The Houston Cougars topped the ACC, but they now have plenty of competition awaiting them as the 2023 March Madness bracket gets underway. The Cougars have made six appearances in the Final Four, but have never won a title, which puts extra importance on this year’s 2023 NCAA Tournament bracket. In the first game of the 2023 NCAA bracket, Houston will face Northern Kentucky, which aims to be the first 16-seed to defeat a first seed in the first round since Maryland-Baltimore County booted Virginia in 2018.
Will Houston or another No. 1 seed emerge victorious in the NCAA Tournament 2023, or will a Cinderella take the title? 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 most intriguing 2023 March Madness matchups to watch: No. 8 Maryland Terrapins vs. No. 9 West Virginia Mountaineers. The playing field is already evened up for this 2023 March Madness game because neither team will have home court advantage at Legacy Arena. The stakes are especially high for the Terrapins, who only won five games on the road this season and dropped three of their last four games heading into the NCAA Tournament 2023. West Virginia won four of its last six games, with both losses at the hands of a tough Kansas team, so the Mountaineers should be hungry to make a big first impression.
Another 2023 March Madness matchup to keep an eye on: No. 5 San Diego State Aztecs vs. No. 12 Charleston Cougars in the South Region. Although the Aztecs won the Mountain West and posted a 27-9 record overall, the Cougars ended their season at 31-3 and are coming into the first game of March Madness 2023 on a hot 10-game winning streak. Charleston is favored to be an early upset in March Madness 2023, which should make their bout with San Diego State extra entertaining.
No. 4 Virginia vs. No. 13 Furman is another critical matchup in the South. The Paladins are back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1980, winning six straight games and 14 of their last 15. They have the top two-point percentage (59.1) in the country and are led by SoCon Player of the Year Jalen Slawson. Virginia is trying to avoid its third first-round exit in the last four tournaments, as it fell to No. 13 seed Ohio as a No. 4 seed two years ago. The Cavaliers have the fifth-lowest offensive turnover rate in the nation and are led by fifth-year veteran point guard Kihei Clark. 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.
