Predicting every game in the Midwest Region in the 2026 NCAA Tournament

The Michigan Wolverines will take on Howard in the Round of 64 on Thursday in Buffalo, New York, officially kicking off the 2026 NCAA Tournament. They opened as the clear favorites to make it to Indianapolis out of the Midwest region (-130 on FanDuel), and they are now the co-favorites to win the National Championship Game (+360) along with Arizona, both right ahead of Duke (+370).

There are a few strong teams Michigan will potentially have to get past in the Midwest Region, but as it currently stands, the Wolverines probably have the easiest path to the Final Four compared to the other No. 1 seeds.

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Here is how we think the Midwest Region will shake out.

Round of 64

No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 16 Howard (Buffalo, Thursday, 7:10 p.m. ET, CBS)

Only twice has a 16-seed taken down a 1-seed, and Thursday shouldn’t present a chance to make it three times. Michigan will make it to the Round of 32 with ease.

No. 8 Georgia vs. No. 9 Saint Louis (Buffalo, Thursday, 9:45 p.m. ET, CBS)

Saint Louis is a really intriguing pick over Georgia. The Billikins run an extremely effective offense, sitting third in effective field goal percentage in the country at 59.7 percent. However, winning in March is about pace and making few mistakes, and Georgia came into March as the No. 3 scoring offense in the country and No. 10 in pace. The Bulldogs should be able to win, led by star guard Jeremiah Wilkinson, who averages 17.0 PPG.

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No. 5 Texas Tech vs. No. 12 Akron (Tampa, Friday, 12:40 p.m. ET, TruTV)

Akron is another interesting pick to upset a 5-seed, only losing once this calendar year. The Zips make 11 threes per game, and they have a nine-man rotation, showcasing strong depth. However, they are also the shortest team in the tourney. Ultimately, if Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson is healthy (18.9 PPG, 7.6 APG) and Donovan Atwell continues to be one of the best shooters in America, Texas Tech takes this one.

No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 13 Hofstra (Tampa, Friday, 3:15 p.m. ET, TruTV)