Perfect Brackets for March Madness: What Are the Odds?

Millions of people fill out a ‘March Madness’ bracket every year with hopes of not only winning, but seeing a near-perfect bracket. It begins every year on Selection Sunday, which is typically early March and when the March Madness field is announced.

Once brackets are announced around 6 p.m. ET on Selection Sunday, the time to strike on games begins! Can you predict a perfect bracket? What’s the best bracket in March Madness history? Can you easily predict underdogs or upsets? We have you covered for everything regarding your March Madness brackets!

Also check out our March Madness pools! Betting pools are a fun and easy way to connect and compete with friends. Start hosting yours by clicking here.

What Is March Madness?

March Madness is the annual men’s college basketball tournament to determine the National Championship winner. The field consists of 68 teams in a single-elimination style bracket, held in various venues throughout America.

Before the First Round begins there is the First Four round in which eight schools compete for a chance to move on to the field of 64. The Second Round sees 32 teams before the tournament heads to the Sweet 16. The field then narrows to the Elite Eight (quarterfinals) before reaching the Final Four (semifinals).  

Winners of the Final Four head to the National Championship to compete for the March Madness crown. The Final Four and the National Championship are typically held in the same arena.

Chances of a Perfect Bracket: Has It Ever Happened?

There has never been a 100% correct bracket filled out by anyone for March Madness, a very impossible feat to achieve. When filling out a bracket it’s important to understand that you will get games wrong, and you will never win every game.

Upsets are quite common in March Madness, but being able to pick the correct ones is a challenge. With that in mind, it’s never wise to fill out a March Madness bracket with the idea you will see a perfect bracket. There are various things to consider as a ‘good bracket’, but ultimately you should have fun with the experience.  

What Is the Best Bracket Anyone Has Ever Done?

The best bracket in March Madness history occurred in 2019. Gregg Nigl of Columbus, Ohio was able to accurately predict the outcome for the first 49 games.

Can Upsets and Underdogs Be Predicted?

The short answer, of course! Upsets and underdogs are a big part of March Madness, and being able to identify certain signs of an upset could help you win your brackets. A personal go-to for me are the efficiency ratio ratings. 

These ratings measure the efficiency of each school on both the offensive and defensive sides of the court. If Houston has the 3rd-best efficiency rating in March Madness on offense and the 5th-best efficiency rating in March Madness on defense, then their ratio would be much greater than a school who has the 20th-best offensive ratings and the 10th-best defensive rating. 

Conference tournaments are also great precursor events to see which schools are entering the tournament with momentum. Schools that would not reach March Madness without a conference tournament win are solid teams to look as upset alerts. Georgetown and Oregon State are good recent examples of these types of schools. 

The experts at RYP also have free picks each day! Check out our college basketball free picks page, which will be updated with potential upsets and underdogs to consider when March Madness begins!