March Madness Brackets

Michigan and March Madness have a long and complicated relationship. In some years, everyone goes home happy with an in-state university cutting down the nets before One Shining Moment kicks in. In other years, it isn’t so pretty.

When it comes to showcasing talent during March Madness, few schools have been as successful as the Michigan Wolverines and the Michigan State Spartans. Both of these teams have brung their fair share of elation as they’ve made runs to the Final Four. They’ve also been responsible for their fair share of busted brackets with early departures.

It’s not just the teams that have been memorable, either. Michigan has has several collegiate players step up and create amazing moments for fans to talk about years or decades later. Glen Rice, Jalen Rose, Chris Webber, Trey Burke, Mo Wagner, Magic Johnson, Mateen Cleaves, Draymond Green, and Denzel Valentine will be names fans will likely always remember.

Should you advance the Spartans or Wolverines to the Final Four in your bracket this year? Should you bet it all on bracket contests or futures bets? Our March Madness bracket guide will help your betting strategies and help you understand your best options when it comes to March Madness betting in Michigan.

Best free March Madness bracket contests in Michigan

There are a ton of March Madness contests you can enter out there and a lot of them don’t charge a fee. But which ones are the best? Here are our four favorites in Michigan.

FanDuel $250,000 Bracket Madness

This contest, which is known for having a $250,000 prize pool, is free to join. If you end up with the top bracket, you could pocket an astounding $100,000 for your trouble.

It’s completely free and open to residents across the United States. You just have to register for a free account at FanDuel online sportsbook and fill out your bracket before the first tipoff.

DraftKings Free $64,000 Bracket Challenge

Would you expect anything less from a company that has taken sports betting by storm? The entire country can take a shot at winning DraftKings Sportsbook’s free March Madness contest, and you can win some decent money if you are one of the top contestants. A couple of years ago, the prize pool was $64,000. Expect that to rise even higher in 2021

Yahoo Best Bracket Millionaire: Yes, Yahoo is still a thing, and Yahoo Sports is one of its main properties. Every year, it offers a free-to-enter bracket contest, and the winner walks away with $1 million. You make your picks, and if you’re the best there is, you get an actual lump-sum check of $1 million. There is no reason not to enter — it’s free! Just remember that there is only a single prize awarded.

ESPN Tournament Challenge: Obviously ESPN is the big name when it comes to sports, so it really shouldn’t be very shocking that it has its own tournament contest. The rewards for the free challenge are much smaller than those above, valued around $25,000 — and none of it is cash prizes. You might see a trip to Hawaii, or gift cards, or even ESPN+ subscriptions.

How do you get paid in March Madness bracket contests?

While the whole point of being involved in an NCAA Tournament bracket challenge is for the fun of it, there’s always something special about walking away with some money in your pocket. Plus, the bragging rights are always nice.

So how do you get paid if you do well in a March Madness contest at a Michigan sportsbook?

The first thing to remember is every sportsbook has its own set of rules, and you can always find them under the terms and conditions of any contest you enter. In there, you’ll find the specific rules for the sportsbook you’re using.

Typically, the way brackets work is on a points system. The first-round games are worth a certain amount of points — let’s say five points as an example for each correct selection — and those points go up with each round. So 10 points for every correct selection in the second round, 15 in the Sweet 16, 20 in the Elite Eight and 25 in the Final Four. The winning selection is usually worth a solid number of points, and there is usually a tie-breaker (typically the final score of the national title game) in case that situation arises.

But, as we mentioned above, each sportsbook is going to have its own rules and scoring system, and you should always read the terms and conditions before participating.

When you do make some money, you’ll have the ability to withdraw your winnings from your online sportsbook account if you wish. To do so, you’ll have to select a withdrawal method, which ranges from direct deposit into a bank account to PayPal to a physical check in the mail. Different sportsbooks may have slightly different deposit and withdrawal methods, so make sure you are aware of those before participating in any free March Madness contests.

How to open a betting account for a bracket contest in Michigan

Depending on which online sportsbook or sports betting app you choose to use in the Great Lakes State, you’ll find varying sign-up procedures. Thankfully, the general process is the same across the board.

When you open up the app you’ve chosen to go with, you’ll see the option to register or sign up. Click that, and you’ll be taken to a page that requires you to enter personal information such as:

• Name
• Physical address
• Email
• Phone
• Social Security number
• Driver’s license number

You’ll have to agree to the terms and conditions, and once you’re through all of those steps, you’ll be able to make a deposit into your account. Then you can start wagering.

Three essential tips for filling out your March Madness bracket

When it comes to March Madness, everyone has their own strategy for picking their winners. In your office pool, you might have a coworker who picks based on which mascot would win in a fight. Some people make their picks by letting their dog choose.

We don’t recommend those particular approaches. But we do have three essential tips for your March Madness selections.

1. Don’t go with all higher seeds (but don’t go crazy, either): Perfect regions in a bracket are extremely rare. There are going to be upsets. Lots of folks like to focus on the No. 5 vs. No. 12 games. While those are often where an upset happens, don’t go crazy on choosing just the underdogs. It will come back to mess up your bracket. Instead, research those teams and identify which game or games you think are most likely to be upsets.
2. Double-digit seeds can get to the Sweet 16: It’s not uncommon for that Cinderella team to make a trip to the Sweet 16 and, now and again, even deeper. If you have a good feeling about a lower-seeded team, then you should feel free to take that chance. Double-digit seeds often make it through the first two rounds.
3. National champions are rarely lower seeds: Upsets are great and all, but it’s very rare that a team with even a middling seed will be the one that cuts down the nets at the end of the national championship game. Historically speaking, the NCAA Tournament champ is usually a team that has done well throughout the regular season and has a deep bench and an experienced coaching staff. It’s nice to cheer for the lower-seeded teams, but keep in mind they don’t usually make it to the final dance.

Three mistakes to avoid when picking March Madness brackets

Building a great bracket takes more than just a solid strategy and luck — you also have to avoid the pitfalls, too.

Here are our three top picks for March Madness mistakes you don’t want to make.

1. Don’t forget to look at those win/loss records: History is available for everyone to learn from, and sports are no different. Just because a team’s win/loss record looks impressive at first glance doesn’t mean that’s the truth. Check and see how it has fared against other quality teams and not just the lower-level squads in its conference. Did it end the season on a losing streak? Does it struggle with nonconference opponents?
2. Those giant upsets are extremely rare: Remember when University of Maryland, Baltimore County defeated Virginia, the first time a No. 16 team upset a No. 1 seed? Pretty special, right? It’s so special, in fact, that you really shouldn’t even consider choosing the No. 16 over the No. 1 in your bracket. It’s likely not going to happen again, at least not in the near future. Giant upsets are extremely rare, so avoid building your bracket with them as the primary theme. Find a few games you think could end up with the underdog prevailing, but don’t make that big upset the focal point of your bracket.
3. Don’t pick based on your favorite teams: Sure, you absolutely love your college team and you cheer, cheer, cheer for them each and every season. And suppose your team makes it to the NCAA Tournament! Amazing! But use your head, not your heart. If your team doesn’t have the talent to win a big game, just admit it and make your picks accordingly.

What if you lose your March Madness bracket?

That’s the way it goes sometimes, and you just have to accept that. Of course, you might be able to enter a contest that has a second-chance option.

Some sportsbooks and other March Madness contest organizers allow for you to put together another bracket, typically starting with the Sweet 16 teams and choosing which teams will advance. Sure, that really narrows the field and it isn’t going to have the same kind of prize pool as your original bracket, but it’s nice to have an option to help keep you in the running.

Brackets get busted. Top teams lose. A second-chance bracket lets you stay in the game and, in some cases, redeem yourself if you made a few too many bad choices.

Companies like ESPN, CBS Sports, and FOX Sports all usually have second-chance brackets as the tournament progresses in March.

How do March Madness brackets work?

When it comes to the NCAA Tournament, there is more than one way a team can earn a berth to the big dance. The first, and most reliable, is to win the conference tournament. There are 32 conferences that each crown a champion at the end of a postseason tournament. That champion receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The other 36 teams that need to be selected are done so by a committee, which reveals its choices on Selection Sunday prior to the start of the March Madness tournament. Those at-large bids are determined based on overall performances and strong showings against other tournament-bound teams.

To get from the 68 teams chosen to the field of 64 for the first round, the bottom eight teams compete in four play-in games (called the First Four), with the winners advancing.

All of those teams are seeded No. 1 through No. 16 in each region (there are four regions, mostly based on geographical locations of the schools), and they are paired to play against one another. Since it’s a single-elimination tournament, a team that loses goes home. A team that wins advances to the next round against a new opponent.

As teams are eliminated, the best climb through the ranks to the Sweet 16, Elite Eight, Final Four, and, finally, the national championship.

2021 March Madness schedule

It won’t be until March when we know which teams will be playing in the NCAA Tournament, so we can’t give you a full schedule at this point. What we can do is give you the breakdown of when milestone events will take place during March Madness 2021.

• Selection Sunday: March 14
• First Four: March 16-17
• First Round: March 18-19
• Second Round: March 20-21
• Sweet 16: March 25-26
• Elite Eight: March 27-28
• Final Four: April 3
• National Championship: April 5

March Madness brackets vs. single-game betting

When it comes to online sportsbooks in Michigan, you’ll be able to find yourself both free and paid March Madness contests to join plus individual game lines and props on every single game.

Which is the better proposition for making some money on March Madness? Here are a few pros and cons of betting on brackets in comparison to betting on single games during the tournament.

Pros of bracket contests

• The variety of mathematical outcomes is staggering, which means that even longshot bracket champions could end up winners.
• You don’t have to know a ton about college basketball to participate, especially in the free or low-cost bracket contests.
• Brackets are typically inexpensive ways to enter March Madness betting, and because of that fact, you can usually have more than one bracket in each contest if you choose.
• They’re fun to fill out. The upsets. The Cinderellas. The top-ranked teams. That time No. 1 Virginia fell to a No. 16 seed to make history. It’s all a part of the fun.

Cons of bracket contests

• If you flub your Final Four picks and they lose early, you could really be in a bad spot because you’ll lose all of those points each round.
• It’s difficult focusing on all of these matchups and researching them the correct way. It’s also even more difficult to see past the first round because you don’t know what the actual matchups will be, who might be injured or who might go on a hot streak. (Remember that Loyola-Chicago run?)
• It’s time-consuming, unless you’re just going to guess — which we don’t recommend in any wagering environment.

Pros of single-game March Madness betting

• It’s much easier to research a single game and gather as much information as you need before you place your college basketball bets.
• You win some, you lose some, but there’s always the next game if you want to keep playing.
• It gives you a much better excuse to be watching the games so you can keep track of your wager and any prop bets or live betting you may be doing.

Cons of single-game March Madness betting

• You miss out on the enthusiasm that March Madness brackets typically bring out in bettors and pool participants.
• The risk is lower, but so is the reward.
• You’ll be less interested in the tournament overall, which is one of the most exciting sports tournaments in the world.

March Madness single-game betting

When it comes to placing bets on single games during the NCAA Division I Men’s College Basketball Tournament, you have plenty of options, especially when using legal and regulated sportsbooks here in Michigan.

The main bet types you’ll be considering are the moneyline, point spreads and totals (also known as over/under bets).

For a moneyline bet, you have to choose between the two teams which you think will win the game. Simple as that. It’s the easiest kind of bet to make with the least amount of extra consideration involved. It doesn’t matter if a win is by one point or 100, all that matters is the team you pick wins the game.

Teams with negative odds are the favorites, while teams with positive odds are the underdogs.

• Michigan State      -110
• Georgetown          +160

If you bet on the Michigan State Spartans to win, you’d have to place a $110 bet to win $100 if the Spartans are victorious. If you choose Georgetown, every $100 you bet stands to win you $160 in profit if the Hoyas win.

For point spreads, oddsmakers will give you a game and the number of points a team is expected to win or lose by. Your challenge is to choose the correct outcome, taking that spread into consideration.

• Oakland University             +13.5 (-110)
• Marquette University           -13.5 (-110)

The sportsbook has determined that Marquette is the favorite in this game to the tune of 13.5 points. With that being the case, Marquette would need to win the game by 14 points or more for your bet on them to win. A bet on Oakland, meanwhile, means that team would need to lose by 13 points or fewer or win the game outright in order for you to collect.

The third of the main bet types is the totals bet, also known as an over/under bet. Oddsmakers will determine how many points they think the two teams in a single game will score combined, and your decision to make is if you think the combined final score will be over or under what the oddsmakers have listed. It doesn’t matter who wins, just that the combined point total is over or under the projection.

Here’s an example of a game between Michigan and Duke.

• Over              135.5 (-110)
• Under            135.5 (-110)

The sportsbook has put the total score at 135.5 points (yes, half-points are impossible, but this ensures the game won’t land exactly on a number and thus cause a push).

If you think Duke and Michigan can combine for 136 points or more, then you’d bet on the over. If you think the defenses will prevent the game from getting more than 135 combined points, then you’d bet the under.

AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File