Selection Sunday is over and the first round matchups of the NCAA Tournament are set. That being said, it is wise to have a five bookie minimum for March Madness. If your bankroll is too small, spread it out in smaller amounts over five shops. It also protects you in case a bookie goes belly-up. More and more bookmakers are going bankrupt these days so don’t put all your eggs in one basket. In the age of the Internet, it is easy to check lines and stay up to date on your bets. Remember that the line is designed to draw equal action on both sides, not predict the final score. But, lines are getting better at predicting the final score thanks to the instant communication of today. Since more games are “landing,” that extra half-point is more important now than ever. Therefore, you need the most outs you can afford.

Bracket Fact #1

An unknown team will bust your bracket, but not win it all. You can’t avoid this. A #12 or #13 seed from a no-name conference is going to defy all odds and take out some unsuspecting #4 or #5 seed you had going to the Elite 8. First round upsets are bound to happen. Be careful on how far you pick the Cinderella teams to go in the tournament. Aside from Gonzaga in the Elite 8, Davidson in the Sweet 16 and George Mason in the Final Four, there haven’t been any miracles in recent years. The second round is when weaker teams falter so your top seeds are safe in the Elite 8 and Final Four.

Bracket Fact #2

The West is going to be wild. Kansas is the #1 seed in the Midwest. Syracuse is the #1 seed in the West. The Orange weren’t placed in the East because they are hosting the regional finals. This sets up a lot of #2 and #3 seeds in the West that don’t really jump out at you. Teams like BYU are wild cards because of weak regular season schedules.

Bracket Fact #3

The home court advantage is key in the first two rounds. But, just because you’re playing in the South Region doesn’t mean you’re first two games are being played in the South. For that region, the first games are in Buffalo, Spokane, San Jose or Oklahoma City. The small schools can get a huge following if the game is in their backyard.

Visit Ladbrokes or Titan Bet for all your March Madness betting needs.