A method to March Madness?
By Cavalier Daily Staff | March 28, 2002The month is March, and that means only one thing -- it's time yet again for the NCAA basketball tournament. Individuals often select their teams without much thought, but professional gambling houses have it down to a science, bringing in millions in the process. So is there a method behind the madness? Although no one can predict the outcome of a sporting event with complete accuracy, a careful analysis of statistical data can reveal tendencies that boost the bottom line. For instance, 16th seeds are 0-52 since 1979, while 15th seeds have only a slightly better record of 3-52 in the same time period. Thus, the smart money is on the first and second seeds in the first round. Likewise, the 13th and 14th seeds pull upsets 25 percent of the time.
