March Madness Predictions 2022: Upset Picks Include North Carolina, Miami To Make Final Four

Three No. 1 seeds are still on track to reach the Final Four in March Madness 2022, but upsets could be waiting for them in the Sweet Sixteen or Elite Eight. Five teams seeded No. 8 or worse are in contention to win their region of the NCAA Tournament.

Here are upset picks for teams to make the Final Four. Betting odds come from BetMGM.

No. 8 North Carolina (+350 Final Four Odds)

In order to make the Final Four, the Tar Heels will likely have to pull off two more upsets. No. 4 UCLA is favored by 2.5 points over North Carolina in the Sweet Sixteen. No. 3 Purdue is expected to end the Cinderella run for Saint Peter’s in the Sweet Sixteen. The Boilermakers should be favored over either UNC or UCLA in the Elite Eight.

North Carolina has already overcome its greatest obstacle in the East Region, eliminating No. 1 Baylor in the second round. The Tar Heels were up by as much as 25 points in the second half against the defending national champs, just two days after they routed No. 9 Marquette by 32 points.

Armando Bacot and Brady Manek have been terrific in the tournament, averaging a combined 43 points and 21 rebounds per game for North Carolina. The Tar Heels can outlast a banged-up UCLA team, and their frontcourt can give Purdue enough problems to complete a run to the Final Four.

No. 10 Miami (+450 Final Four Odds)

Miami has worse odds to reach the Final Four than North Carolina, even though the Hurricanes are actually favored in the Sweet Sixteen. That’s because No. 1 Kansas is a -175 odds-on favorite to win the Midwest Region. The Jayhawks face No. 4 Providence in the Sweet Sixteen. If Miami gets past No. 11 Iowa State in its upcoming contest, the Hurricanes could be significant underdogs against Kansas in the regional final.

Finishing fourth in the ACC, Miami was underseeded as the No. 10 team in the Midwest. The Hurricanes proved it with impressive wins over No. 7 USC and No. 2 Auburn in the first weekend of March Madness. Auburn was a top national title contender until the Hurricanes beat the Tigers by 18 points.

Isaiah Wong and Charlie Moore have played as well as any backcourt in the tournament. Iowa State won’t be able to match up with Miami offensively. Even Kansas will struggle to stop Miami if the Hurricanes’ best players continue to shine in key moments.