March Madness: A few statistical tips could give you an edge
Briefly

Crafting a perfect March Madness bracket is an almost unattainable goal due to the numerous combinations and outcomes in play. With 68 teams and 63 games, perfectly predicting the winner of each matchup feels like an overwhelming task. However, there are strategies to follow that can enhance your chances, especially for casual fans looking to do well in pools. Statisticians like Albert Cohen offer insights into the mathematics behind tournament predictions, emphasizing that simplistically crafted brackets may outperform complex simulations in some scenarios.
If you look at 64 teams, you're going to have 63 games. How come? Well, it's a geometric series. You have 32 plus 16 plus 8 plus 4 plus 2 plus 1.
The challenge is that there are so many variables and potential outcomes, it's almost impossible to devise the perfect bracket, correctly calling the outcome of every matchup.
Cohen provides insight into the science of ‘bracketology,' along with a few handy general tips to improve one’s chances without relying solely on expert predictions.
For someone looking to win their office pool, simpler strategies can provide an edge over technical models that simulate game outcomes thousands of times.
Read at Ars Technica
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