A Beginner’s Guide to March Madness Brackets

Filling out a March Madness bracket is a time-honoured tradition for NCAA b-ball fans, and whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a newcomer to watching the tournament, navigating the maze of teams, matchups, and potential upsets can be a little daunting.

If you’re a beginner looking to dig deep into the excitement of March Madness and fill out your bracket for the 2024 tournament, here’s a beginner’s guide to help you get started and a printable 2024 March Madness bracket!

How to Fill Out a March Madness Bracket

Understand the Basics

March Madness is a single-elimination college basketball tournament featuring 68 teams competing for the national championship. The tournament is divided into four regions: East, West, South, and Midwest. Each region consists of 16 teams seeded from 1 to 16 based on their regular-season performance and conference tournament results.

Here is the full schedule breakdown for the 2024 NCAA Tournament:

• First Four: Tuesday, March 19 through Wednesday, March 20
• Round of 64: Thursday, March 21 through Friday, March 22
• Round of 32: Saturday, March 23 through Sunday, March 24
• Sweet 16: Thursday, March 28 through Friday, March 29
• Elite Eight: Saturday, March 30 through Sunday, March 31
• Final Four: Saturday, April 6
• National Championship: Monday, April 8

Do Your Research

Before filling out your bracket, take some time to gather information about the participating teams. Research each team’s regular-season record, conference performance, key players, playing style, and recent form. Pay attention to factors such as injuries, coaching, and strength of schedule, as these can influence a team’s performance in the tournament.

Consider Seeding and Matchups

Seeding plays a crucial role in March Madness, with higher-seeded teams typically expected to perform better than lower-seeded ones. However, upsets are a common occurrence in the tournament, and lower-seeded teams often defy expectations and pull off surprising victories. Check out our articles on this year’s potential Cinderella teams and the most common March Madness first round upsets. Evaluate potential matchups and consider factors such as playing styles, strengths, and weaknesses when making your predictions.

Factor in Historical Trends

While past performance is not always indicative of future results, analyzing historical trends and tournament data can provide valuable insights for filling out your bracket. Consider trends such as the success of certain seed combinations, the performance of teams from specific conferences, and the impact of recent rule changes or trends in college basketball.

Trust Your Gut

Filling out a March Madness bracket is as much an art as it is a science. While research and analysis are essential, don’t be afraid to trust your instincts and make gut decisions when necessary. March Madness is known for its unpredictability, and sometimes bold picks can pay off big when a lower-seeded team pulls off an upset.

Balance Risk and Reward

When filling out your bracket, strike a balance between playing it safe and taking calculated risks. While picking favourites to advance may seem like a safe bet, don’t be afraid to sprinkle in a few upsets or Cinderella picks to differentiate your bracket from the competition. Remember that every point counts in bracket challenges, so finding the right balance between risk and reward is key.

Stay Flexible

March Madness is known for its unpredictability and no bracket is immune to upsets and surprises. Be prepared to adapt and adjust your bracket as the tournament progresses, especially in the later rounds when the stakes are higher and the margin for error is smaller. Don’t be afraid to pivot your strategy based on the outcome of earlier games and emerging trends in the tournament.

Filling out a March Madness bracket properly requires a combination of research, analysis, intuition, and, let’s be real – a lot of luck. How much luck? If you’re just filling in the bracket by flipping a coin, you have a 1 in 9,223,372,036,854,775,808 chance of a perfect bracket. Do some research and those odds improve. Sort of. Your educated bracket now has a 1 in 120.2 billion chance of being perfecto.

Bet on March Madness Basketball

You can make your NCAA Basketball Tournament even more immersive by wagering on some of the games. Betting on March Madness has never been easier, and we’ve put together a guide for beginners who want to get in on the action.

How to Bet on March Madness

Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned veteran, approaching the tournament with a combination of preparation, flexibility, and a sense of fun can amp up your enjoyment of the whole experience. So grab your bracket, make your picks, and get ready for the madness of March!