Basketball fans from all over the country come very close to the game of the first NCAA tournament in almost two years. After the 2020 NCAA tournament was canceled due to the Covid-19 epidemic, many did not expect to reach the issue even a year later. But the time of March madness has come and with it comes the time to make some picks.
The field of the 68 teams participating in the 2021 NCAA Tournament was selected on Sunday so we know who the Big Dance really will be. This also means that printable brackets are out, which essentially means that it is the time of year when you gather all your knowledge to try and win your bracket pool. So on that front, we’ve got you covered.
Our team of experts has followed all these teams in the grinding season. The best and brightest of our eight have all taken that knowledge and put it together in parentheses with a little explanation on why they are choosing to be champions. We will not tell you how to fill your brackets, but instead give some of the best advice out there. Don’t forget to use every resource at your disposal when making these crucial choices in your bracket pool.
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And if you want a big edge on individual games of brackets, be sure to check the starting lines and spreads for each of the first 32 matchups. Then go to the sportsline for an in-depth analysis and game picks throughout the week.
March Madness is here and you can also find brackets in every possible way on the device of your choice, which can also help you prepare all our bracket games. Extensive coverage continues throughout the week at CBSSports.com and CBS Sports Headquarters, our free 24/7 news streaming service that can be viewed on any streaming device.
Are more college hoops itching for analysis? Listen below and subscribe to i on the College Ledge Basketball .l podcast where we take you beyond hardwood with insider information and quick reactions, including our best bets of the opening round below.
Gary Parish, interior of the college basketball ins
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Predicted Champion: Gonzaga
I have CBS. Gonzaga has topped the sports top 25 and has been abruptly canceled every day since last March, literally a few days after the 2020 NCAA Tournament, due to the COVID-19 global epidemic. At different times during this season, readers insisted that I should switch Baylor to No. 1 or Michigan to No. 1.
And now I have no reason to move away from Zags. They are No. 1 in offensive efficiency, No. 10 in defensive efficiency and No. 4 in tempo. So they’re great on both ends – and they play really, really fast. It is difficult to deal with opponents. He also has two selections for the future NBA Draft Lottery in Jalen Suggs and Corey Kispert. It is also difficult to deal with opponents. So the bottom line is simple: Zugs are legal and are the right favorite to win this event. He will become the first undefeated national champion since Indiana in 1976.
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Matt Norlander, senior college basketball writer
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Predicted Champion: Illinois
I feel pressured here. I was the only expert on CBSSports.com in 2019 who chose Virginia to win them all. Repeating that kind of soothsaying power, it’s too much pressure on one person. So here’s my point: these brackets will probably provide some wild upsets in the first three rounds. This is a unique NCAA tournament, held in one place, which is still happening amidst epidemics. But I go with three No. 1 seeds and one No. 3 because I’ve maintained for two plus months now that the teams on the No. 1 line feel the rest of the top. I can’t and won’t bring myself to pick all four No. 1 seeds, so I’m taking a non-no. 1 seed (Texas) with 1 other talent.
And in the title game, I’m going to go to the Big Dance with the two best teams in the game. Gonzaga has the best offense. Illinois is the perfect combination of offensive skills and defensive morale. Epic, Stars Glor with Big, Wings and Guards who can for the title game. Gonzaga asks a lot to win six more games and make history. I’d love to see that. First from ’76. But I’m taking Illinois, which has been the best team in college led basketball in the last three weeks. In doing so, the program builds up to a loss to the UNC in 2005 – and receives its first national title in school history. When he wins the Final for MOP, Io Dosonmu and his masked Mojo become an all-time legend.
Jerry Palm, Bracket Specialist
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Predicted Champion: Gonzaga
It’s finally Gonzaga’s time. Mark Fu has the best team he has in Spokane and they are ready to reach the title. The final with Ilini will be a blast to watch with all the talent on the floor. And this election is a football taste. Alabama and Ohio State are in the Final Four every year, just like football.
Kyle Boone, a college college basketball writer
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Predicted Champion: Gonzaga
What’s not to like about these Gonzaga Bulldogs? Two lottery pick talents in Corey Kispert and Jalen Sggs. A hypersensitive bucket of Drew Timmy. Balance and great depth, in every place. They have it all. They led the country in scoring margins this season and are the 20th team to enter the NCAA Tournament with a broken record. I think they have got the goods to keep this thing rolling all the way without tele in the loss column. It’s a little difficult, sure, but this is the best team in the game.
For sleepers? How about Arkansas in the final four. It opened 13-5 seasons overall and in the middle of the pack at the SEC. She then went on to win nine straight, finishing second in the SEC and earning the No. 3 seed. So no doubt this team has goods. I’ve been a proponent of what this team is capable of for a long time, so this is where I put my money where my mouth is. It won’t be easy – this is the same field that has No. 1 Seed Baylor and No. 2 Ohio State – but between Moses Moody, JD Nota and Justin Smith this team has a lot of talent and length to achieve. Not since 1995: Make the final four. Woo Pig, Baby.
David Cobb, author of college basketball
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Predicted champion: Alabama
The Crimson Tides captured the crown of the SEC tournament and put back the notion of not being fit for a single-elimination tournament, when they shot only 29.7% from the 3-point range in the final two games of the event. So what if Alabama started shooting more than 35% beyond the Ark? It can happen, and if it does, the team’s distinctive offensive style could take it back in history. Speaking of Rutgers to make Elite Eight? The epidemic stripped Scarlett Knights of their appearance last season but has finally returned to the Big Dance for the first time since 1991. The tournament, with a favorable draw featuring the game against the Clemson team that looked bad in the ACC, will have the best chance of making a little noise for the Scarlet Knights. After navigating the Big Ten gauntlet, facing the Houston team in the second round will not scare the team.
Chip Patterson, author of College Lage Basketball
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Predicted Champion: Alabama
The Crimson Tide plays at a relentless pace, hits a ton and goes straight to the elite level. The last opponent you want to face in an NCAA tournament that may be mentally exhausting due to strict protocol and bubble-ish existence in Indiana is Alabama. The tide wants to run, chucks at your face on defense and can change the fortunes of the game in three minutes or less if it warms up from the 3-point range or forces the couple to spin faster. It’s the blue-collar team that welcomes Grind, and that mentality will pay off during the ups and downs of the unprecedented NCAA Tournament.
Dennis Dodd, Senior Writer
Predicted Champion: Gonzaga
Sometimes it’s best not to overturn things. There is only one team that can beat Gonzaga … Gonzaga. Backcourt, experience, coaching – they have everything. And 26-0 is not bad either. It looks like the Zags will not have to face back pressure until the West Regional final Iowa. Luca Garza’s account as well as Pesky Jo Weisk’s amp will be. But who am I against in the face of overwhelming favorites? Gonzaga to win it all. Injury load of Isaiah levers makes Michigan early upset meat in East Bracket. That means if I’m taking a team to get to Gonzaga I can take a three-seeded Texas upset in the East Territorial area; In a national semifinal. Horns is at the height of Cinderella after winning the Big 12 tournament. This is the team that Shaka Smart has been trying to build for six years.
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Tim Doyle, CBS Sports Headquarters Analyst
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Predicted Champion: Iowa
The best state in the United States, Iowa, will be the national champion this year! Why is it the best state? Because they take care of two things: sports and beer (two things I like very much). The Hawkeyes were named National Player of the Year at Luca Garza and they will be “thrilled” to come out of the gauntlet of the Big Ten conference. They have experienced guards, they can shoot all three and their defense has clearly improved. They will clearly see Gonzaga in the Elite Eight to advance to the Final Four. I guarantee they will be “packed” with Iowa fans wherever they play and it will spread between points-points in favor of the Zags. Gonzaga won the previous meeting of the two teams 99-88 in December. I will take my chances in that game and win that game, the rest is easy! Go hockey!
Get every pick, every play, every discomfort and fill your brackets with our help! Visit Sportsline now to see which teams will make and break your brackets And who will cut the net, all of which will advance to the last four tournaments of 15 double-digits from Model 26!
