Author: Scott Gleeson / Source: USA TODAY
SportsPulse: The madness is finally here. USA TODAY’s Trysta Krick breaks down everything you need to know about this year’s tournament. USA TODAY
Winning your NCAA tournament bracket pool can be contingent on making smart picks. But the smartest picks aren’t just making Duke your national champion — you know, since everyone is probably picking Duke.
The first round is where all the decisive picks can separate your bracket from the pack, and the best way to win the first round is by selecting the right upsets and being a little gutsy. Every year, there’s a handful of them that nobody saw coming (ahem, No. 16 seed UMBC over No. 1 Virginia last year). But then there are the ones where you can sort of see the writing on the wall.
Here’s a look at the four best bets for bracket-busting by double-digit seeds:
No. 11 seed Belmont over Temple and No. 6 Maryland: The Bruins (26-5), one of the first mid-majors to garner an at-large bid in years, will start their tourney in the first-four round with a tough matchup in Dayton vs. Temple. Expect Belmont to advance there and then give a Maryland team that’s the fourth youngest in Division 1 (according to KenPom.com’s experience metric) fits with its offense that ranks second in the nation with 87.4 points per game. This group also leads the country in assists (20 per game), showing off a winning team chemistry, and shoots at 50 percent from the floor to rank top-five. Coach Rick Byrd has a nice mix of experience and youth, rotating several freshman into his lineup.
No. 13 Northeastern over No. 4 Kansas (Midwest Region): The Huskies (23-4) won the Colonial tourney for their…
The post NCAA tournament 2019 bracket help: Four smartest first-round upset picks of March Madness appeared first on FeedBox.