Trending Now - Double-digit Seeds Dominate March Madness in Shocking Upsets
WHO:
Texas A&M, Saint Mary's, Kennesaw State, Gonzaga, Idaho, Houston
Duke Blue Devils, South Florida Bulls, Kansas Jayhawks, Louisville, Arizona Wildcats, Texas Longhorns, Purdue Boilermakers, BYU, Houston Cougars, Vanderbilt Commodores, Nebraska Cornhuskers, VCU, North Carolina, Iowa State Cyclones, Tennessee Volunteers, Virginia Cavaliers, Alabama Crimson Tide, Santa Clara, Kentucky
WHAT:
12th-seeded High Point defeated 5th-seeded Wisconsin in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
High Point was one of four double-digit seeds to win on March 19th, 2026, along with No. 11 seeds VCU and Texas, and 10th-seeded Texas A&M.
Fewer than 1% of entries in the ESPN bracket challenge remained perfect after the first day of March Madness.
Just over 24,000 of the 26.5 million brackets submitted to ESPN were still perfect through the first 12 games.
The NCAA estimates that between 60 and 100 million brackets are filled out each year for March Madness.
The NCAA Tournament predictions for March 19th, 2026, include Texas A&M vs. Saint Mary's, Kennesaw State vs. Gonzaga, and Idaho vs. Houston.
Saint Mary's is a 3.5-point favorite against Texas A&M.
Predictions for the 2026 NCAA Tournament include:
Most Likely Final Four Team from East Region: #1 Duke Blue Devils
Sleeper Final Four Pick from East Region: #11 South Florida Bulls
Top 4 Seed Most Likely To Miss Sweet 16 from East Region: #4 Kansas Jayhawks
First-Round Upset Alert from East Region: #11 South Florida over #6 Louisville
Most Likely Final Four Team from West Region: #1 Arizona Wildcats
Sleeper Final Four Pick from West Region: #11 Texas Longhorns
Top 4 Seed Most Likely To Miss Sweet 16 from West Region: #2 Purdue Boilermakers
First-Round Upset Alert from West Region: #11 Texas over #6 BYU
Most Likely Final Four Team from South Region: #2 Houston Cougars
Sleeper Final Four Pick from South Region: #5 Vanderbilt Commodores
Top 4 Seed Most Likely To Miss Sweet 16 from South Region: #4 Nebraska Cornhuskers
First-Round Upset Alert from South Region: #11 VCU over #6 North Carolina
Most Likely Final Four Team from Midwest Region: #2 Iowa State Cyclones
Sleeper Final Four Pick from Midwest Region: #6 Tennessee Volunteers
Top 4 Seed Most Likely To Miss Sweet 16 from Midwest Region: #3 Virginia Cavaliers and #4 Alabama Crimson Tide
First-Round Upset Alert from Midwest Region: #10 Santa Clara over #7 Kentucky
WHERE:
Locations of the games include various NCAA Tournament venues.
WHEN:
The NCAA Tournament begins on March 19th, 2026, with games scheduled for March 19th, 2026, at 7:35 p.m. ET and 10:00 p.m. ET.
WHY:
North Carolina lost to VCU 82-78 in overtime without freshman sensation and leading scorer Caleb Williams, who had a broken thumb.
BYU lost to Texas 79-71 after being down by 17 points, following the absence of star Richie Saunders due to a torn ACL.
HOW:
The NCAA estimates the odds of completing a perfect bracket at one in 9.2 quintillion if guessing randomly, and one in 120 billion with educated guesses.
Bettors are using Action PRO's premium tools to make predictions and betting decisions for the NCAA Tournament.
(UPDATED March 20, 2026 05:21 UTC)
In a stunning upset during the NCAA Tournament, 12th-seeded High Point defeated 5th-seeded Wisconsin, marking one of four double-digit seeds to win on March 19, 2026, alongside VCU, Texas, and Texas A&M. The day saw fewer than 1% of entries in the ESPN bracket challenge remaining perfect, with just over 24,000 of the 26.5 million brackets submitted still intact after the first 12 games. The odds of completing a perfect bracket are estimated by the NCAA to be one in 9.2 quintillion if guessing randomly, highlighting the incredible challenge of March Madness.
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(UPDATED March 20, 2026 01:26 UTC)
The NCAA Tournament kicked off yesterday with exciting matchups, including Texas A&M facing off against Saint Mary's, Kennesaw State taking on Gonzaga, and Idaho going up against Houston. Saint Mary's is currently a 3.5-point favorite over Texas A&M, while predictions suggest that the Duke Blue Devils are the most likely team to reach the Final Four from the East Region, with the South Florida Bulls as a sleeper pick. Bettors are utilizing Action PRO's premium tools to navigate their predictions and betting decisions as the tournament unfolds.