NCAA bracket predictions: College basketball model unveils surprising March Madness 2023 tournament picks

The 2023 NCAA Tournament bracket is set and the Houston Cougars will hope to rebound from their AAC tournament title loss and play in front of their hometown fans at NRG Stadium in the 2023 Final Four. The Cougars are the No. 1 seed in the Midwest region of the 2023 March Madness bracket, where they’ll compete with other notable teams like No. 2 Texas, No. 3 Xavier and No. 4 Indiana. Who should you favor from that region as you fill out your 2023 March Madness bracket picks and which Cinderella teams might come out of the 2023 NCAA basketball tournament field?

Winning your 2023 NCAA Tournament picks is all about understanding the matchups and finding little points of differentiation without getting carried away. Plug in too many 2023 March Madness upsets and your brackets might go sideways pretty quickly. Identify a double-digit seed who can make a deep run and you might beat your friends, family and co-workers in your 2023 March Madness bracket pool. 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 vs. No. 9 West Virginia in the South Region. It should be an entertaining affair as these teams look for a shot to take on No. 1 Alabama in the next round. Turnovers could play a pivotal role in who advances from this matchup. Maryland is averaging 10.5 giveaways per game, while West Virginia is committing 13.0.

Another 2023 March Madness matchup to keep an eye on: No. 5 San Diego State vs. No. 12 Charleston Cougars. 5 vs. 12 matchups always garner interest because of the possibility of an upset. This is an intriguing stylistic matchup, with San Diego State priding itself on lockdown defense and Charleston playing an up-tempo offense. San Diego State ranks ninth in the nation in three-point percentage allowed (29.3%), while College of Charleston attempts the second-most three-pointers per game of any team in Division I (30.2).

No. 4 Virginia vs. No. 13 Furman is another critical matchup in the South. After seeing their hopes of making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1980 dashed by a 35-footer at the buzzer in the Southern Conference championship last season, the Paladins returned to the final to exact revenge against UT-Chattanooga this season. Furman already has a school-record 27 wins, but they’ll run into an experienced Virginia squad that won a share of the ACC title and made it to the ACC tournament championship game before losing to Duke. 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.