March is here, and that means the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is right around the corner. The tournament features 68 teams competing for the championship, and everyone—from die-hard fans to those new to the game—gets excited about filling out brackets.
If you’re new to this whole bracket thing, don’t worry! You can still join in on the fun. With a few simple tips, you could even outsmart seasoned participants who have been following college basketball all season.
### Understanding the Basics
First, let’s break down how the tournament works. It starts with 68 teams, but only 64 will move on after the First Four play-in games. These games involve the four lowest-seeded at-large teams and the last four automatic qualifiers. Once that’s settled, the real fun begins, with the 64 teams playing in a series of elimination rounds.
Games kick off in Round 1, where higher seeds face lower seeds. For example, the number one seed plays the number 16 seed, the two takes on the 15, and so on. Each round is crucial, and points are awarded differently—correctly predicting a champion is worth 32 points!
### Pick Your Upsets Wisely
One of the most thrilling parts of filling out a bracket is picking upsets. But be careful: going too wild can backfire. Historically, only two number one seeds have lost to a number 16 seed since the tournament expanded in 1985. This makes such an upset a risky bet.
However, number two seeds also aren’t safe. They’ve lost to number 15 seeds just 11 times in history. For instance, Princeton shocked everyone when they beat Kentucky in 2022 and made it to the Elite Eight—an amazing feat for a low seed.
### Where to Look for Potential Upsets
If you’re hunting for early surprises, focus on matchups with teams that are closely seeded. Commonly, you’ll see surprising results in games between number 11 and number 6 seeds, with a historical win rate of about 39%. Twelve versus five matchups are also popular for upsets—recently, number 12 seeds pulled off a 50% win rate in first-round games.
For the women’s bracket, only one number 1 seed has ever lost to a number 16 seed, and that was back in 1998. As a trend, targeting number 12 seeds can yield good results; they’ve upset higher seeds more than once a year on average.
### The Power of Data and Expert Analysis
If you’re uncertain about your picks, lean on expert analysis and data. Analysts like Ken Pomeroy provide detailed rankings based on advanced statistics. You can also check out betting lines to gauge public opinion and expert insights on matchups.
### Enjoy the Process
At the end of the day, filling out your bracket should be a fun experience. Whether you take five minutes or several hours to research, enjoy the rush of the tournament. It’s a time when anything can happen, and every game is packed with excitement.
So jump in, trust your instincts, and embrace the madness of March!
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Source linkNCAA,Zach Edey
