Every March, millions of people fill out their NCAA Tournament brackets hoping to defy the odds and predict the men’s or women’s Final Four champion. But how likely is it, really, to pick the winner? And is it pure luck—or can you use strategy, stats, and the right tools to make smarter choices?
Let’s Look at the Odds
According to the NCAA, the odds of filling out a perfect bracket are roughly 1 in 9.2 quintillion. But selecting just the eventual champion? That’s far more doable—and actually a fun mix of probability and pattern recognition. Over the last 20 years, here’s what the data shows:
- Top seeds win more often: On the men’s side, No. 1 seeds have won the tournament 12 out of the last 20 times. In the women’s tournament, a No. 1 seed has won 17 out of the last 20.
- Championship teams usually have top 20 defenses and offenses: Balanced teams tend to survive the madness.
- Experience matters: Teams with seasoned coaches and returning starters go deeper in the tournament more consistently.
Analytics-based models from sources like KenPom, FiveThirtyEight, and HerHoopStats increasingly help fans (and bettors) make smarter picks by weighing stats like offensive efficiency, pace, and turnover rate.
Still, even the most data-savvy fan knows: March Madness thrives on surprises. Upsets are part of the magic.
So What Does This Have to Do With Bishop Business?
At Bishop Business, we live for helping businesses beat the odds—not just during March Madness, but all year long.
Like building a smart tournament bracket, making the right business technology decisions comes down to accessing the right data, leveraging the right tools, and having a team that’s been there before.
Whether it’s document management, copiers and printers, managed print services, or digital workflow automation, we help you:
- Eliminate inefficiencies that drag down your productivity
- Make informed decisions backed by data
- Stay ready for every “game day” moment
We’re not in the business of filling out brackets—but we are in the business of helping you make the smartest plays to keep your workplace working better.