulating online. While many fans loved seeing her step into the fashion space, the reaction quickly turned negative on social media.

A lot of the criticism was focused on her hair. Gauff chose a simple, natural look, where she put her hair in a bun, but some comments were unnecessarily harsh and crossed the line. Some users made offensive comparisons between the tennis star’s look and historical civil rights imagery, which many found deeply inappropriate.

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Initially, Gauff did not respond publicly. However, after returning to X following a month-long break, she came across the negative comments and called them out. A few days later, she addressed the backlash more directly, sharing an 8-minute video response on TikTok.

The two-time Grand Slam champ explained that the photoshoot was a simple setup in her parents’ backyard. The outfit choice, she made clear, was entirely hers.

“First of all, it’s Miu Miu. That’s their aesthetic. I love the Miu Miu aesthetic. So if you don’t like it, the girls who get it, get it. The girls who don’t, don’t. I picked the outfit out,” she said.

She also addressed comments about her hair, explaining why she chose the natural bun.

“I personally don’t like to slick back my hair super sleek because it does damage my hair.”

She added that she prefers to let her “4C hair” be natural, especially as a tennis player. Gauff emphasized representation as well, saying:

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“I’m not going to apologize for the way that my hair looks… There are other girls who have the exact same hair as me.”

She added that if her hair was good enough for a high-fashion campaign, “then yours is good enough” too.


“Black people are beautiful” – Coco Gauff’s positive message to people after Miu Miu controversy

Coco Gauff at the Miami Open - Source: GettyCoco Gauff at the Miami Open - Source: Getty
Coco Gauff at the Miami Open – Source: Getty

The latter half of Coco Gauff’s response video was filled with positive messages. She explained that people who criticize others are insecure about themselves, and no one should pay much heed to such criticism.

Sharing a beautiful and positive message for black people, Coco Gauff said:

“Black people are beautiful. Black hair texture, kinky afro hair texture is beautiful. You don’t need people on the internet who don’t like themselves, who are insecure about themselves to tell you that. Because, people who are secure will also find my shoot beautiful.”

On the tennis side of things, Gauff is gaining momentum in 2026. She started slowly but has reached the semifinal in Dubai and the final in Miami recently. She lost to Aryna Sabalenka in the final in Miami, but will move into the clay season with confidence as she looks to defend her French Open title.