10 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING YOUR OFFICE POOL

1. Don’t pick the sexy upset picks 

If your going to take a 11 seed or lower to win a game, don’t let it be Yale or Northern Iowa or Iona, take a surprise team like Stephen F. Austin or Hawaii.

2. Take a First-Four team to win an extra game 

Well take that with an asterisk, not a 16 seed or Tulsa, but all of the other 3 teams (Michigan, Vanderbilt, and Wichita State) are solid teams and Vandy especially matches up well with 6 seed Arizona.

3. Pick Virginia over Michigan State

In Kenpom Virginia is #2, Michigan State is #3, In KPI Virginia is #3, Michigan State is #6, In BPI Virginia is #2, Michigan State is #4. Yet almost everyone is picking Michigan State, take Virginia and pick up some extra points while everyone else isn’t

4. Pick a maximum of 2 #1 Seeds in the Final Four

Kentucky, Texas A&M, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Indiana, Villanova, West Virginia  all have a reasonable shot to make the Final 4, don’t just pick chalk.

5. Oregon or UNC loses before the Elite 8

UNC faces tough tests back to back with Providence followed by the winner of a possible Kentucky/Indiana matchup and Oregon will face A-10 champ St. Joseph’s followed by Duke or Baylor. One of those teams are losing

6. NO 16 OVER 1 SEEDS!

There has been a trend of more and more people picking 16 seeds this year because of how unpredictable the season has been. It’s not happening.

7. This isn’t the year for 12 over 5

Ever since 2014 everyone has been taking 12 seeds over 5 seeds. In that year 3 of the 12 seeds won and the 1 that lost went to overtime. This won’t be that year. Big Ten third place Maryland, Big Ten first place Indiana, Big Ten finalist Purdue, and Big 12 semifinalist Baylor.

8. 6 Seed Seton Hall makes the Sweet 16

Seton Hall is on fire. The Pirates came out of nowhere to win the Big East Championship and Utha (their potential Round 2 matchup) is coming off a 30 point loss to 1 seed Oregon.

9. Kansas will win the championship

Don’t try and be fancy, Kansas is the best team in the country. Don’t try and sway away from the public just to be different on something as big as your champ.

10. Know that whatever you pick… March will be Madness