Not everyone is a college basketball fan, but the funny thing about March Madness is it has become almost universally well-known and even non-fans get in on the NCAA betting. It is a single elimination tournament between 68 of the best men’s teams and 64 of the best women’s teams. How does a team make it? Well, about half of the teams make it automatically by winning their conference tournaments, while the others get on the list by an NCAA selection committee.
How do the March Madness Brackets Work?
After a “play in” round, where four of the lower-ranked teams are eliminated, the 64 teams compete against each other and the winners enter the “sweet 16”. From there, the “elite 8” play, and then the “final four”, until there are only 2 teams left. The winners of the tournament cut the nets at the end of the game, which is a tradition dating back to 1947.
What makes March Madness betting so compelling for fans? There are usually upsets and dark horse teams who make it much farther than expected. An example of an upset is when Georgia State beat Baylor last year with a last minute shot. There are also inevitable “Cinderella” teams whose status does not explain their success during the tournament, which can make for really exciting viewing. Since many of the players don’t end up in the NBA, many of these games are the last and shining games of their basketball careers.
To fill out March madness brackets, there are a few things to remember. In essence, you are predicting the winners of each round in the entire tournament. A good rule of thumb for the uninitiated is to pick favorites. Give yourself a good chance of winning by picking highly ranked teams. For more betting tips and March Madness break downs be sure to get more information from The Machines Picks.