It’s Tournament Time!

The NCAA Basketball Tournament is here, and Streaks will hold contests through the National Championship. The field looks wide open this year without a consensus number-one team, so filling out brackets is a challenging task. To get you ready, here’s a breakdown of the different regions and a Streaks Pick for which team will make it to the semifinals.

South

Despite off-court issues, Alabama looks like the most complete team in the tournament and has the best player in the nation with freshman Brandon Miller, an elite shotmaker with a feel for passing teammates open. On the bottom side of the bracket, Arizona boasts one of the nation’s most potent offenses as they put up 82.7 points per game (3rd in the nation) on 49.6% shooting (3rd) this season. Arizona looks like they are getting hot at the right time after upsetting UCLA to win the PAC-12 tournament, and you always have to watch out for teams with a hot hand in March. 6-seed Creighton has a balanced team with solid guard play around the perimeter and 7-footer Ryan Kalkbrenner down low, who led the nation in shooting percentage this year (71.4%).
Pick to come out of the South: Alabama (+170 to win the South)

East

Purdue earned the number one spot in the East region after rolling through the Big 10 tournament behind the play of the 7’4” Zach Edey, who is averaging 22.3 points per game (6th in the nation) and 12.8 rebounds (3rd). They will be a tough team to beat, though a team that presses on defense and plays with tempo on offense could provide problems for this Purdue team which likes to play at a slower pace. The Boilermakers could be the first 1-seed to drop as they could play a streaking Memphis team in the Round of 32, with Memphis recently beating Houston, the top overall seed in the tournament, by 10 in the AAC Championship. This will be one of the toughest regions, as 5-seed Duke has been gaining momentum of late and have only lost one game this season with their full starting 5. Lurking on the bottom side of the bracket is 2-seed Marquette, who won the Big East Tournament behind stellar play from Sophomore PG Tyler Kolek, who is 2nd in the nation with 7.7 assists per game.
Pick to come out of the East: Duke (+750 to win the East)

Midwest

Houston earned the top seed in the tournament this year after making a run to the Elite 8 last year as a 5-seed. Houston has one of the most athletic defenses in the nation, with future NBA lottery pick Jarace Walker under the basket, as they allowed opponents to score just 56.5 points per game and had the top point differential (+18.5) out of any team. The 5-seed Miami Hurricanes will have a shot to knock off Houston in the Sweet 16 as they have a balanced offense that could turn the game into a shootout, though it will be a tough task. Watch out for 3-seed Xavier, who can get hot with one of the best offenses in the tournament as they average the most assists per game (19.3) and shot the 3rd best from three in the nation (39.5%), and a go-to guy in Junior G Colby Jones. Texas A&M is another sleeper with a balanced team that can come through down the stretch, as they made the freest throws in the nation (19.2).
Pick to come out of the Midwest: Xavier (+700 to win the Midwest)

West

Reigning champion Kansas is the top seed in the West, but after a relatively easy path to the championship last year, this year, they will have to get through a loaded region with UCLA, UConn, and Gonzaga. Kansas lost some of the leading players from their title run last year but has freshman F Gradey Dick, a dynamic offensive weapon projected to go in the lottery of the NBA Draft. 4-seed UConn has been an analytics darling all season, as they are currently ranked 4th overall by KenPom metrics. However, they have a tough first-round matchup against Iona State with head coach Rick Pitino. UCLA will be a tough out as they play complete team defense, ranking first overall in adjusted defensive efficiency. One of the biggest potential matchups in the Sweet 16 will be UCLA’s top-ranked defense against Gonzaga, which scores the most points per game in the nation (86.5). Gonzaga returns mustachioed F Drew Timme from the 2020-21 Bulldogs team, the first undefeated team to make it to the Finals since the 1970s. If the Bulldogs can hit their stride, they have the experience to finally raise their first championship banner.
Pick to come out of the West: Gonzaga (+400)

Making a perfect bracket is nearly impossible, as the odds of selecting a perfect bracket are roughly one in 9.2 quintillion. As with any college sporting event, spotting the surprise upsets is the name of the game. Test out some strategies with Streaks, and once you have a feel for how this wide-open tournament will play out, lock in your picks! To place your first bet with insurance, you can use our promotional offer for a Risk-Free Bet Up To $1,000 at BetMGM.