2016 Bracketology Picks & Predictions: East Region Odds, Predictions and NCAA Bracket Projections

2016 Bracketology Picks & Predictions – East Region Odds, Predictions and NCAA Bracket Projections: The East Region of the NCAA Tournament Bracket has one of the most top-heavy portions of any region. North Carolina is the top seed, and two of the hottest teams in the country, Kentucky and Indiana, could meet in the second round as the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds. Whichever team emerges from the top half of the East Region will be considered the favorite to reach the Final Four, but the road to the Elite Eight could be so grueling that a team from the bottom portion of the region could easily advance.

NCAA East Bracket Favorites to Make the Final Four

North Carolina: In terms of raw talent, the Tar Heels are second to none. They also have a rare blend of elite talent and athleticism and experience. Brice Johnson is a double-double machine, Justin Jackson is a versatile and Marcus Paige is an X-factor at point guard, and North Carolina ranks in the top 15 in points per game, rebounds and assists. The Tar Heels battled inconsistency early in the year, but with wins over Miami, Duke, Notre Dame and Virginia down the stretch on their way to an ACC tournament title, Roy Williams’ squad is ready for a deep run in March.

Kentucky: After a mid-season slump, the Wildcats are hitting their stride at the perfect time. Fresh off an SEC tournament title, it is starting to feel like a repeat of 2014 when the eighth-seeded Wildcats went all the way to the title game. Jamal Murray is an NBA lottery talent, and he and Tyler Ulis headline an explosive and sometimes dominant backcourt. Skal Labissiere is an X-factor in the frontcourt, and when push comes to shove, the individual talent of Kentucky could end up winning out.

Xavier: The Musketeers are an experienced, deep team that shouldn’t be overwhelmed by the big stage. Xavier’s biggest weakness would be team’s with elite athleticism and NBA-caliber talent, but the way the region shapes up, the Musketeers should have a clear path to the Elite Eight. From there, this team has more than enough pieces to win one game against any opponent.

NCAA East Bracket Upset Specials

Michigan/Tulsa over Notre Dame: Notre Dame does own a couple of marquee wins, but they also lost to Monmouth and Alabama out of conference, and they lost to several of the ACC bottom-feeders conference play. The Fighting Irish don’t do anything particularly well, ranking outside the top 100 in both scoring and points allowed. Bottom line, Notre Dame is a flawed team that allows inferior competition to hang around. That is a bad habit to have in March.

Chattanooga over Indiana: The Hoosiers are scorching hot entering the NCAA Tournament, but this high-scoring group draws a tough matchup against an underrated Chattanooga team. The Mocs own wins over Georgia, Illinois and Dayton, so they are no strangers to knocking of major conference teams. A confident underdog is a dangerous one, and Chattanooga is going to have no fear going up against Indiana.

NCAA East Bracket High Seed on Alert

West Virginia: West Virginia plays a relentless style of defense that generates plenty of turnovers and easy scoring opportunities. The system is effective, but it tends to fail against tougher competition. This year, they lost twice to Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas in Big 12 play, and they lost to Virginia out of conference. West Virginia doesn’t have a counterpunch if their defensive pressure fails, and when they aren’t getting out in transition, they can have serious issues scoring. When things are working right, the Mountaineers can be an unstoppable machine. However, the tough competition of the NCAA Tournament could lead to an early flameout that has been an issue for Bob Huggins-coached teams dating back to his Cincinnati days.

NCAA East Bracket PREDICTION: Kentucky Wildcats

You can get expert 2016 March Madness picks and 2016 March Madness predictions this month from NSAwins.com’s top handicappers plus a pre-filled downloadable and printable 2016 March Madness Bracket to help you win your office pool!