The bracket season is upon us. Let the upsets be aplenty. Unless of course you went college basketball odds chalk and picked all of the top teams to advance. Either way, the mayhem is here and fans are desperate for NCAA tournament betting glory. Here are a few March Madness bracket facts regarding the history of the tournament seeding.
Top 5 March Madness Bracket Facts You Should Know
Don’t bet on the 16th seed, ever.
Sure, the idea of picking the ultimate Cinderella team in the tournament is exciting and lucrative. But it simply won’t happen from the lowest seeds. That’s right – no 16th seed has EVER won a NCAA tournament game. We’re talking about a streak of 124-0. It’s the ultimate sucker’s bet.
The top seeds aren’t always the best
The temptation is there to go with the top seeds in the tournament to go a long way. Unfortunately, the facts are that this doesn’t occur, either. In reality, the top four seeds reached the Final Four only once, back in 2008. The teams were North Carolina, Memphis, Kansas and UCLA, with Kansas taking home the title.
That 8 vs 9 matchup is unpredictable
Okay, to say that the higher seed doesn’t win more games would be inaccurate. The 8 seed does win over 53 percent of the time. But still, we’re not talking about a big discrepancy here. That 9 seed can and does win a lot of the time as well. So be careful when placing your NCAA basketball wagers.
The double digits are good, but not that good
If a team has made the tournament it’s a good team. But those who are seeded in double digits aren’t likely to go far. Only four teams have ever reached the Final Four as a double digit seed, with Syracuse accomplishing the feat last year.
Find the scorers
If all else fails place your bracket faith in the nation’s top scorers, the players who can put a team on their back and drain the jumpers and long distance shots when the moment calls for it. Money players are worth the money.
Matthew Ross is a sports commentator and a radio host on TSN 690 Radio in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Follow him @MatthewWords.