March Madness has become not just about basketball, but also about sports betting. As legalized sports betting expands across the country, people are placing bets alongside filling out their brackets. While some assume both activities require similar approaches, they are quite different.
Filling out a bracket is like playing with pawns in chess, where you commit to a forward path with limited flexibility. In contrast, sports betting allows for multiple paths to success and adapting to new circumstances as the tournament unfolds.
When filling out a bracket, you’re picking teams, not numbers. This distinction is key to maximizing your success. One opponent vs. many is another significant difference between betting on the NCAA tournament and filling out a bracket. In a bracket challenge, you’re competing against others, while with sports betting, your only opponent is the sportsbook.
Flexibility matters when playing brackets, as you must make all picks before the tournament starts, locking you into selections regardless of what unfolds. Sports betting offers flexibility, allowing you to wager on a round-by-round basis and adjust your strategy based on team performances.
One useful approach in sports betting is the moneyline rollover, which provides protection that a bracket cannot offer. By taking a futures bet or entering a high-stakes bracket contest, but instead putting your money on a team’s first game moneyline, you can back out if circumstances change.
Another advantage of sports betting is its ability to specialize. When picking a bracket, you often rely on a general reason for backing a team. In contrast, with sports betting, you can wager on specific aspects of a game, such as a player’s points prop or the game total (over/under points).
Betting allows you to capitalize on your insights without always being at the mercy of which team wins. You can hedge your bracket picks by placing bets that ensure a profit either way. This strategic approach offers more opportunities for success than filling out a bracket alone.
In summary, sports betting differs significantly from filling out a bracket in terms of flexibility, specialization, and protection. While both require knowledge, strategy, and luck, sports betting can offer more advantages and opportunities for success.
Source: https://www.espn.com/espn/betting/story/_/id/44298119/why-betting-ncaa-tournament-completely-different-filling-your-bracket