The most common upset in the NCAA bracket is the 10 vs. 7 matchup. In fact, No. 10-seeds went 3-1 against 7-seeds in 2019, the last time March Madness was held. Since 2009, there have been a total of 19 March Madness upsets by 10-seeds. Will a 10-seed pull off an upset this year, or will the 2021 NCAA bracket mark just the third time that all four No. 7 seeds advance in the March Madness bracket?
The 10th-seeded VCU Rams will square off against the seventh-seeded Oregon Ducks in the West Region on Saturday, and the Rams are 9-3 in their last 12 games. Should you target VCU to pull off the stunner in your NCAA bracket 2021? Or should you look at another 10 vs. 7 matchup like Florida vs. Virginia Tech or Clemson vs. Rutgers? Before making any 2021 March Madness predictions, be sure to check out the 2021 NCAA Tournament bracket picks from the advanced computer model at SportsLine.
Last tournament, SportsLine’s computer simulation nailed massive upsets, including huge wins by No. 13 seed UC-Irvine over No. 4 seed Kansas State, No. 10 seed Florida over No. 7 seed Nevada, and No. 12 seed Oregon over No. 5 seed Wisconsin.
This model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, has nailed 15 of the 26 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds the past four tournaments and nailed 14 teams in the Sweet 16 last time.
There’s simply no reason to rely on luck when there’s proven technology to help you dominate your 2021 March Madness pools. Now, the model has simulated every possible matchup in the 2021 NCAA Tournament and revealed its bracket. You can only see it over at SportsLine.
Top 2021 March Madness bracket upset picks
One team set to pull off a shocking upset in 2021 March Madness brackets: The No. 6 seed BYU Cougars knock off the No. 3 seed Texas Longhorns to advance to the Sweet 16.
BYU features a high -flying offense that’s averaging 78.7 points per game. The Cougars are led by guard Alex Barcello, who’s averaging 15.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists. The senior leads an offense that averages 16.6 assists per game, which ranks 24th in the nation. The Cougars are also extremely efficient on the offensive end of the floor, knocking down 48.23 percent of their field goals.
Texas, meanwhile, is scoring 75.2 points per game, but the Longhorns have had trouble turning the ball over. In fact, Texas is averaging 14.2 turnovers per game this season. The Cougars can take advantage of Texas’ inability to take care of the ball and make them pay with their effective field goal percentage. SportsLine’s model shows BYU advancing to the Sweet 16 in a whopping 49.4 percent of its 2021 March Madness simulations.
Another huge curveball in the East Region: No. 5 seed Colorado falls in the first round to No. 12 Georgetown. The Hoyas feature a balanced offense, with four players averaging double-digits. The Hoyas are led by guard Jahvon Blair, who’s averaging 15.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists. Center Qudus Wahab is also a major factor for the Hoyas, recording 12.4 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. Wahab recorded a double-double in Georgetown’s dominant victory over Creighton in the Big East championship game, while Blair added 18 points and five assists.
Colorado enters March Madness 2021 with a 22-8 overall record, but the Buffaloes struggle on the defensive glass. In fact, Colorado ranks 191st in the nation in defensive rebounding, averaging only 25.13 per game. Georgetown, meanwhile, is pulling down 11.68 offensive rebounds per game, which will give the Hoyas valuable second-chance opportunities.
How to make 2021 NCAA Tournament bracket predictions
SportsLine’s model also has one region where you need to pick the No. 2 seed, while the Nos. 10, 11 and 13 seeds all deliver huge first-round upsets. Nailing those picks could literally make or break your bracket.
So what’s the optimal NCAA Tournament 2021 bracket? And which underdogs shock college basketball? Visit SportsLine now to see which No. 2 seed you need to target, and see which region you need to pick the 10, 11, and 13 seeds, all from the model that’s called 15 of the 26 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds in the last four tournaments.
