March Madness Brackets Drop, Upsets Loom

0:00On March 15, the brackets for the 2026 NCAA men's tournament dropped on Sunday, setting off the usual frenzy of filling up pools and predicting upsets. Topseeds include Duke in the East, Arizona in the West, Houston in the South, and Iowa State in the Midwest. Action ramps up fast with the first four games on Tuesday and Wednesday in Dayton, followed by first round thrillers on Thursday and Friday across the country. Miami Ohio punched their ticket as an at-large bid, despite a stunning M.A.C. tournament loss that dropped their seating. The Red Hawks now face a tough seven-and-a-half-point underdog spot against SMU in the first four on Wednesday, just a short drive from home. Fans are buzzing over star-studded regions like the East, packed with Hall of Fame coaches, and the West boasting multiple conference champs. Close calls stand out too, such as Clemson versus Iowa and Villanova against Utah State, both projected as toss-ups. Early betting lines from Fandall show heavy favorites like Duke by 27-and-a-half over Sienna and Arizona by nearly 30 versus L.I.U.

1:04Double-digit spreads dominate most top games, but a few mid-majors could shake things up as underdogs. With pools filling up and dream trips on the line for bracket challenges, all eyes turn to date in this week as March Madness tips off for real.