Here’s a fun fact: If you just guess or flip a coin, your odds of filling out a perfect NCAA tournament bracket are 1 in 9,223,372,036,854,775,808.
If you go in with a decent knowledge of basketball, the teams and NCAA tournament history, however, your odds improve quite a bit … to 1 in 120.2 billion.
So, those are still not great odds. But the good news is you don’t need to be perfect to win your pool. And it goes without saying that you should know what you’re doing when you’re filling out your March Madness bracket if you plan to beat your friends, family and/or coworkers.
Let’s get you ready to do just that. The 2023 NCAA tournament field is set. You have your bracket.Here are some tips, tricks and resources you can use to fill out your NCAA tournament bracket this year.
Play:USA TODAY Sports’ $1 million bracket challenge
First: Print your NCAA bracket
Next: Get to know the teams
Not sure who’s in the NCAA tournament this year? Use these regional previews to get to know the 68-team field. Keep in mind that every year since 2013, a No. 5 seed or lower has made the Final Four so, while going with all 1- and 2-seeds might give you a better chance at a solid bracket, that one smart low-seed pick could be the difference in winning your pool.
East Region: Purdue is the No. 1 seed and has the edge in this region, but don’t sleep on Memphis as a second-round challenge for the Boilermakers. And don’t forget about Duke, a No. 5 seed in Jon Scheyer’s first season as coach.
Midwest Region: Texas, represent! Houston, Texas and Texas A&M are all here, with the first two as the top two seeds of the region. Look at Texas, under interim coach Rodney Terry, as a possible favorite to make the Final Four.
West Region: Kansas leads the field here, and coach Bill Self should be good to go once tournament play begins Thursday. UCLA and Gonzaga will challenge the Jayhawks, though the former could have its hands full very early with UNC-Asheville.
South Region: Alabama is the overall No. 1 seed of the tournament, but it’ll have its hands full with accomplished programs such as Virginia, Arizona and Baylor in this region if it’s to make its first-ever Final Four.
Story continues
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Bracket winners and losers
Which teams are over-seeded or under-seeded? Which teams have a relatively easy path to the Final Four, and which ones have a tough road? Which teams are playing close to home? All of these factors are considered and more when determining the NCAA men’s bracket winners and losers.
Coaches poll:Alabama jumps to No. 2 behind Houston in final poll of regular season
How lower seeds fare in NCAA history
Should you pick a No. 12 vs. No. 5 upset in the opening weekend? Picking at least one is a good idea; it’s happened in 31 of the past 36 NCAA tournaments. Last year, two No. 12 seeds did it – Richmond and New Mexico State.
How about other lower-seed upsets? Here’s how they’ve fared over the years since the field expanded in 1985 … notice the jump from No. 13 to No. 12. And notice how No. 9 has the edge over No. 8!
No. 16 vs. No. 1: 1-147 (.007)
No. 15 vs. No. 2: 10-138 (.068)
No. 14 vs. No. 3: 22-126 (.149)
No. 13 vs. No. 4: 31-117 (.209)
No. 12 vs. No. 5: 53-95 (.358)
No. 11 vs No. 6: 57-91 (.385)
No. 10 vs. No. 7: 58-89 (.392)
No. 9 vs. No. 8: 76-72 (.514)
Should I pick Michigan State to make a run?
Only one local team is in this year’s NCAA tournament: Michigan State, which checks in as the No. 7 seed in the East Region and will play No. 10 USC in the first round on Friday. Before you go full homer and pick MSU to make a Final Four run, here’s more on the Trojans and how they stack up against Tom Izzo and the Spartans.
Speaking of Izzo, he hasn’t made the Sweet 16 in three seasons. If he fails to do so this year, it’ll be MSU’s longest drought between Sweet 16s in his 28-year career as coach. Here’s more from Shawn Windsor on how this year’s team is MSU’s last chance at upholding Izzo’s legacy.
If MSU wins Friday, it’ll face the winner of No. 2 Marquette and No. 15 Vermont on Sunday for a berth in the Sweet 16.
A few more tips: Pick upsets, but not too many
Yes, it’s fun when a team like No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s makes the Elite Eight. That doesn’t mean you should bank on something similar happening this year – or any year. Upsets happen, and you should pick a few, but here’s how to be smart about it, Scooby Axson of USA TODAY writes.
Furthermore, it might be a good idea to pick at least one No. 1 seed to make the Final Four. As Axson points out, only three times in NCAA tournament history has a No. 1 seed not made the Final Four (1980, 2006, 2011). And a No. 1 seed has won each of the past five national championships.
That said, don’t pick all No. 1 seeds to make the Final Four. That’s only happened once (2008).
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: NCAA tournament 2023: Bracket tips to win your pool
