Men's projected bracket
The most likely field of 68 from 20,000 simulated seasons. The figure beside each team is how often it made the field.
Last four in
First four out
Next four out
Seed lines
1
2
- HoustonBig 1299%
- MichiganBig Ten97%
- Michigan StBig Ten95%
- TennesseeSEC95%
3
- Texas TechBig 1294%
- AlabamaSEC86%
- NebraskaBig Ten89%
- UConnBig East · auto bid89%
4
- CincinnatiBig 1291%
- Iowa StateBig 1292%
- PurdueBig Ten79%
- VanderbiltSEC85%
6
- LouisvilleACC79%
- BYUBig 1277%
- AuburnSEC73%
- TexasSEC70%
9
- GonzagaPac-12 · auto bid84%
- Ole MissSEC59%
- MiamiACC72%
- Ohio StateBig Ten · last four in42%
10
- MarylandBig Ten · last four in41%
- North CarolinaACC45%
- Texas A&MSEC45%
- Oklahoma StBig 12 · last four in40%
11
- TCUBig 1246%
- West VirginiaBig 12 · last four in42%
- New MexicoMountain West · auto bid65%
- Saint LouisAtlantic 10 · auto bid54%
- Saint Mary'sWest Coast · auto bid60%
- Wichita StAmerican · auto bid37%
12
- Murray StMissouri Valley · auto bid27%
- Miami OHMid-American · auto bid32%
- UC San DiegoBig West · auto bid26%
- YaleIvy · auto bid33%
13
- McNeeseSouthland · auto bid62%
- High PointBig South · auto bid70%
- Montana StBig Sky · auto bid33%
- UNC WilmingtonCoastal Athletic Association · auto bid19%
14
- Western KYConference USA · auto bid19%
- Wright StHorizon · auto bid28%
- St ThomasSummit · auto bid33%
- C ArkansasUnited · auto bid30%
15
16
- FairfieldMetro · auto bid16%
- SE MissouriOhio Valley · auto bid28%
- HowardMid-Eastern · auto bid54%
- SouthernSouthwestern · auto bid20%
- VermontAmerica East · auto bid25%
- C ConnecticutNortheast · auto bid22%
Bracket helper
Title favouriteDuke 21%If the tournament started today, on the projected bracket above
Best bracket's championDukeFinal Four: Florida, Duke, Illinois, Kansas
Expected points947 of 1,920ESPN scoring, 10 points a first-round pick doubling each round
First-round upsets picked2Games where the best bracket takes the lower seed
East
| Seed | Team | Sweet 16 | Elite Eight | Title game | Title | Picked to reach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida | 85% | 67% | 28% | 18% | Final Four |
| 16 | SouthernFirst Four | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |
| 16 | VermontFirst Four | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |
| 8 | Indiana | 4% | 1% | <1% | <1% | |
| 9 | Gonzaga | 11% | 5% | <1% | <1% | Second round |
| 5 | St John's | 42% | 10% | 1% | <1% | Second round |
| 12 | Yale | 1% | <1% | 0% | 0% | |
| 4 | Vanderbilt | 54% | 17% | 3% | 1% | Sweet 16 |
| 13 | McNeese | 3% | <1% | 0% | 0% | |
| 6 | Texas | 20% | 7% | 1% | <1% | Second round |
| 11 | TCU | 9% | 3% | <1% | <1% | |
| 3 | Texas Tech | 71% | 39% | 7% | 4% | Sweet 16 |
| 14 | C Arkansas | <1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |
| 7 | Kentucky | 21% | 8% | 1% | <1% | Second round |
| 10 | Oklahoma St | 6% | 1% | <1% | <1% | |
| 2 | Tennessee | 73% | 42% | 9% | 4% | Elite Eight |
| 15 | Furman | <1% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
West
| Seed | Team | Sweet 16 | Elite Eight | Title game | Title | Picked to reach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Duke | 87% | 70% | 32% | 21% | Champion |
| 16 | HowardFirst Four | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |
| 16 | C ConnecticutFirst Four | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |
| 8 | Wisconsin | 4% | 2% | <1% | <1% | |
| 9 | Ole Miss | 9% | 4% | <1% | <1% | Second round |
| 5 | UCLA | 49% | 12% | 1% | <1% | Second round |
| 12 | UC San Diego | 1% | <1% | 0% | 0% | |
| 4 | Purdue | 47% | 12% | 2% | <1% | Sweet 16 |
| 13 | High Point | 3% | <1% | 0% | 0% | |
| 6 | Auburn | 28% | 11% | 1% | <1% | Second round |
| 11 | West Virginia | 11% | 3% | <1% | <1% | |
| 3 | Alabama | 62% | 29% | 4% | 1% | Sweet 16 |
| 14 | St Thomas | <1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |
| 7 | Marquette | 18% | 7% | <1% | <1% | Second round |
| 10 | Texas A&M | 9% | 3% | <1% | <1% | |
| 2 | Michigan St | 74% | 47% | 10% | 5% | Elite Eight |
| 15 | App State | <1% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
South
| Seed | Team | Sweet 16 | Elite Eight | Title game | Title | Picked to reach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illinois | 76% | 47% | 16% | 8% | Final Four |
| 16 | SE Missouri | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |
| 8 | Missouri | 12% | 4% | <1% | <1% | Second round |
| 9 | Miami | 12% | 4% | <1% | <1% | |
| 5 | Arizona | 35% | 13% | 2% | 1% | Second round |
| 12 | Miami OH | 1% | <1% | 0% | 0% | |
| 4 | Iowa State | 64% | 32% | 8% | 3% | Sweet 16 |
| 13 | Montana St | <1% | <1% | 0% | 0% | |
| 6 | BYU | 31% | 11% | 1% | <1% | Second round |
| 11 | New MexicoFirst Four | 6% | 1% | <1% | <1% | |
| 11 | Wichita StFirst Four | 1% | <1% | 0% | 0% | |
| 3 | Nebraska | 61% | 27% | 4% | 1% | Sweet 16 |
| 14 | Wright St | <1% | <1% | 0% | 0% | |
| 7 | Arkansas | 19% | 9% | 1% | <1% | Second round |
| 10 | North Carolina | 6% | 2% | <1% | <1% | |
| 2 | Michigan | 75% | 50% | 13% | 6% | Elite Eight |
| 15 | Queens | <1% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Midwest
| Seed | Team | Sweet 16 | Elite Eight | Title game | Title | Picked to reach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kansas | 83% | 58% | 21% | 11% | Title game |
| 16 | Fairfield | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |
| 8 | Xavier | 9% | 3% | <1% | <1% | Second round |
| 9 | Ohio State | 8% | 3% | <1% | <1% | |
| 5 | Iowa | 37% | 12% | 1% | <1% | Second round |
| 12 | Murray St | 1% | <1% | 0% | 0% | |
| 4 | Cincinnati | 62% | 24% | 5% | 2% | Sweet 16 |
| 13 | UNC Wilmington | <1% | <1% | 0% | 0% | |
| 6 | Louisville | 31% | 10% | 1% | <1% | Second round |
| 11 | Saint LouisFirst Four | 3% | 1% | <1% | 0% | |
| 11 | Saint Mary'sFirst Four | 4% | 1% | <1% | 0% | |
| 3 | UConn | 61% | 24% | 4% | 1% | Sweet 16 |
| 14 | Western KY | <1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | |
| 7 | Virginia | 14% | 6% | 1% | <1% | Second round |
| 10 | Maryland | 5% | 2% | <1% | <1% | |
| 2 | Houston | 80% | 57% | 20% | 10% | Elite Eight |
| 15 | American | <1% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Odds use today's ratings with no allowance for how teams change before March, so the favourites' chances are higher here than on the Projections page, which simulates the rest of the season too. Pool strategy, which picks against what everyone else in your pool is likely to pick, switches on once ESPN publishes the public's picks in March.