Only six teams in the Sweet 16 of the 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket have won a national championship. UConn, UNC, Arizona, Duke, NC State and Marquette are the teams remaining in the NCAA Tournament bracket 2024 who have hoisted the trophy. Should your 2024 NCAA Tournament second-chance picks include backing one of those teams, or should you look at a team like Gonzaga, who has made 24 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances?
The Zags won each of their first two games in the 2024 March Madness bracket by more than 20 points, which included a dominant 89-68 victory over No. 4 seed Kansas. Gonzaga will now square off against No. 1 seed Purdue on Friday in the Sweet 16. The Boilermakers haven't appeared in the Final Four since 1980. Before locking in any March Madness predictions, be sure to check out the 2024 NCAA bracket picks from the advanced computer model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulated the entire 2024 NCAA Tournament 10,000 times. It has absolutely crushed its March Madness picks, beating over 96% of all CBS Sports brackets so far this tournament. The model nailed 13 of the 16 teams in the Sweet 16, and all four of its Final Four teams are still in the field.
It knows how to spot an upset as well. The same model has produced brackets that have nailed 24 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds, including calling No. 12 seed James Madison over No. 5 seed Wisconsin and No. 11 seed NC State over No. 6 seed Texas Tech this year.
There's simply no reason to rely on luck when there's proven technology to help you dominate your 2024 March Madness picks. Now, the model has simulated every possible matchup for the remainder of the 2024 NCAA Tournament and revealed its updated bracket. You can only see it over at SportsLine.
Top 2024 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 picks
One team to back in 2024 March Madness brackets: No. 1 seed UConn advances past No. 5 seed San Diego State in an East Region Sweet 16 matchup. These teams met in the national championship last season, with UConn cruising to a 76-59 win. Guard Tristen Newton was the offensive standout in that game, recording a double-double with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists.
Newton has been effective thus far in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, averaging 16.5 points, nine assists and three rebounds through his first two games. As a team, the Huskies are scoring 83 points per game in the NCAA Tournament 2024 and their defense has suffocated opposing offenses, holding opponents to just 55 points per game on average. The Aztecs, meanwhile, are scoring only 74.7 points per game this season, which ranks 142nd in college basketball. SportsLine's model expects UConn to hold San Diego State well below its season scoring average on Thursday, a big reason why the Huskies advance in well over 80% of simulations. Get more NCAA Tournament bracket picks here.
Another team to back with your 2024 NCAA Tournament picks: No. 3 seed Illinois advances past No. 2 seed Iowa State in the other Sweet 16 matchup in the East. The Cyclones have struggled against teams with multiple stars this season, losing to Texas A&M, BYU, Baylor and Houston. They will face two superstars on Thursday, with Terrence Shannon Jr. and Marcus Domask combining for almost 40 points and nine rebounds per game.
Shannon has scored at least 26 points in his last five games, leading the Fighting Illini to a Big Ten Tournament title and a pair of blowout wins to open the NCAA Tournament 2024. Iowa State has four double-digit scorers, but none of them are elite scorers like Shannon and Domask. SportsLine's model knows that stars win games at this time of the year, which is why the Illini are advancing in well over 50% of simulations. Get more bracket picks here.
How to make 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket predictions
SportsLine's model also says two teams seeded No. 3 or worse make the Final Four. With the model's proven track record of calling bracket-busting upsets, you'll want to see which stunners it is calling this year before locking in any 2024 March Madness bracket picks.
So what's the optimal NCAA Tournament 2024 bracket? And which teams seeded No. 3 or worse shock college basketball? Visit SportsLine now to see which teams you can back with confidence, all from the model that is beating over 96% of bracket players this year and has called 24 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds.
