The very good news, of course, is the tournament is back. And in keeping with its much-anticipated return, bettors should consider participating in BetMGM's March Madness $2 Million Bracket Challenge.
For those in states where BetMGM currently is in operation (those are CO, IA, IN, MI, NJ, NV, TN, VA, WV PA sports betting), you can get in on the March Madness bracket challenge action by using your existing account or creating a new one. An additional bonus is you can make a $600 risk-free bet on the tournament if you are in a state where online sportsbooks are legal.
If you live in a state where online sports betting has not yet been legalized, you are still allowed to participate in the March Madness bracket challenge 2021. And the reason anyone can be part of the action is because it is free to enter. This free bracket challenge is not considered gambling because you are not risking any of your own money.
To win the $2 million you must correctly pick every game in a bracket that gets started with 68 teams. While the odds are very much against getting every game right, there is an attractive consolation prize. Namely, if no one fills out a perfect March Madness bracket a $100,000 first prize will be awarded to whoever comes closest.
Keeping in mind the start of the tournament is coming up fast, you need to move quickly. To enter the perfect March Madness bracket challenge you must have your bracket completed and submitted before the first tip-off of the first round, which will occur at 12:15 p.m. ET on Friday, March 19.
The following are the steps needed to be part of the March Madness bracket challenge 2021 as well as a few tips you might want to consider while filling out your bracket:
Create a BetMGM Account
The first step to making your NCAA bracket challenge entry is to make sure you have a BetMGM account. If you don't already have an account, you can sign up by going to the BetMGM sportsbook website, clicking on the register link, and submitting the requested personal information.
The registration process will start with you providing an email address and password. From there, you will be asked for your first and last name, email, date of birth, account name and password, social security number, phone number, and address.
New account holders will also be prompted to create two security questions. It's a good idea to record your security questions and answers in a safe place as these will be needed down the road if you forget your password. You can not officially enter the free bracket challenge until your account has been verified. However, once verified you will be able to go right ahead and create your entry for the March Madness 2021 bracket challenge.
Submit Your March Madness Bracket Challenge Entry
With your account now registered and verified, you're ready to head to the March Madness 2021 bracket challenge area, and you do that by clicking on the March Madness Bracket Challenge link. Fill in your choices for who you think will win the 67 games and hit submit.
Keep in mind you must submit your NCAA basketball bracket challenge entry by 12:15 ET on Friday, March 19, although you can change your March Madness bracket challenge picks right up to the time of the tip-off of the first games.
Only one March Madness bracket contest entry is allowed per person. BetMGM is providing a March Madness 2021 bracket challenge leaderboard as the tournament goes along so you can check on your NCAA bracket challenge picks and see if you are on course to possibly winning the $2 million or the $100,000 first prize that goes to who picks the most correct games without getting them all right.
You can also make your risk-free $600 bet, although once again this is only for residents of states in which online sports betting apps are legal. You are not able to take advantage of the $600 free bet if online sports betting is illegal in your state. To get your free $600 bet, create an account, make a deposit and place your first bet.
As is nearly always the case with the sportsbook apps, keep a sharp eye out for any new promotions or bonuses as these often change or are updated.
Filling Out Your NCAA March Madness Bracket Challenge Entry
While there is an abundance of opinions on how to most successfully fill out an entry for the March Madness bracket contest, here are a few suggestions you might want to consider.
Avoid picking a No. 16 seed to beat a No. 1 - American sports enthusiasts love rooting for underdogs, but it's not a good idea for this NCAA tournament bracket challenge, especially when you are not picking against the spread. Only once in the tournament's history has a No. 16 defeated a No. 1. There's a reason the No. 1 seeds usually go into games favored by at least 20 points. Picking upsets is fine, but not in the first round involving a No. 1 seed. Not if you want your March Madness 2021 bracket challenge entry to have the best shot at progressing.
Don't be afraid to pick play-in games winners - There's a long history of play-in game winners advancing another round or two ever since the tournament expanded the field to 68 teams in 2011. By winning a play-in game a team often gains momentum and plays relaxed in the next round secure with the knowledge it is now in the main bracket.
Consider picking a No. 12 team to beat a No. 5 - Just look back to the 2019 tournament in which half the games involving these two seeds were won by the No. 12 team. That might be worth bearing in mind when you make your picks for the March Madness bracket challenge.
Pick at least one No. 1 seed - Over the previous 19 tournaments, 14 of those times a No. 1 seed ended up winning the national championship. Seven No. 1 seeds have won the tournament over the last 10 years. Give No. 2 seeds a strong look as well. In the last 35 years, 27 of the winners have been a No. 1 or No. 2 seed. According to the sportsbooks, Gonzaga is a big favorite to go the distance this year. The Zags are loaded, they are unbeaten and they are trying to become the first undefeated team to win the national title since Indiana in 1976.
Don't underestimate the Southland Conference - While these teams don't receive a lot of national recognition, they have posted some nice “upset’’ wins of late. A Southland Conference team to watch this year is Abilene Christian.
Odds of Making a Perfect Bracket for the NCAA Tournament
All basketball bettors like to imagine what it would be like to put together a perfect NCAA tournament bracket challenge entry, but this is one dream that you'd need to be extremely lucky to achieve. We don't want to be the guys who view the proverbial glass as half-empty, but the truth is that you have more chance of winning the Powerball lottery jackpot than you do of putting together a perfect NCAA tournament bracket challenge entry.
Let's get specific. The odds of landing a Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292 million, which is challenging enough. But the odds of making a perfect bracket for the NCAA tournament are an eye-watering 1 in 9.2 quintillion. For those of you who aren't quite sure what a quintillion is, here's what just one quintillion looks like, for reference:
1,000,000,000,000,000,000
The 1 in 9.2 quintillion chance has been calculated with the assumption that a person doesn't know how to bet and is relying completely on luck when making their bracket. As in all other forms of sports betting, the more knowledge you can bring to the table, the better your chances. In the case of making the perfect bracket for the NCAA tournament, it has been calculated that someone who has a good knowledge of basketball can improve their chances considerably. However, you'd still need to beat odds of around 1 in 128 billion, so it still isn't a walk in the park by any means.
Of course, just because the odds of making a perfect bracket are hugely against you doesn't make the feat impossible. Winning the Powerball jackpot isn't easy, and plenty of people have managed to do that, so whilst it isn't probable, it's also conceivable that a perfect bracket might be made one day.
Has a Perfect NCAA Bracket Ever Been Made?
Given that the odds of making a perfect NCAA tournament bracket challenge entry are around 1 in 9.2 quintillion, it should come as no great surprise that nobody has yet been able to do so. The best that anyone has done so far is to enjoy a perfect run through the first 49 games of the tournament. That was achieved in 2019 by Gregg Nigl, a 40-year-old neuropsychologist from Columbus, Ohio, and it beat the previous NCAA basketball bracket challenge record of 39 games that had been set in 2017.
NCAA Tournament Latest News
If you want to be serious about winning the March Madness bracket contest, you'll need to make accurate March Madness 2021 bracket challenge predictions, and keeping yourself up to date with the latest NCAA tournament news will be a big help in doing that. Watch this space for the latest news to bear in mind when you're making your NCAA bracket challenge picks!