Defending champion Kansas were rebuffed by some pundits when they went through a rough patch early in conference play this season, but the Jayhawks won the regular-season Big 12 title with a strong finish. However, the Jayhawks’ hopes of finishing top of the standings in the 2023 NCAA tournament round were dashed when they lost to Texas in the title game of the Big 12 tournament. They will open the 2023 March Madness bracket with a match against number 16 Howard on Thursday. Kansas is a 21-point favorite in the latest 2023 NCAA tournament odds at Caesars Sportsbook.
The Jayhawks could be a popular choice to go deep into the 2023 NCAA bracket given their history and recent success at the event. Should they be the #1 target you’re targeting in your 2023 NCAA tournament predictions? Before making predictions for the 2023 March Madness bracket, be sure to check out the 2023 NCAA tournament bracket picks from SportsLine’s trusted computer model.
The SportsLine projection model simulated the entire 2023 NCAA tournament 10,000 times. It absolutely smashed 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 Houston.
It also knows how to spot an excitement. The same model has spawned brackets that nailed 18 first-round surprises through double-digit seeds. Two years ago, it also provided some massive upsets, including predicting the championship game between Gonzaga and Baylor and winning Houston’s Midwest Region win despite the Cougars not being No. 1.
There’s simply no reason to rely on luck when there’s proven technology to help you dominate your pools in March Madness 2023. Now that the 2023 NCAA bracket is unveiled, the model is simulating the matchups and the results are in. You can only see it at SportsLine.
2023 March Madness Bracket games to watch
One of the most intriguing 12-5 matches in the 2023 March Madness bracket is Miami (FL) No. 5 vs. Midwest No. 12 Drake. Drake returned to the NCAA tournament for the second time in three years when it drove past Bradley in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament title game earlier this month. The Bulldogs are led by MVC Player of the Year Tucker DeVries, who averages 19.0 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. He must have a big game against Miami where four players average more than 13 points per game. The Hurricanes won part of the ACC regular-season title before losing to the red-hot Duke in the conference tournament.
Another crucial Midwest duel is No. 8 Iowa vs. No. 9 Auburn. The Hawkeyes are elite on offense averaging 80.2 points per game in the regular season. On the other hand, Auburn is one of the most athletic and best defensive teams in the March Madness field, allowing just 67.1 points per game while playing in arguably the best conference in college basketball. The winner of this duel is likely to face No. 1 Houston in the second round.
The third duel to watch is also in the Midwest Regional, No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 10 Penn State. The Aggies came close to an NCAA tournament spot last year, despite having one of the hottest teams in the country. They reversed their fortunes this year, losing just four games since the start of 2023. This won’t be an easy first-round matchup, as Penn State made the big dance for the first time since 2011 after winning eight of nine by the stretch. The Nittany Lions have four seniors in their starting lineup, led by guard Jalen Pickett with 17.8 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game. You can see how far all these teams go over at SportsLine.
How to make predictions for the 2023 NCAA bracket
How far will these big programs go? And which Cinderella teams will make surprise runs through the 2023 NCAA tournament? With the model’s track record of calling bracket-busting excitement, you’ll want to see what stunners she’s calling this year before you lock in any NCAA bracket picks.
So what is the optimal 2023 NCAA tournament bracket? And which March Madness underdogs will shock college basketball? Visit SportsLine now to see which teams you can bet on with confidence, all from the model that has produced 18 upsets by double-digit starting numbers since its inception and has beaten over 92 percent of players in two of the last four tournaments.