March Madness 2026 bracket predictions, picks for every game: Duke, Florida will fall short of Elite Eight

"The odds of picking a perfect March Madness bracket are longer than being struck by lightning while being attacked by a shark, about 1 in 120,000,000,000 if you weigh the odds for having college basketball knowledge. To quote the great Lloyd Christmas, 'So you're telling me there's a chance!' Just because it's near impossible to predict the perfect bracket, we're still going to try."

"It's been a bit of a tumultuous year in Lawrence, what with the Darryn Peterson drama and a generally up-and-down team for Bill Self this year. And for a program that's had an unfortunate habit of exiting March Madness early, that seems more than relevant when they now have to match up with the Cal Baptist Lancers and the fifth-highest scorer in the country, Dominique Daniels Jr."

"The Bulls and head coach Bryan Hodgson might have a chance in this one regardless, but with the Cardinals being without Mikel Brown Jr. for the Round of 64, I simply don't see Louisville having the firepower to hang with a balanced and deep offensive attack from USF."

Predicting a perfect March Madness bracket carries odds of approximately 1 in 120 billion with basketball knowledge factored in. Despite near-impossible odds, bracket predictions for the 2026 NCAA Tournament are provided across all rounds through the championship. The East Region predictions highlight significant first-round upsets, including Cal Baptist defeating Kansas and South Florida beating Louisville. Kansas faces challenges from internal turmoil and the Darryn Peterson situation under coach Bill Self, making them vulnerable to Cal Baptist's high-scoring offense led by Dominique Daniels Jr. South Florida's balanced attack and Louisville's absence of key player Mikel Brown Jr. create favorable conditions for an upset. Top seeds Duke, UConn, and Michigan State are projected to advance from the East Region.

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