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With the 2022 NCAA Tournament round of 64 set to begin, here’s a look at the most popular upset picks on ESPN’s bracket challenge. We’ll take a look at which double-digit seeds the public has the most confidence in, along with the relevant odds from DraftKings Sportsbook.
The No. 11 Michigan Wolverines are getting 56 percent of votes to move on against No. 6 Colorado State in the opening game of the round. The Wolverines are actually favored by 1.5 points, so this isn’t exactly a true upset pick. The Virginia Tech Hokies, another No. 11 seed, are receiving 52.5 percent of all votes. The Hokies are 1-point underdogs to Texas, but fans are aware of the Longhorns’ inability to win tournament games in recent years. Even with new coach Chris Beard at the helm, it’s hard to shake that perception.
The No. 10 Loyola-Chicago Ramblers, fresh off a Sweet 16 run a season ago, are a trendy pick against the No. 7 Ohio State Buckeyes. Loyola is commanding 48.5 percent of the votes for the contest, which is listed on DraftKings Sportsbook as a pick ‘em game. The No. 10 Miami Hurricanes are 2-point underdogs to the No. 7 USC Trojans, but they’re getting 44.8 percent of all votes to advance.
After these four teams, the percentages drop significantly for double-digit seeds. No. 10 Davidson is sitting at 40.2 percent, with No. 11 Iowa State (37.4 percent) and No. 10 San Francisco (31.9 percent) next up. Surprisingly, the No. 12 Indiana Hoosiers and No. 12 Notre Dame Fighting Irish are not seeing better numbers despite the 5-12 line being a popular upset pick. The Hoosiers have 31.4 percent of votes, while the Irish are at 28.9 percent.
All the No. 16 seeds are getting under four percent of votes, but they are still getting votes despite only one 16 seed advancing out fo the first round. We don’t know exactly how many of these are “chaos” brackets fans pick just for fun, but sometimes those picks end up being the ones which win pools.