Ncaa Bracket Predictions

March Madness Predictions 2017

... to help you win your bracket pool as well as the best websites to fill out your bracket. Here is a pick for every March Madness game in the East Region. First Round. Baylor ended the regular season on a down note. (Getty). Virginia Tech is welcomed back to the Big Dance with a bad matchup against Wisconsin. The majority of the metrics favor Wisconsin despite Virginia Tech’s ability to shoot. UNC Wilmington comes into the tournament on a hot streak and face a Virginia team that struggled down the stretch. The guards for UNC Wilmington will be the difference despite Virginia’s suffocating defense. SMU is one of the analytic darlings to advance to the Sweet 16. The concern for the ponies is their lack of experience and poise in close games. Keep in mind SMU was banned from the tournament last season. Florida and Baylor should be on upset-alert with their poor play down the stretch, but we like both teams to advance in the first round. The Gators play what will essentially be a home game in Orlando. Here is a full rundown of the first round of the East Region. The teams in bold are the schools we predict to advance. 1 Villanova. 16 Mt. St. Mary’s/New Orleans. 8 Wisconsin. ...

8 Reasonable March Madness Picks That Will Make Your Bracket Stand Out In A Pool

... AND Ken Pom , with the biggest threat in its region being a team it already beat. Yes, the Bulldogs (that’s their real nickname, in case you forgot) play in a bad conference, but that shouldn’t exclude them from being taken seriously. 7. SMU in the Elite Eight. David Butler II, USA TODAY Sports. Speaking of conferences, how many people even realize that No. 6 seed SMU is in a pretty good one? That seems to be the only logical explanation for why they’ve been so slept on all year. SMU was the clear-cut best team in a very good conference, with a 30-4 record that includes only one loss to a non-tournament team (and Boise State is not so bad). The Mustangs shoot well and crush the offensive boards. That could be a problem for the bottom half of the East Region, where everyone will pick Duke or Baylor. 8. Dayton beats Wichita State. Everyone is picking Wichita State, ...

March Madness Predictions To Help With All Your Bracket Needs

... to slug it out in March. Duke was the consensus No. 1 back in November, and it had the look of a potential superteam. The Blue Devils had the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class. They had the best returning player in the country in Grayson Allen. They had ideal senior role players like Amile Jefferson and Matt Jones. Mike Krzyzewski’s team looked like a safe bet. If you didn’t want to pick Duke, you had other appealing options. Villanova was the defending national champ and it returned a team that was both talented and experienced, led by swingman Josh Hart. Kansas brought back most of its key pieces from last season’s No. 1 overall seed, and added elite recruit Josh Jackson. Kentucky reloaded again with De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk leading a new group of freshman stars. Then something happened that we should have expected all along. Every team showed a vulnerability along the way. Duke had to ...

Every First-round Game Analyzed

... from the free-throw line, East Tennessee State is dangerous. It could be worse for Florida. Could be Vanderbilt. The Gators went 0-3 this season against Vandy, 14-2 against everybody else in the SEC. SMU vs. Providence-USC winner: The Mustangs don’t get much buzz, considering they're 30-4. Nor have they been recognized for another lofty achievement; ending up fourth on the list of what men’s teams were doing while the UConn women were busy winning 100 consecutive games. SMU went 72-14 in that time, behind only Villanova, Gonzaga and Kentucky. Baylor vs. New Mexico State: Baylor has won 11 games this season after trailing in the second half, so the Bears are not prone to panic. Maybe that’s what happens when all five starters are in their fourth or fifth years. New Mexico State has 28 victories. Last time the Aggies had that many was 1970, and they ended up in the Final Four. South Carolina vs. Marquette: South Carolina’s Sindarius Thornwell once scored 44 points with 21 rebounds against Alabama. You might not be surprised to learn that earned him SEC Player of the Week. And probably helped earn him the conference's Player of ...

Bold Predictions For The Ncaa Tournament

... this game close and finish Virginia in the final minute. 7. All Florida schools out before the second weekend. The state of Florida could be in for a rough - and quick - NCAA tournament. Al Bello/Getty Images. At least you have great weather, because you won't have much success in the NCAA tournament. Miami may escape Michigan State, but the Hurricanes can't handle Kansas in the second round with their unreliable, turnover-prone offense. Florida State will eliminate Florida Gulf Coast in the opening round, but an FSU squad that finished below.500 outside Tallahassee can't be trusted to beat the Xavier/Maryland winner in the next round. I liked Florida far more before shot-blocker John Egbunu 's season-ending knee injury. The Gators are 3-3 over their past six games without him. They'll lack the depth to overcome a hot-shooting UNC Wilmington or efficient Virginia in the second round. 8. SMU will spoil that dream Villanova-Duke Elite Eight matchup. And you can thank Duke transfer and SMU star Semi Ojeleye for that. Yeah, Duke's messy season complicates projections about this up-and-down crew. But if you're a Duke fan, you ...

These Tournament Upset Picks Could Incite March Madness

... Boatright, who has scored in double figures in 10 of 11 games since his return from injury.  That was one of just three wins against the field, which is why the Trojans are in the First Four, but Boatright, center Chimezie Metu and guard Jordan Mc Laughlin are high-end talents. South Region: No. 10 Wichita State. The Shockers have won a game in each of the past five NCAA Tournaments. They are 10-5 in tournament games in that span. They are dangerous enough to take out the Atlantic 10 champion (Dayton) and the SEC champion (Kentucky) and reach the Sweet 16 for the third time in five years. Midwest Region: No. 12 Nevada. The champion of the Mountain West Conference is extremely well coached by Eric Musselman and very capable of taking out Iowa State in the first round. West Region: No. 14 Florida Gulf Coast. "Dunk City's" game against Florida State is in Orlando, an easy drive for Eagles fans. If they can get a few bussed up, and if they can make some early shots, fans in the arena will adopt them and make things very ...

Odds And Predictions For Top 1st-round Games

... game (the Wolverines play at the 13 th-slowest tempo in Division I and fifth in adjusted offensive efficiency, per  Pomeroy ). Expect for the Wolverines, who are 10-2 in its last 12 games, to do just that and advance to the second round. No. 9 Seton Hall (+1) over No. 8 Arkansas. Seton Hall was this close to upsetting Villanova in the Big East tournament semifinals, losing 55-53. The Pirates have been playing great basketball, winning five straight games (including a win at Butler to close out the regular season) before that loss to the Wildcats. Junior forward Angel Delgado leads Division I in rebounding with 13.1 boards per game. He also pitches in 15.3 points a night. The Seton Hall student newspaper (The Setonian) quoted Delgado after the Villanova loss, and the remarks revealed the Pirates' mindset despite the defeat. The Setonian Sports @Setonian Sports. "For me, we got the ...

Dates, Predictions, Tv Schedule And Bracket Analysis

... Athlete Adventurer Ross Edgley Completes Triathlon Carrying a 100-Pound Tree. Gridiron Heights, Episode 11: the Stars Give Thanks at Jerry Jones' Table This Thanksgiving. Simms in 60: No One Deserves MVP Award More Than Oakland Raiders' QB Derek Carr. Meet Joe Thomas Sr.: the 55-Year-Old Rudy. Best Start Since Jordan: Relive De Mar Derozan's Historic Opening Weeks. Simms' Hidden Truth: NFL's Top Offenses Turning Back Clock to Old-School Attack. Chris Simms' Week 10 NFL Sunday Awards. Gridiron Heights, Ep. 10: The Raiders Are Crashing the AFC Elites Party. Gridiron Heights, Episode 9: Tom Brady, Roger Goodell Run for Mayor on Election Day. AD vs. Boogie: Which Big Man Will America Choose. Sunday in 60: Dallas Cowboys Belong with New England Patriots in NFL's Top Tier. The Hype: No. 1 Alabama Hopes to Keep Hopes Alive vs. Rival No. 13 LSU. KD vs. Russ, Round 1: The NBA's Newest Rivalry Begins Tonight. Watch No. 1 Recruit Najee Harris Star in 'Stranger Things' Inspired Trailer. Fact or Fiction for Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2017. Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant to Go ...

Sorry, Duke Is Going To Win It All

... seems to have been made for mayhem. Creighton has been an average team since losing Maurice Watson, and is just 3-7 vs. the tournament field since then. If the Rams advance to face Oregon, they’ll get a Ducks team without Chris Boucher. Yes, Oregon can still win without him, but E. C. Matthews and company are on a roll. Up top, I like Iowa State to take down Kansas. The Cyclones are the only team to win at Phog Allen Fieldhouse this year, so they will not be intimidated against the mighty Jayhawks in Kansas City. Deonte Burton has strung together six great games in a row, all against really good teams. He may be one of the many new March heroes to steal the stage in the next few weeks. In the Elite Eight, it’s Louisville in a close one. The Cards survived a daunting ACC schedule and are better for it. Never ...

Why Villanova Will Repeat

... for significant upsets to take place on the tournament’s first Thursday and Friday, there are some potential showcase second-round matchups to keep us entertained through the weekend, and then it’s more likely than not that the second weekend and Final Four will feature more chalky results that give us the clash of the titans that makes for memorable regional finals and Final Four games. Let’s take a tour around the bracket and see how this thing’s going to shake out. EAST REGION. Reigning national champion and overall No. 1 seed Villanova got a raw deal by having Duke, a team many people believed would earn the fourth No. 1 seed from the Selection Committee, as its No. 2 seed. Outside of that, though, this is a pretty navigable draw for the Wildcats. Two of what I assume will be the trendiest first round upset picks exist right next to each other here with UNC Wilmington taking on Virginia and ETSU battling Florida. ...

2017 March Madness Bracket Predictions

... of time. It doesn’t seem like this should be Kansas’ year. The team’s had off-the-court drama throughout. Injuries have shortened the bench. It’s only 10 th at Ken Pom. But I will not bail on the team I picked from the start, which rightfully has a 1 seed. As for my other picks, you’ll notice some ridiculousness. Just fade me as fast as you possibly would like. I’m hellbent on going for Wichita State Shockers into the second weekend because the Shockers were jobbed in their seeding and will play as angry as they ever have. Rhode Island Rams in the Elite Eight? Hey, why not have a little bit of fun? You seeing what I’m doing with Oklahoma State Cowboys and SMU Mustangs too? Probably regrettable, but oh well. Hey, as long as the tournament’s fun, that’s all that matters. Chip Patterson. ( Click here to enlarge the bracket ). After toppling North Carolina Tar Heels , I’m picking Kansas to finish off its championship run by upending a Duke Blue Devils team that’s playing its best basketball of the season right now. The Jayhawks’ early ...

Using The Last 10 Years To Predict Upsets

... per Ken __link__. My picks: No. 10 Oklahoma State over No. 7 Michigan. No. 10 Wichita State over No. 7 Dayton. No. 12 Middle Tennessee over No. 5 Minnesota. Pick one of the 13 seeds. On average there are seven double-digit upsets per year. So you still have one left to pick. And historically, it’s a 13 over a 4. The 13 seeds are 8-32. Generally, that’s one per tournament. The lowest rated Ken Pom 4 seed is Butler at No. 26. My pick: No. 13 Winthrop over No. 4 Butler. Distribution of your upsets by region. These picks also meet one of the other rules of picking upsets. How many in a region? Obviously, you could pick five double-digit seeds in one region. But that’s not how they’ve played out over the years. Eight regions of the 40 played since 2007 have had zero upsets. It’s hard to not pick one, but in all likelihood, there will be chalk in an entire bracket. Eleven regions have had one upset. Ten regions have had two upsets. So you can, on average, pick regions with zero, one and two upsets. Then, pick one with three or four. There have been five with three upsets ...