The AP All-American teams were announced on Tuesday, and every 1 or 2-seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket landed a player, except for one school, No. 2-seed Iowa State. The Cyclones could have replaced North Carolina as one of the 1-seeds and joined UConn, Houston and Purdue atop a region of the 2024 March Madness bracket. The seeding could only provide more motivation for Iowa State, which begins its NCAA Tournament 2024 against No. 15 South Dakota State on Thursday.
Only one team forces more turnovers per game than ISU, which also ranks second in the nation in defensive rating. Given that it has no go-to player that could warrant an All-American selection, does Iowa State have enough on the offensive end to reach its first Final Four in 80 years at the end of the 2024 NCAA bracket? Before making any 2024 March Madness bracket predictions, be sure to check out the 2024 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 92 percent of all CBS Sports brackets three of the past five tournaments. In an upset-laden 2023 NCAA Tournament, the model was all over UConn’s shocking Final Four run as a 4-seed. It went an amazing 23-9 in the first round, including an astounding 12-4 in the Midwest and West regions.
It knows how to spot an upset as well. The same model has produced brackets that have nailed 20 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds since its inception in 2016.
There’s simply no reason to rely on luck when there’s proven technology to help you dominate your 2024 March Madness pools. Now, with the 2024 NCAA bracket being revealed, the model is simulating the matchups and its results are in. You can only see it over at SportsLine.
2024 March Madness bracket games to watch
One of the 2024 March Madness matchups to keep an eye on: No. 4 seed Duke vs. No. 13 seed Vermont in the South Region. Duke was No. 2 in the preseason poll, but enters the 2024 NCAA Tournament ranked 13th after struggling against the nation’s top teams. While the Blue Devils beat teams like Baylor and Michigan State, they went just 1-3 versus teams with 1, 2 or 3 seeds in the NCAA Tournament bracket 2024. Vermont ran through the American East Conference with a 15-1 record, but hasn’t been tested all year, as the Catamounts rank 244th in the nation in adjusted strength of schedule.
Also in the South Region, Wisconsin vs. James Madison figures to be yet another pivotal 5 vs. 12 matchup. The Badgers have a point threshold they’re aiming for on defense, as they are 17-0 this season when allowing 70 or fewer points, compared to 5-13 when giving up more than 70. Meanwhile, James Madison ranks in the top 10 of the nation in points per game (84.8), scoring margin (plus-15.2 per game) and turnover differential (plus-125). The Dukes have also won 21 games by double-digits, tied for the fourth-most in Division I.
The third matchup to watch in the South Region features No. 3 seed Kentucky vs. No. 14 seed Oakland. UK ranks fifth in KenPom’s offensive efficiency but is outside the top 100 in his defensive efficiency rankings. The Cats have allowed 90.2 ppg over their last six contests. The Golden Grizzlies are 1-3 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, with their lone victory being in the First Four in 2005. They have one of the most experienced coaches in all of college basketball as Greg Kampe is in his 40th year with the program and is the current longest-tenured head coach in Division I. You can see how far all these teams go over at SportsLine.
How to make 2024 NCAA bracket predictions
How far will those major programs go? And which Cinderella teams will make surprising runs through the 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket? With the model’s track record of calling bracket-busting upsets, you’ll want to see which stunners it is calling this year before locking in any NCAA bracket picks.
So what’s the optimal NCAA Tournament bracket 2024? And which March Madness underdogs will shock college basketball? Visit SportsLine now to see which teams you can back with confidence, all from the model that’s nailed 20 upsets by double-digit seeds since its inception and beat over 92 percent of players three of the last five tournaments.
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