Brackets Busted: Princeton Delivers Signature March Madness Upset

There’s always that one team that goes and busts everyone’s bracket on the first day of the NCAA Tournament. In 2023, it’s the Princeton Tigers.

Princeton, who entered as the No. 15 seed in the South region, knocked off the No. 2 seed Arizona Wildcats on Thursday to advance to Saturday’s Round of 32. It is the third consecutive season that a No. 15 seed has defeated a No. 2 seed, with the Ivy League champions joining the 2022 St. Peters Peacocks and the 2021 Oral Roberts Golden Eagles.

As you would expect with such a large upset, this game was anything but normal. The two squads combined to shoot 7-for-41 (17%) from three-point range and shot only 13 total free throws. How did Princeton secure the victory? The Tigers outrebounded the Wildcats and turned the ball over less, which is apparently all you need to have a chance.

Naturally, the upset had quite an effect on bettors.

Arizona entered the game as a 14.5-point favorite and commanded 78% of the handle on the moneyline, per BetMGM data analyst Drew O’Dell. Princeton, on the other hand, commanded 71% of the moneyline bets, making for a solid payday (+750) for those who sprinkled some in their direction.

The Tigers will take on No. 7 seed Missouri on Saturday.