Trending Now - 2026 NCAA Tournament Bracket, Schedule, and Predictions

WHO:

Duke Blue Devils, UConn Huskies, UMBC, Howard, Texas, NC State, UCLA, Florida, Michigan, Kansas, Purdue, Iowa State, Alabama, BYU, St. John’s, Gonzaga, Houston, Miami (Fla.), and other NCAA teams.

Dan Hurley (UConn coach), Sean (bracket expert), Nicole Auerbach (sports analyst), Vaughn Dalzell (sports analyst).

WHAT:

The 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament began on March 17th, 2026, with the First Four matchups.

UMBC (24-8) won the America East tournament against Vermont (74-59).

Howard (23-10) won the MEAC tournament against NC Central (70-63).

Duke is projected to have a 20.8% chance to win the tournament, while 30% of brackets have them winning.

UConn is considered the weakest 2-seed and is projected to face UCLA in the Round of 32.

NC State is favored to win against Texas, moving from a pick'em to a 1.5-point favorite.

The tournament features 68 teams, with 31 earning automatic bids by winning their conference tournaments.

WHERE:

The First Four took place in Dayton, Ohio.

The Final Four will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Various tournament venues include KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York, Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina, and Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.

WHEN:

The First Four began on March 17th, 2026.

The Round of 64 starts on March 19th, 2026.

The Final Four is scheduled for April 4th, 2026, and the Championship game will be on April 6th, 2026.

WHY:

The NCAA tournament is held annually to determine the national champion in men's college basketball.

HOW:

Betting insights are provided through platforms like DraftKings and Circa Sports, with betting splits updated every 5 minutes.

Bracket strategies include blending likely outcomes with leverage scores to differentiate from other participants.

(UPDATED March 18, 2026 05:30 UTC)

The 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament kicked off on March 17 with the First Four matchups in Dayton, Ohio, featuring teams like the Duke Blue Devils, UConn Huskies, and UMBC, who recently secured a victory over Vermont with a score of 74 to 59. As the tournament progresses, Duke is projected to have a 20.8% chance of winning, while UConn, considered the weakest 2-seed, is expected to face UCLA in the Round of 32, which begins on March 19. The tournament features 68 teams, with 31 earning automatic bids, and will culminate in the Final Four at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on April 4, followed by the championship game on April 6.