In the 2022 NCAA Tournament, just one of the first-round matchups will include two teams from the same state. That contest features No. 2 Auburn taking against No. 15 Jacksonville State, both of whom hail from Alabama.
With UAB and the University of Alabama also originating from there, the state of Alabama has four 2022 March Madness bracket teams, which trails only Texas (seven) and California (six). The state of Alabama might theoretically send three teams to the Final Four.
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The First Round
If Auburn can avoid getting upset by JSU in the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament, the Tigers should have a smooth ride to New Orleans. As a No. 15 seed defeated a No. 2 seed in last year’s tournament, can the Gamecocks pull off another upset?
Check out SportsLine’s reliable computer model’s March Madness bracket picks for 2022 before making your own NCAA Tournament predictions.
SportsLine’s powerful computer model completely destroyed its March Madness choices last tournament, beating over 92 percent of all CBS Sports brackets for the second time in three years. Three of last year’s Final Four teams were correctly predicted by the algorithm.
It can also detect a crisis situation. 17 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds have been correctly predicted by brackets generated using the same algorithm.
It correctly predicted the Gonzaga-Baylor final game and Houston’s victory in the Midwest Region despite the Cougars’ lack of a No. 1 seed. Getting those decisions right may literally make or break your March Madness tournament.
Now, SportsLine’s powerful computer model has simulated the entire NCAA Tournament 10,000 times to come up with the exact 2022 NCAA Tournament bracket and find out which teams will pull off the biggest upsets. Choosing without first checking their model is a bad idea.
Top 2022 March Madness Bracket Upset Picks
In the March Madness brackets of 2022, there is one club positioned to pull off a major upset: the No. 3 seed. Texas Tech upsets No. 2 Duke in the Sweet 16 of the West Region. Duke boasts a high-caliber attack and ranks eighth in the country in adjusted efficiency.
However, Texas Tech’s defence is outstanding and leads the country in adjusted efficiency. It has put the screws on No. 1 seeds like Baylor and Kansas, and the Red Raiders have three total wins against those schools. It also held the nation’s best offence in Gonzaga to just 69 points, which is 19 lower than its season average.
Duke has already come up small in key games like Mike Krzyzewski’s farewell at Cameron Indoor Stadium and the ACC Tournament Championship Game. While the Red Raiders will start four seniors, this is a team that relies primarily on youngsters.
The West Region throws another major curveball when No. 10 Davidson knocks down No. 7 Michigan State. Four of Davidson’s five starters can make at least 40% of their three-point attempts, helping the club to a 38.6% team three-point percentage and an eighth-place national ranking.
Davidson Averages 9.9 Turnovers Per Game
Good for 13th in Division I. This is because the Wildcats rarely give the ball back to their opponents. Therefore, keeping the ball helps them to take advantage of their outside shooting, like they did by making 50% of their threes in a road victory over Alabama.
Because only one Spartan averages double figures, Michigan State simply doesn’t have the offensive firepower to compete with Davidson.
Among the nine Big Ten teams seeded in the 2022 NCAA Tournament, Michigan State was the only one without a player on either the first or second All-Big Ten teams.
There are already too many obstacles in the way for Michigan State to make another deep tournament run, and the fact that the game will be played within a two-hour drive of Davidson’s campus only adds insult to injury.
Techniques for Estimating the 2022 NCAA Tournament Bracket
Both the No. 11 and No. 5 seeds, according to SportsLine’s model, make it to the tournament’s final round. It also reveals the No. 12 and No. 10 seeds that you should back. Your entire bracket may depend on how well you do with your picks.
Since the model has a history of correctly predicting shocking outcomes, it is recommended that you check out its predictions for this year’s NCAA tournament before committing to any picks.
