March Madness upset picks 2024: Predicting every First Round upset

The NCAA Tournament field is set and now the fun begins. Picking the bracket isn't an easy task, since Cinderellas emerge every year and some of the top teams in the field flame out early in the one-and-done format of March Madness.

Let's take a look at the potential first-round upsets for the 2024 NCAA Tournament, starting with the East Region.

One additional note is that we don't count 8-9 games in the upset column here since those are essentially coin flips anyway.

March Madness First Round Upsets — East Region

No. 11 Duquesne Over No. 6 BYU

The Dukes are dancing for the first time since 1977 and have been red hot, ripping off 10 wins in their final 11 games to steal the A-10's automatic bid to the field. A win over Dayton in the A-10 Tournament showcased how dangerous Duquesne can be as the Dukes have a dynamic 1-2 punch in the backcourt with DaeDae Grant and Jimmy Clark III. BYU was uneven down the stretch, going 5-4 in their last nine games with losses to Oklahoma State and Kansas State mixed in, so they may be primed for an upset.

No. 10 Drake Over No. 7 Washington State

Experience is a big deal in March and the Bulldogs have it in spades, making their third trip to the NCAA Tournament in the past four years. Drake also has a star in Tucker DeVries, who can wreck a game with his ability to score from all three levels, and Washington State hasn't been to the dance in over a decade. The learning curve of March will come for the Cougars as Drake dances on.