March Madness has arrived. One of the best stretches in sports begins on Tuesday night with the First Four. The Round of 64 will begin on Thursday afternoon. Around the country, everyone is filling out brackets and picking their national title winner. However, one of the best ways to get in on the action this March is with a survivor pool.
The $1 Million Men’s College Basketball Tournament Survivor pool is now live on DraftKings. There is no entry fee. Every DraftKings user can get one free entry to this survivor pool, with $1,000,000 in prizes up for grabs.
March Madness Survivor Pool Strategies
This March Madness survivor pool works the same way any NFL survivor pool would. The only difference is that you are picking games almost every day, rather than once a week. Participants will have to pick one team to win straight-up every day of the Round of 64, Round of 32 and Sweet 16. For the Elite 8, the four games will be combined into a single slate, so only one pick is needed. If you are still alive in the Final Four, it will go back to one pick per day.
The most important strategy aspect is that once you use a team, you cannot use them again. So, it is not as simple as picking the No. 1 seeds to beat the No. 16 seeds in the Round of 64. Teams like Arizona, Duke and Michigan that are favorites to make the Final Four would be wasted in the opening round. Those are teams that will still be significant favorites as late as the Sweet 16. In the Round of 64, players should target teams with favorable opening matchups, but potentially tough Round of 32 matchups.
There needs to be a delicate balance of staying alive, but also looking to the end. There is no point in making it to the Sweet 16 in this contest if you have already used up all of the best teams. However, you do need to get there. One important number to keep in mind is nine. To win this survivor contest, you only need to make nine correct picks. Two picks in the Round of 64, two in the Round of 32, two in the Sweet 16, one in the Elite Eight and two in the Final Four.
So, prior to making any picks, it’s best to lay out the nine teams you think are most likely to make the Final Four. The three or four teams at the top of that list should be saved until the Elite Eight. The next three or four teams on that list should be saved for the Round of 32. The first couple of teams on the list are the teams that should be used in the Round of 64. It’s best to pick teams with a very favorable first-round matchup. At worst, I would go with a 4-seed for the opening round. There is no need to pick a team that is only a small favorite, even in this first round.
First Round Survivor Picks
Day 1: Michigan State over North Dakota State
My pick for Day 1 of the NCAA Tournament is Michigan State. The Spartans fit right into the range I’m looking for, with the 10th-best odds on DraftKings Sportsbook to win the national championship. There is a world where the Spartans, led by the great Tom Izzo, make a Final Four run. However, they face a potentially tricky Round of 32 opponent, either Louisville or South Florida. It’s unlikely that I would use Michigan State in that spot, or in any round after this one. That makes them an ideal choice to use in the Round of 64.
Michigan State is the ninth-best team in the country per KenPom. The Spartans are nearly 23 points better than North Dakota State based on net rating. The Spartans have an experienced group and a standout scorer, Jeremy Fears Jr. Tom Izzo is one of the best tournament coaches of all-time and should, at the very least, survive this opening round mismatch.
Day 2: Iowa State over Tennessee State
Iowa State has been fantastic all season. The Cyclones rank No. 6 in both the AP Poll and KenPom’s net ratings. Despite their excellence, the Cyclones face a potentially tough Round of 32 matchup against the Kentucky Wildcats. Even though Kentucky has been very inconsistent this season, the Wildcats have the talent to beat anyone in one game.
Iowa State is not a team I would risk playing in survivor pools against Kentucky in the Round of 32. Therefore, the Cyclones are the best pick of the day for Friday of the Round of 64. Tennessee State ranks 187th in the nation in net rating. It is the seventh-worst rated team in the field, including the First Four teams. Iowa State will handle its business in this matchup.
