The Madness is here! Selection Sunday is in the books, and 68 teams have received their invitation to the big dance. March is where dreams are made. Duke grabs the #1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament; they will lead the East Region. In this article, we’ll focus on the Midwest Region, headlined by Michigan, which also earned a #1 seed. Let’s dive in and take a look at the 2026 NCAA Tournament Midwest Region predictions, March Madness upsets, picks, and bracket.
2026 NCAA Tournament MidwestRegion Predictions: March Madness Upsets, Picks and Bracket
READ ALL THE NCAA TOURNAMENT PREVIEWS
EAST REGION PREVIEW
SOUTH REGION PREVIEW
WEST REGION PREVIEW
Michigan gets the #1 seed for the Midwest Region. They will play the winner of the UMBC and Howard play-in game. Iowa State is the #2 seed in the Midwest, and they’ll take on Tennessee State. The #3 seed goes to Virginia, Alabama grabs the #4 seed, while Texas Tech rounds out the top five seeds in the Midwest Region.
Midwest Region Best Bets:
#2 Iowa State Over #15 Tennessee State (-23.5), #10 Santa Clara +3.5 vs #7 Kentucky
This Iowa State team does not mess around. Earlier this week in the Big 12 Conference Tournament, they dispatched the Arizona State Sun Devils by a score of 91-42. They turned around in the quarterfinals and beat Texas Tech by 22 points. Iowa State covered in 60% of their games this season, as well as 60% of their games as the favorite. Some of these small teams can keep the games with the top seeds close, but this won’t be one of them. Sorry for your draw, Tennessee State. Best of luck next time.
This Santa Clara Broncos basketball team is a fun one to watch. They thrive on running a fast tempo game and shooting the lights out of the gym, particularly short jumpers. Kentucky hasn’t been great at defending either, ranking 10th in the SEC in 3-point rate allowed on defense. Kentucky generally likes to play bigger and protect the rim. Santa Clara’s big guys can shoot too. Kentucky has been up and down, and not what you expect from the Wildcats. Look for the Broncos to step up big time here and maybe even upset Kentucky.
Midwest Region Favorite: #1 Michigan (-120)
The Michigan Wolverines are the heavy favorites in the Midwest Region. The Wolverines went 31-8 in the regular season and fell just short in the Big Ten Tournament earlier today when they fell to the Purdue Boilermakers 80-72. Michigan has a very tall team; they are physically imposing and one of the most talented teams in the country. The Wolverines (+350) trail only the Duke Blue Devils (+295) when it comes to odds of winning the entire tournament. They are expected to be one of the best teams, but Purdue just showed they are beatable. The biggest question is whether Michigan can overcome its youth and inexperience and show up when the pressure is the biggest.
We’re giving away $5,000 in prizes for our March bracket contest! FREE 💰 @GamblingPodcast https://t.co/W6Ph5XTcWA pic.twitter.com/FnQRMWS9XA
— Sean Green (@seantgreen) March 14, 2026
Dark Horse: #6 Tennessee (+1600)
Michigan and Iowa State are going to be tough teams to unseat in the Midwest Region. However, if you want to bet a longshot, because let’s face it, that’s what March is all about. The Tennessee Volunteers are a team that’s caught my eye. Rick Barnes has led his team to back-to-back Elite 8 appearances. The Volunteers fell early in the SEC Tournament, but the hope is their star forward Nate Ament will be rested and ready to make a run.
GET YOUR SGPN BRANDED NCAA BRACKET HERE
First Round Upset: #12 Akron (+285) Over #5 Texas Tech
I have my eyes on the #12 seed Akron Zips as they take on the #5-seeded Texas Tech Red Raiders. The 12 over 5 is a common upset, happening 35.6% of the time in history. Texas Tech also just suffered the loss of star forward JT Toppin and went 3-3 over its final six games. Texas Tech has relied heavily on the deep ball with Toppin gone. If those three aren’t falling, it could quickly spell trouble. For Akron, this is an experienced team, a huge advantage in March. The Zips can seemingly score at will, and Tavari Johnson is a name you should get familiar with quickly!
@KramerCentric,@TheColbyD ,@Moneyline_Mac , @seantgreen A wise man once said- “death, taxes, and laying the points with Akron on a Friday night!” Bout to make it 8 straight over Kent pic.twitter.com/F4AAgeTzN1
— Mike Blosser (@mi19615) March 13, 2026
