Tips for Completing the Perfect Bracket for March Madness

Few sporting events captivate the national spotlight as much as Division 1 men's basketball a.k.a. March Madness. 68 basketball teams will compete for glory in a 19-day tournament of sudden death. Teams will play 67 games in a dizzying spell of basketball, and it all begins on selection Sunday, March 17, 2019. The contest is one of the most anticipated events on the New Jersey betting roster, and already players are filling out their brackets in expectation of windfall wins.

March Madness takes place in a series of rounds, and games are played in major cities across the nation. The First Four round plays out on March 19-20 in Dayton Ohio, followed by a series of 1st/2nd rounds across the country. These continue through March 22-24. The action ramps up with a series of rounds including the South Regional round on March 28-30, the West Regional round on March 28-30, the East Regional round on March 29-31, and the Midwest Regional round on March 29-31.

The March Madness tournament culminates in an adrenaline-loaded finale with the Final Four, National Championship on April 6-8, 2019.

Who are the Top 10 teams in March Madness?

1. Virginia – from the ACC conference with a win/loss ratio of 28-2

2. Gonzaga – from the WCC conference with a win/loss ratio of 30-3

3. Duke – from the ACC conference with a win/loss ratio of 26-5

4. Houston – from the AAC conference with a win/loss ratio of 29-2

5. Kentucky – from the SEC conference with a win/loss ratio of 26-5

6. Tennessee – from the SEC conference with a win/loss ratio of 27-4

7. North Carolina – from the ACC conference with a win/loss ratio of 26-5

8. Michigan State – from the Big Ten conference with a win/loss ratio of 25-6

9. Texas Tech – from the Big 12 conference with a win/loss ratio of 26-5

10. Michigan – from The Big Ten conference with a win/loss ratio of 26-5

*NET rankings

The NET rankings are calculated with the NCAA evaluation tool for the 2019 March madness Tournament

Betting on March Madness Basketball Teams at 888sport

The Garden State is leading the way with mobile basketball betting options for legal age players. As a regulated bookmaker, 888sport NJ features a series of unique options for players with pre-game, and in-game betting with mobile-friendly options for players. March Madness is particularly exciting because of the brackets system of betting which allows players to pick teams and track their performance throughout the 19-day tournament.

The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJ DGE) has certain rules in place to preserve the integrity of sports betting in the state. For example, there is no betting on in-state college games. However, 888sport has ramped up its promotional offers to engage players on every level. 888 is offering players a 100% bonus up to $500 and the promo is good for all popular leagues and mobile gameplay. March Madness betting tickets include the spread, total points, and moneyline options.

The Lowdown on March Madness

The term ‘March Madness’ was popularized back in 1982 when a broadcaster named Brent Musburger was commentating on the contest. There are 68 teams in the tournament, but 32 teams automatically qualify through their conference tournaments. Bracket selections take place before the tournament begins. Picking the perfect bracket means that you would have to correctly guess the winners of 63 games, with spectacular odds against that happening. Of course, basketball aficionados believe that an in-depth understanding of the game and its competitors can certainly weigh heavily in one's favor.

The conferences include:

America East, American Athletic Conference, Atlantic 10, Atlantic Coast, Atlantic Sun, Big 12, Big East, Big Sky, Big South, Big Ten, Big West, Colonial Athletic, Conference USA, Horizon, Ivy League, Metro Atlantic Athletic, Mid-American, MAC West, Mid-Eastern, Missouri Valley, Mountain West, North-East, Ohio Valley, OVC West, Pac-12, Patriot League, Southeastern, Southern, Southland, Southwestern Athletic, Summit League, Sun Belt, West Coast, and Western Athletic.

Will the Villanova Wildcats or the Kentucky Wildcats Surprise Bettors?

Sports bettors looking for consistency of performance will be eyeing the Villanova Wildcats. They currently top the Big East conference with an impressive run of form comprising multiple successive wins heading into the March Madness tournament. Their victories began on December 22, 2018 with an 81-58 victory over Connecticut, and continued unbroken through February 6, 2019 with a 66-59 victory over Creighton.

The first eight teams are chosen on Selection Sunday. They compete in the first four games on the following Tuesday and Wednesday. Next, the remaining 64 teams will be divided up into four regions comprising 16 teams apiece. This is known as the bracket. Brackets are selected according to rounds.  These include the First Round, Second Round, Sweet 16®, Elite Eight®, the Final Four®, and the Championship. Strong teams play against weak teams and teams must win each of their first four games to make it through to the Final Four. To win the championship, six victories are needed.

The Kentucky Wildcats are always in the hunt for a March Madness title. This team has currently competed in 58 NCAA tournaments, with 57 appearances. The Kansas Jayhawks

have shown up ever since 1990, but it's UCLA which holds the prestigious honor of the most March Madness championship titles at 11.

Top Teams to Watch for March Madness Betting

Based on the current odds, the top teams include VCU, Dayton, Houston, Virginia, Duke, Texas Tech, Villanova, Michigan State, Washington, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The underdogs include teams like Vanderbilt, Georgia, Texas A&M, California, Washington State, Rutgers, Illinois, Northwestern, DePaul, Oklahoma State, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Wake Forest and Boston College. If the odds tell us anything, it looks like Duke, Gonzaga and Virginia are topping the list at this time.