When does March Madness start?
March Madness is a three week tournament that will begin on the 17th of March and conclude on the 8th of April. Here are all of the important March Madness dates:
- Selection Sunday: March 17th
- First Four: March 19th-20th
- First Round: March 21st-22nd
- Second Round: March 23rd-24th
- Sweet 16: March 28th-29th
- Elite Eight: March 30th-31st
- Final Four: April 6th
- National Championship: April 8th
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March Madness Bracket Betting – What is it?
The most popular way to bet on March Madness is with bracket betting, otherwise known as a bracket pool. One of the reasons it’s so popular is because of its sweepstake element, it doesn’t require a fee to play, and you compete with other people as opposed to the sportsbook.
The basic premise is that you fill out a bracket, choosing which team you think will win each round. Unlike the NBA, March Madness is a one shot knockout tournament, no best of sevens, just cut throat action. This makes it even more difficult to predict as a team could have one slight off day and end up eliminated.
For each result that you get right, you score points. There is no right or wrong way to score it when playing against your friends either. Some people go for one point for each correct pick no matter the round, others up the points per correct pick as the rounds go on.
You can edit and update your picks up until the tournament begins, so if you change your mind on a few picks, you can always fix it.
Why bet on March Madness bracket?
The fun aspect is what makes the March Madness bracket so popular. It’s not like placing a bet on your own against the bookies, you and all of your buddies are all involved in the same thing.
You’ll end up talking about it every time you see each other. It can get competitive, but it is all part of the fun. It is a little bit like Fantasy Football, there is a slight gambling aspect, but you play for fun. Which is exactly what betting should be, it should always be fun first.
We would go as far as saying that it’s the most fun part of March Madness and March Madness strategy all together. You can use your bracket research to help inform your betting decisions too. So if betting with cash is your priority, you can do both simultaneously.
Has there ever been a correct March Madness Bracket?
As of right now, there has never been a perfect March Madness bracket, at least not recorded. It is practically impossible to successfully call 68 games. If your a numbers whizz, you may find this interesting – there are 9.2 quintillion potential brackets.
The best ever attempt on the bracket that is on record came from Ohio in 2019. The person in question managed to get every single result right up until the Sweet 16 round. 49 correct picks in total. It’s absolutely exceptional really.
I think when everyone first decides to do a March Madness bracket, we all think we could get a perfect record. But there is probably more chance of you being drafted to play in March Madness than picking a perfect bracket. God loves a chancer though…
March Madness Bracket Betting Strategies
There is a huge amount of luck involved if you are successful with bracket betting, but there are still strategies and little tips we can give to help you have the best chance. Our tips may not be able to help you pick a perfect bracket, but they may just give you the edge over your friends and family. Bragging rights are more important anyway, right?
One of the worst feelings in general is when you have a gut feeling about something and go against it. It’s frustrating beyond belief. The amount of times I’ve been with buddies watching a game and had some weird feeling about something, not told anyone, and then it’s happened. You know the feeling.
March Madness brackets are fun, so you’ll just be annoyed if you go against your gut and miss something because you doubted yourself.
Our random gut feelings may have some kind of luck, but the stats don’t lie. To make genuine educated guesses, it’s worth having a look into the numbers. There are plenty of great stats sites available that have NCAAB data. T-Rank is fantastic for example.
You history buffs will take great pleasure in this element of the strategy. Delving into previous performances will help a lot. Have a look at how many times the teams have played each other and if they’ve met in March Madness before.
Look at how the team’s tend to get on. Anything can happen with any team, but it’s always good to see which teams have more of a reputation for winning or losing.
The seeding of the 68 teams can tell you a lot in itself. Higher seeded teams have a higher probability of winning games. It’s good to know who the favorites are. Don’t just back all the favorites though, this is another common trap. March Madness is known to be full of ‘Cinderella Stories’ meaning low seeded teams outperforming their implied probability.
It’s definitely worth backing a couple of low seeded teams to go through. There’s always one or two, so find a couple you like and whack them in.
There are folks out there who spend hours upon hours looking at the teams and analyzing each of their chances. It would be silly not to take advantage of this information and see what the experts think. It’s not gonna hurt.
How to create a March Madness Bracket
It’s a pretty simple process to set up a March Madness bracket. You can download the bracket on NCAAB.com. You can then fill it out online and print it, or print it and fill it in with a pen- the old fashioned way.
If you’re wagering money with friends, family, work colleagues, etc then you can set up the money pool privately. We prefer to use cash over here, as it’s much sweeter to receive a wad of cash than it is to get a bank transfer.
What is Warren Buffett’s March Madness challenge?
Famous businessman Warren Buffett is a big fan of college basketball and in 2014 he set a challenge to his employees. He offered to give $1bn to someone if they successfully complete the bracket, predicting the result of every single game in Match Madness.
He has since changed the reward to a $1m per year for life if you guess every result up until the Sweet 16. But Warren does offer $100,000 to the employee who lasts the longest, or if it’s a tie, then the reward is split.
Do you think you’d have a chance if you were involved?
Where can I bet on March Madness Brackets?
Setting up a pool with your friends or family isn’t the only way to get involved with a March Madness bracket. There are plenty of sportsbooks that offer pools that you can pay to join or enter for free.
You can also place normal bets, of course and with your first bet, you will be rewarded with a welcome bonus. Let’s get into the list of the best bracket challenges and march madness bracket prizes:
DraftKings
Pros and cons of DraftKings
- Superb range of different sporting leagues
- Effective in-play betting feature
- Exciting fantasy team building
DraftKings has been around since 2012 and is now one of the most popular sportsbooks. It started as a fantasy site but has expanded its horizons and become one of the most reputable betting sites in the industry.
The site is easy to use and has a great look to it, the odds are extremely competitive, the welcome bonuses are always good; and they offer a bracket challenge. There is a $50,000 pool, and it’s separated into nine bands:
- 1st – $5,000
- 2nd – 3rd – $1,000
- 4th – 5th- $500
- 6th – 15th – $100
- 16th – 115th – $50
- 116th – 755th – $25
- 756th – 1755th – $10
- 1756th – 2755th – $5
- 2756th – 7755th – $1
Bet $5, Get $150 If Your Bet Wins
FanDuel
Pros and cons of FanDuel
- Well-known company
- Excellent range of markets
- Clever site design
FanDuel is another one of the most popular sportsbooks in the USA. Not only are they one of the market leaders for sports betting, but also offer online casino games. There are generous welcome bonuses being offered at all times as well.
FanDuel is owned by Flutter Entertainment, a company that also owns some of the top sportsbook brands in the UK such as Paddy Power, Sky Bet and Betfair.
There is a $250,000 prize pool up for grabs at FanDuel with the top 1,000 players all being paid out. The top prize is a staggering $100,000.
Bet $5 Get $300 in Bonus Bets if you win
Requirements (WR):
1x Deposit
BetMGM
Pros and cons of BetMGM
- Good payment options
- Good branding and website
Bet MGM has a $2 million bracket challenge for money, where they will pay out $2 million to anyone who successfully completes the March Madness bracket. Of course, the likelihood of anyone achieving this is extremely small but they still offer a reasonable $100,000 to the person who gets the most correct results.
BetMGM is also a fantastic site for single bets, they offer all of the markets you could ask for and have a sleek app design. Just ask Jamie Foxx, he’ll tell you all about it…
Up To $1500 in Bonus Bets Paid Back if your First Bet Does Not Win
Bet365
Pros and cons of Bet365
- Combined sportsbook and online casino platform
- Massive range of sports betting markets available
- Excellent range of banking methods including PayNearMe
- Not a homegrown US sportsbook
Bet365 has one of the biggest jackpot prizes for picking each game correctly with $10,000,000 up for grabs. Yes, eight figures! Like most of these challenges you need to be 21 or older to play.
As well as the grand prize, the top 5,000 players are also rewarded with cash and other prizes. What’s even more impressive about Bet365 is its global power, even outside of the USA it is one of the biggest and best places to bet. It has more than 80 million users.
Bet $5 Get $150 or $1000 First Bet Safety Net
Requirements (WR):
1x Bonus
Whatever the sport. Whatever the moment. It’s Never Ordinary at bet365. That’s why if you sign up now you’ll get the choice of two great New Customer Offers, the First Bet Safety Net up to $1000 or Bet $5 and Get $200 in Bonus Bets. Deposit required. Bonus Bets wager excluded from returns. T&Cs, time limits and exclusions apply.Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler 21+
If you are looking for more alternatives, make sure to check our best
NBA betting sites
page to learn about the best betting sites available to you.
How to sign up for March Madness Bracket challenges
The sign-up process for each sportsbook is fairly similar, and it is all very simple. Any of the names we’ve mentioned above are fantastic options. They are all among the market leaders and offer the best experiences.
If you’re struggling to pick, go with Bet365 first, as they have the largest prize pool up for grabs with $10 million available.
Signing up for a sportsbook in 2024 couldn’t be easier, to make the process even more simple, allow us to break it down for you:
Step 1: Choosing a Sportsbook
This can be a great hurdle for a lot of curious bettors. There is an element of being ‘spoilt for choice’ which can overwhelm people and make them just pack it all up. Too much choice isn’t a bad thing, remember folks, you can sign up to multiple books, so you won’t be missing out.
Joining a sportsbook requires you to share some basic information. You’ll be asked for your name, address, email, phone number, SSN, and proof of ID. Oh yeah, you need to be 21 or older to get involved.
All of the sportsbooks we endorse here are securely encrypted, so you won’t need to worry about your information getting into the wrong hands. It’s as safe as it can possibly be.
Step 3: Claim welcome bonus
Claiming the welcome bonus is one of the main draws of signing up to a new sportsbook. For some, you will need to enter a bonus code upon signing up, and for others the bonus will automatically be applied if you simply join through our link.
Step 4: Add payment method
To successfully claim your bonus, you will need to deposit cash and place your first bet. Make sure you read the basic T&Cs of the sportsbook you are signing up with, as some payment methods don’t qualify you for the bonus. The small print is important.
Step 5: Place your first bet
By now, you should be in the sportsbook and ready to place your first bet. If you’re struggling with what to bet on, have a read of our extensive March Madness 2024 betting guide.
Make sure to check out
March Madness betting websites
for more advantages and promos!
Pros and Cons of March Madness Bracket Betting
Pros
- Free to enter in most cases
- Huge prizes available (up to $10 million in some cases!)
- Strong social element
- Very fun to track
Cons
- Almost impossible to win the big jackpots as there are 67 games to correctly predict.
March Madness bracket betting is almost flawless, it is buckets of fun, and we look forward to it year in and year out. If there isn’t a pool set up in your workplace or among your buddies, get one going!
If you’ve read this far, you know everything you need to know about March Madness bracket gambling and how to be successful. Thanks for sticking with us and let us know over on our socials if you’re gonna get involved with a bracket this year
(@gruelingtruth
on X).
Selection Sunday is on the 17th and we can’t wait. May the bracket luck be with you ladies and gents.
FAQ
Can I join a March Madness betting pool?
If you are 21+ you can join an online March Madness bracket pool at a legal sportsbook. If you are below 21 you can still play just not for money.
What is March Madness betting?
March Madness betting involves wagering money on the outcomes of March Madness games, whether it bet the direct result or a player prop.
Is March Madness bracket betting legal?
Yes, it is very legal and endorsed by some huge names, such as Warren Buffett, who has his own bracket challenge among his employees.
