The 2017 NCAA Men's Tournament Promises to Be Especially Unpredictable March Madness

BROOKLYN, NY - MARCH 11: Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski cuts the net after winning the 2017 New York Life ACC Tournament Final round game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Duke Blue Devils on March 11, 2017, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn,NY. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

As March Madness begins, Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski cuts the net after winning the 2017 ACC Tournament Final round game on March 11, 2017, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. Duke is a #2 seed in the NCAA tournament but a Vegas favorite. (Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

March Madness has roared in like a lion. Or more accurately, like a Blue Devil.

The brackets are out and the tournament kicks off Tuesday with the first two play-in games, the start of what promises to be an unusually unpredictable tournament. Fresh off an ACC tournament title, Duke is the favorite of multiple Vegas sports books… yet still couldn’t score a #1 seed. (Those went to defending champs Villanova, Kansas, Gonzaga, and Duke’s conference rival North Carolina. Coach K. will have to purse title #6 as a #2.) Syracuse is considered to be the top snub for 2017, with the selection committee citing their 2-11 road record as a crucial reason they’ll have to head to the NIT this year.

Head over to ESPN and start picking your brackets now. Keep a particular eye on the South region, home to North Carolina, Kentucky (#2), and UCLA (#3), whose freshman sensation Lonzo Ball is likely to turn pro after this season.

—RealClearLife