The No. 4 seed Indiana Hoosiers were dealt a tough first-round matchup when the 2023 NCAA Tournament bracket was revealed on Sunday. Indiana beat top-seeded Purdue twice during the regular season and finished second in the Big Ten, but the Hoosiers will face No. 13 seed Kent State on Friday during the March Madness 2023 schedule. Kent State was one of the top mid-major teams in the country this season, capping off a 28-6 campaign with a 93-78 win over Toledo in the MAC Tournament title game. The Golden Flashes lost to Charleston, Houston and Gonzaga by a combined 14 points in non-conference play, so they have proven that they can compete with the top teams in the 2023 March Madness bracket and potentially deliver one of the most memorable 2023 March Madness upsets.
Indiana is just a four-point favorite in the 2023 NCAA Tournament odds at Caesars Sportsbook, so Kent State could be a popular upset in 2023 March Madness bracket picks. Which team should you pick to advance in your 2023 NCAA bracket? Before making any 2023 March Madness bracket predictions, be sure to check out the 2023 NCAA Tournament bracket picks from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulated the entire 2023 NCAA Tournament 10,000 times. It has absolutely crushed its March Madness picks, beating over 92% of all CBS Sports brackets two of the last four tournaments. The model also nailed three teams in the West and South Region Sweet 16 last year, including No. 5 seed Houston.
It knows how to spot an upset as well. The same model has produced brackets that have nailed 18 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds. It also nailed some massive upsets two years ago, including predicting the championship game between Gonzaga and Baylor and hitting Houston’s Midwest Region win even though the Cougars weren’t the No. 1 seed.
There’s simply no reason to rely on luck when there’s proven technology to help you dominate your 2023 March Madness picks. Now, with the 2023 NCAA bracket revealed, the model is simulating the matchups and its results are in. You can only see it over at SportsLine.
Three 2023 March Madness bracket games to watch
One of the best matchups in the first round of the NCAA Tournament bracket is No. 8 Maryland vs. No. 9 West Virginia in the South Region. Maryland’s Jahmir Young had nine games with 20-plus points during the regular season, so he gives the Terrapins an experienced leader. They also finished just outside the top 30 in offensive and defensive efficiency, creating a balanced attack that is difficult for unfamiliar opponents to deal with. West Virginia is an offensive-minded team that loves to crash the glass and get to the charity stripe. The Mountaineers are led by one of the top coaches in the country, Bob Huggins, making them a challenging opponent at this time of the year.
Another matchup in the South worth keeping an eye on is No. 5 San Diego State vs. No. 12 Charleston. The Aztecs rely on their defense, which allowed just 63 points per game en route to a Mountain West title. They played close games against Arkansas and Saint Mary’s during the non-conference portion of their schedule, proving that their success is not just limited to MWC play. Charleston went 21-1 through its first 22 games of the season, making an appearance in the AP Poll at one point. The Cougars won their final 10 games of the campaign as well, giving them momentum heading into the Big Dance.
No. 4 Virginia vs. No. 13 Furman is another critical matchup in the South. Virginia fell to Duke in the ACC Tournament over the weekend, but had won its previous five games. The Cavaliers are 3-2 against ranked teams this season and were defeated only once in the month of January. Still, Virginia is only favored by 5.5 points in the latest 2023 NCAA Tournament odds against a Furman team that has won 14 of its last 15 games. Furman was 0-2 against Quad 1 teams this season (Penn State, NC State). You can see the model’s 2023 NCAA bracket picks here.
How to make 2023 NCAA bracket predictions
Who wins every tournament-defining matchup? And which teams will make surprising runs through the 2023 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 2023 NCAA bracket picks.
So what’s the optimal NCAA Tournament 2023 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’s called 18 upsets by double-digit seeds.
