The West Region of the 2021 NCAA bracket is loaded with big-time playmakers. Gonzaga (26-0) is the No. 1 overall seed, and the Bulldogs feature the nation’s most prolific offense at 92.1 points per game. If the Zags want to make a deep run in the 2021 March Madness bracket, they’ll need to get strong production from Corey Kispert and Drew Timme. Kispert enters the NCAA Tournament 2021 averaging 19.2 points per game, while Timme is producing 18.7 points and 7.1 rebounds.
The West Region of the 2021 NCAA Tournament bracket also features the likes of Iowa’s Luka Garza, who ranks third in the nation at 23.7 points per game, and Southern California’s Evan Mobley, who’s averaging 21.7 points and 9.3 rebounds in his last three outings. Will Gonzaga run the table and become the first undefeated National Champion since Indiana in 1976, or will Iowa, USC or another team represent the West in the Final Four? Before making any 2021 March Madness bracket predictions, be sure to check out the 2021 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 absolutely crushed its March Madness picks last tournament, beating nearly 90 percent of all CBS Sports brackets one year after finishing in the top five percent. The model also nailed 14 teams in the Sweet 16 last time.
It knows how to spot an upset as well. The same model has produced brackets that have nailed 15 of the 26 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds the last four tournaments. It also nailed massive upsets last time, 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.
There’s simply no reason to rely on luck when there’s proven technology to help you dominate your 2021 March Madness picks. Now, the model has simulated every possible matchup in the 2021 NCAA Tournament and revealed its optimal bracket. You can only see it over at SportsLine.
Top 2021 March Madness bracket picks
One team set to disrupt 2021 March Madness brackets: The No. 14-seed Colgate Raiders. The model says they upset No. 3 Arkansas in a first-round matchup in the South Region.
The Raiders feature the nation’s second most prolific offense at 86.3 points per game. Colgate has been able to light up the scoreboard thanks to its productive shooting from three-point range. The Raiders are averaging 9.1 three-pointers per game, and they’re making a whopping 40 percent of their shots from behind the arc.
Colgate’s efficient offense is led by guard Jordan Burns, who’s averaging 17.0 points, 5.4 assists and 4.4 rebounds. The senior is converting 41.5 percent of his three-point attempts and is knocking down 89.6 percent of his shots from the charity stripe.
Arkansas, meanwhile, has struggled to stop teams on the defensive end of the floor, allowing opponents to score 70.7 points per game on average, which ranks 188th in Division I college basketball. The model sees Colgate as the most dangerous No. 14 seed in the NCAA Tournament 2021 bracket, making the Raiders a strong team to back.
Another team to back in your 2021 NCAA Tournament picks: The No. 9 Wisconsin Badgers. SportsLine’s model is calling for the Badgers to pull off the upset of No. 8 North Carolina in a first-round matchup on Friday, going against many NCAA bracket picks by experts.
The Tar Heels rank first in the nation in offensive rebounding percentage (41.2) and rely heavily on Garrison Brooks, Armando Bacot, Day’Ron Sharpe and Walker Kessler to impose their will on that end of the floor. But it’s a necessity because they don’t shoot the ball well and will have their work cut out against a Wisconsin squad that has size of its own.
Micah Potter (6-foot-10), Nate Reuvers (6-foot-11) and Tyler Wahl (6-foot-9) are all regulars in the rotation and help Wisconsin rank among the top quarter of Division I teams in defensive rebounding percentage (74.8). Meanwhile, D’Mitrik Trice is a strong decision-maker on the ball for Wisconsin and a major reason why the Badgers rank second in the nation in turnover percentage (13.5). The model expects Wisconsin to mitigate North Carolina’s advantage on the offensive glass and be the more efficient team offensively, which is why they advance in over 60 percent of simulations.
How to make 2021 NCAA Tournament bracket predictions
SportsLine’s model also has one region where you absolutely need to pick the No. 2 seed, and the Nos. 10 and 13 seeds both deliver huge first-round upsets. Nailing those picks could literally make or break your bracket. With the model’s proven track record of calling bracket-busting upsets, you’ll want to see which stunners it is calling this year before locking in any bracket picks.
So what’s the optimal NCAA Tournament 2021 bracket? And which underdogs shock college basketball? Visit SportsLine now to see which double-digit seeds you can back with confidence, all from the model that’s nailed 15 of the 26 double-digit seed upsets the past four years.