The madness of March is upon us. The NCAA tournament field of 68 teams (don't forget the "First Four"play-in games) has been revealed. Now, It's time to make your bracket predictions.
Will all of the No. 1 seeds advance to the Final Four in New Orleans? Or will a Cinderella team (I'm looking at you Belmont, Murray State, Harvard) make an incredible run through the big dance?
The oddsmakers have installed overall No. 1 seed Kentucky as the favorite with 9-to-5 odds, followed by fellow No. 1 seeds Syracuse and North Carolina. Although Michigan State snagged the fourth No. 1 seed, the oddsmakers give Big Ten rival Ohio State slightly better odds of cutting down the nets in the Big Easy.
The experts at ESPN seem to agree with this assessment as every single one of them has tapped the Wildcats to reach the Final Four. Jay Bilas and Hubert Davis go chalk with their Final Four picks, predicting that all four No. 1 seeds will emerge from their regions. No. 2 seeds Missouri, Kansas and the aforementioned Buckeyes get a decent amount of love from the ESPN crew as well, with Florida State, Vanderbilt and Florida among the dark horse choices to get to the national semifinals.
Every single CBSSports expert also sided with the favorite, picked Kentucky to go to at least the Final Four. Meanwhile, all but one picked a North Carolina-Kansas match-up in the Midwest Regional Finals. That outlier, Dennis Dodd, put Creighton and N.C. State into the Elite Eight and took the Bluejays to New Orleans (the lowest-seeded Final Four pick on CBSSports' panel).
What do you think of these expert picks? Can you do better? Scroll down below to make your own predictions?
Click HERE for Printable 2012 NCAA Tournament Bracket and stay tuned for in-depth coverage of March Madness throughout the tournament.
Click HERE to predict No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 16 Western Kentucky/Miss. Valley State
Click HERE to predict No. 8 Iowa State vs. No. 9 UCOnn
Click HERE to predict No. 5 Wichita State vs. No. 12 VCU
Click HERE to predict No. 4 Indiana vs. No. 13 New Mexico State
Click HERE to predict No. 6 UNLV vs. No. 11 Colorado
Click HERE to predict No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 14 S. Dakota State
Click HERE to predict No. 7 Notre Dame vs. No. 10 Xavier
Click HERE to predict No. 2 Duke vs. No. 15 Lehigh
Click HERE to predict No. 1 Michigan State vs. No. 16 LIU
Click HERE to predict No. 8 Memphis vs. No. 9 St. Louis
Click HERE to predict No. 5 New Mexico vs. No. 12 LBSU
Click HERE to predict No. 4 Louisville vs. No. 13 Davidson
Click HERE to predict No. 6 Murray State vs. No. 11 Colorado State
Click HERE to predict No. 3 Marquette vs. No. 14 BYU/Iona
Click HERE to predict No. 7 Florida vs. No. 10 Virginia
Click HERE to predict No. 2 Missouri vs. No. 15 Norfolk State
Click HERE to predict No. 1 Syracuse vs. No. 16 UNCA
Click HERE to predict No. 8 Kansas State vs. No. 9 Southern Miss.
Click HERE to predict No. 5 Vanderbilt vs. No. 12 Harvard
Click HERE to predict No. 4 Wisconsin vs. No. 13 Montana
Click HERE to predict No. 6 Cincinnati vs. No. 11 Texas
Click HERE to predict No. 3 Florida State vs. No. 14 St. Bonaventure
Click HERE to predict No. 7 Gonzaga vs. No. 10 West Virginia
Click HERE to predict No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 15 Loyola (MD)
Click HERE to predict No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 16 Vermont/Lamar
Click HERE to predict No. 8 Creighton vs. No. 9 Alabama
Click HERE to predict No. 5 Temple vs. No. 12 Cal/South Florida
Click HERE to predict No. 4 Michigan vs. No. 13 Ohio
Click HERE to predict No. 6 San Diego State vs. No. 11 NC State
Click HERE to predict No. 3 Georgetown vs. No. 14 Belmont
Click HERE to predict No. 7 St. Mary's vs. No. 10 Purdue
Click HERE to predict No. 2 Kansas vs. No. 15 Detroit
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