The Best NCAA Bracket Challenge For March Madness
March Madness is here, and so is the NCAA Bracket Challenge. Whether it’s a friendly competition with friends or a high-stakes office pool, predicting the outcome of this annual tournament is a ton of fun. Our March Madness guide will equip you with the tools to craft a championship bracket.
Keep reading to see the best NCAA March Madness Bracket Challenge betting sites, unlock winning tips, and dive into 2024 March Madness betting odds.
In This March Madness Bracket Challenge Guide:
Top 2024 March Madness Bracket Challenge Betting Site
March Madness is the start of three incredible weeks of college basketball betting action. There are lots of NCAA March Madness betting sites to choose from, and our experts have tested and compared them so we could recommend our top pick.
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BetUS: Three March Madness Bracket Challenges
Our top March Madness betting site is BetUS. What’s better than one bracket challenge? Three bracket challenges! This site has something for everyone:
- Full Bracket Contest (March 17-21, 2024): You can win a $1M prize for predicting all 63 game winners correctly. Even if you don’t have perfect picks, the bracket with the most correct picks grabs a $5,000 free-play credit (with a 10x rollover). Plus, 2nd-5th place score free plays ranging from $25 to $250.
- Sweet Sixteen (March 24-28, 2024): Once the Tournament is down to 16 teams, perfect bracket selection can win you $10K. Second place gets a $250 casino chip, and lower ranks enjoy free plays from $100-$25.
- Eight-Team Contest (March 29-30, 2024): Choose the perfect Elite Eight team bracket to win $10K. Second place will receive a $250 casino chip from BetUS, and lower ranked bettors will win free play credits.
You can also pump up your bets with a generous welcome bonus, and boost it even higher when you deposit with crypto.
BetUS TIP:
Watch the outcome of your bets with a courtside view of the tournament on BetUS TV and check out their top stories in the BetUS Locker Room.
How NCAA Brackets Work
NCAA bracket challenges are simple, yet thrilling. With 64 teams vying for the championship (technically 60 after Selection Sunday), you will predict every game’s outcome, in each region, until a champion emerges.
The catch? You won’t know how the first round plays out before making your second-round picks. Your picks are set in stone. No second-guessing, no swapping teams after upsets. That’s why a bad first weekend can spell “bracket busted” for many fans. This unpredictability is what fuels the excitement of March Madness brackets.
(Example of a March Madness bracket)
How To Purchase Bracket Entries
Many March Madness sportsbooks offer individual bracket entries for purchase, typically ranging from $20 to $100. Often, NCAA betting sites will incentivize participation by allowing entry through a qualifying deposit. This might be a sign-up sportsbook bonus or a reload deposit of a specific amount. We recommend checking the terms and conditions of each contest for specific entry rules and requirements.
NCAA Team Seeds
Seeding is the foundation of March Madness. On Selection Sunday (March 17, 2024), the NCAA committee will unveil the rankings that determine every team’s path to the Final Four. #1 seeds are the top dogs, facing the weakest competition (#16 seeds) in the first round. Lower seeds face tougher matchups, like the #8 vs. #9 clash. However, being a top seed doesn’t guarantee placement in the Final Four. This is where researching teams, players, and trends comes in.
How To Make A March Madness Bracket
March Madness bracket challenges require you to make your 63 picks before the first tip-off on March 21, 2024. Unlike other contests, there’s no specific number of correct picks to win. Your goal is to pick more winners correctly than anyone else in your pool. Aim for 40-45 correct picks for a good shot.
Try to have fun with your selections, because picking a perfect bracket is a challenge. Even Warren Buffet offered his employees $1B for a perfect bracket, and it remains unclaimed. The closest anyone came was 49 correct picks in 2019.
Bracket Scoring Rules
Bracket scoring rules depend on the NCAA bracket that you choose. As a general guideline, BetOnline’s common scoring system is:
- 1 point (Round 1)
- 2 points (Round 2)
- 4 points (Sweet 16)
- 8 points (Elite Eight)
- 16 points (Final Four)
- 32 points (Title Game)
Some bracket challenges might keep it simple with one point for each correct pick. The escalating point structure works best, as each win becomes more crucial as the tournament progresses — making it even more exciting.
Point Spread Tip:
The wider point spread in later rounds helps to differentiate players and avoid tie-breakers.
Expert 2024 NCAA Bracket Challenge Picks
See All NCAAB PicksBenefit from a winning edge in March Madness betting with our winning combination of expert analysis and AI-powered predictions. Our key metrics include home/away records, points per game, defensive aspects, and more valuable stats. Check it out!
2024 NCAA Bracket Betting Odds
Here are the 2024 NCAA basketball championship odds to help inform your bracket selections and your March Madness betting strategy. Expect the top seeds in each region to come from the top 5-6 teams in the country.
(University of Connecticut come in as pre-competition favorites)
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Connecticut Huskies | +650 |
| Purdue Boilermakers | +700 |
| Houston Cougars | +900 |
| Tennessee Volunteers | +1200 |
| Arizona Wildcats | +1200 |
| Auburn Tigers | +1600 |
| North Carolina Tar Heels | +1600 |
| Kansas Jayhawks | +2000 |
| Alabama Crimson Tide | +2000 |
| Marquette Golden Eagles | +2200 |
| Iowa State Cyclones | +2200 |
| Duke Blue Devils | +2500 |
| Kentucky Wildcats | +2500 |
| Baylor Bears | +3500 |
| Wisconsin Badgers | +4000 |
| Creighton Bluejays | +5000 |
| BYU Cougars | +5000 |
| Michigan State Spartans | +5500 |
| FAU Owls | +6000 |
| Saint Mary’s Gaels | +7000 |
| Texas Longhorns | +8000 |
| Gonzaga Bulldogs | +8000 |
| Texas A&M Aggies | +8000 |
| San Diego State Aztecs | +8000 |
| Texas Tech Red Raiders | +8000 |
| New Mexico Lobos | +8000 |
| Mississippi State Bulldogs | +8000 |
| Utah Utes | +8000 |
| Dayton Flyers | +8000 |
| South Carolina Gamecocks | +8000 |
Tips To Pick The Best March Madness Bracket
While picking a perfect bracket has yet to happen, here are some expert college basketball strategy tips to point you in the right direction for bracket-challenge success:
1. Get Your Picks In
Be sure to get your picks in before tip-off of the first game of the NCAA Tournament. If you don’t, there’s no other chance to make selections.
2. Consider Team Performance
Taking team performance into account, beyond top seeding, is important. We recommend considering teams that have improved in the latter part of the season. Team statistics offer valuable clues, including offensive efficiency, defensive strength, and key player metrics.
TIP: Check out BetUS for updated insights.
(Purdue Boilermakers come in with strong pre-tournament odds)
3. Factor In Upsets From The Early Rounds
Upsets in the early rounds are to be expected. You can almost set your watch to a 12th seed upsetting a fifth seed every year. This unpredictability makes March Madness so exciting.
TIP: By researching trends and digging into the stats, you can increase your chances of picking the correct upsets and boosting your bracket score.
4. Bet On The Top Coaches
Coaching may have a bigger impact on the NCAA than the NBA, as young athletes might be more willing to learn. Teams with good coaching generally go far in the NCAA Tournament.
TIP: Have a look at the most recent winners: Kansas’ Bill Self, Baylor’s Scott Drew, Virginia’s Tony Bennett, Villanova’s Jay Wright, North Carolina’s Roy Williams, and Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski. They’re all veteran coaches with excellent pedigrees.
5. Focus On The Top Teams
Only one #1 seed has lost to a #16 team in the first round. This happened when op-ranked Virginia fell to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in 2018. Virginia rebounded to win the Tournament in 2019. In fact, only eight title games have not had a #1 seed in it since 1985. While March Madness loves an upset, top seeds can be safer bets overall.
TIP: The further you get into the Tournament, the better top teams tend to play. Upsets are generally for the early rounds.
6. Watch The Games
Live betting on key games alongside your NCAA bracket can aid your research ahead of the Tournament. Stats don’t tell the entire story, but, by watching how a team plays under pressure before reaching the NCAA Tournament, you can gain valuable insight before making your picks.
TIP: Watch each conference before the NCAA Tournament starts.
The Latest NCAA Bracket & March Madness News
Click below to check out the latest March Madness news and updates from The Sports Geek.
Responsible Gambling
We encourage you to gamble responsibly. Consider online betting to be a form of entertainment, not a source of income. Set loss limits and time limits, and don’t bet more than you’re comfortable losing.
Here are some resources to help you, or someone you care about, gamble responsibly:
NCAA Bracket Challenge Takeaways
NCAA bracket challenges are a lot of fun, and winning big makes the experience that much better. For our money, BetUS is the best March Madness bracket site, offering unique challenges. Their BetUSTV and LockerRoom platforms offer tried and true strategies for picking the best NCAA brackets. Try The Sports Geek’s tips for the best March Madness odds and how to make the best bracket challenge picks.
It’s going to be an exhilarating March Madness! Good luck! We’re rooting for you!
