Are you ready for the March Madness challenge? Think you can win a billion dollars in Warren Buffett’s famous tournament bracket contest? Learn how to make a winning tournament bracket and show your coworkers you know your Terps from your Tar Heels.
Pay Attention
You’ve probably already guessed correctly that those who actually watch college hoops are way more likely to make a winning tournament bracket. But you can skip hours and hours of boob tube watching just by catching the highlights on ESPN and reading news stories. Winning and losing streaks, injuries and postseason play history are all big difference makers. And some teams, such as Duke, are perennial favorites.
Higher Seeds Often Don’t Win
Look for upsets around the 5 seed, where teams are quiet enough to hide but good enough to beat tough opponents. Remember, top seeds start by playing low seeds that often can’t compete, and that can cause a highly ranked team to lose its edge. Middle seeds have to play tougher games, and that can give them momentum going into late-bracket games.
Take Risks
What’s the fun in copying the brackets of every other meathead in your office? Pick some solid choices and some buzzer-beating chances, and you may be the last bettor standing.
Check the Stats
Free throws and rebounding are basics that winning teams perform flawlessly again and again. Always choose the team that plays solid defense and offense as a team over the squad that features one star player and a few supporting acts. Look for a team with a 6th man to come in off the bench to contribute big after foul trouble.
Have Fun
Now that you know how to make smart brackets, it’s time to relax and have fun! Root hard, note the graduating seniors and see if your research paid off — and you’ll be ready to roll for next year.