March Madness Upsets Echo Esports Shockers

Key Takeaways:

• NCAA March Madness action heats up with major upsets in both men's and women's tournaments
• No. 10 Arkansas stuns No. 2 St. John's in biggest upset of the day
• South Dakota State women pull off surprise win against Oklahoma State

As an esports betting enthusiast, I couldn't help but draw parallels between the NCAA March Madness upsets we saw yesterday and some of the wild underdog runs we've witnessed in major esports tournaments. The unpredictability factor that makes March Madness so thrilling for basketball fans is exactly what keeps us on the edge of our seats during events like The International or Worlds.

Saturday's NCAA action delivered the kind of bracket-busting results that would make even the most seasoned esports bettor's head spin. In the men's tournament, 10th-seeded Arkansas pulled off the shocker of the day by taking down 2nd-seeded St. John's 75-66. As someone who's seen massive Dota 2 upsets firsthand (I'm looking at you, TI8 OG), I can only imagine the payouts for anyone bold enough to back the Razorbacks.

The women's tournament saw its fair share of surprises too, with 10th-seeded South Dakota State stunning 7th-seeded Oklahoma State 74-68. It's reminiscent of those group stage upsets in League of Legends Worlds that can completely shake up the knockout bracket predictions.

Some other notable results from Saturday:

Men's Tournament:

• No. 1 Houston squeaked by No. 8 Gonzaga 81-76
• No. 6 BYU edged out No. 3 Wisconsin 91-89 in a nail-biter

Women's Tournament:

• No. 1 USC dominated No. 16 UNC-Greensboro 71-25
• No. 2 UConn crushed No. 15 Arkansas State 103-34

For esports betting fans looking to get in on the March Madness action, these early round upsets are a reminder to dig deep into the analytics and team histories. Just like how understanding meta shifts and player form is crucial in esports betting, knowing which college teams are peaking at the right time can lead to some lucrative underdog picks.

As we look ahead to Sunday's slate of games, keep an eye out for potential Cinderella stories in both the men's and women's brackets. And remember, in tournament play - whether it's CS:GO Majors or March Madness - anything can happen.

(First reported by: CNN)