Trouble making your NCAA bracket picks? There's help online - CNET

Microsoft's role in the touament is the latest example of computing power being directed at the art and science of bracketology. Michigan-based iDashboard has created a simple interface that lines up stats of the touament's teams to help fans pick a wier. The projected bracket from Whatifsports.com includes results from more than 1,000 simulations of the entire touey.

The reason for all the analytics: March Madness is one of the most widely followed sporting events in the country. Nearly 51 million workers will likely participate in an office pool, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

The stakes can be high. Two years ago, investor Warren Buffett offered $1 billion to anybody who picked all the wiers. No one did. This year, he's offering employees of his Berkshire Hathaway investment company $1 million a year for life if they pick a perfect bracket up to the quarterfinals, known as the Sweet 16.

Last year, someone picked all 32 wiers of the first round in sports network ESPN's touament, the largest in the country. This year, a record 13 million people entered the network's Touament Challenge online, shattering the 11.6 million mark set just last year.

"The bracket is a social phenomenon," said Kevin Ota, an ESPN spokesman. "Anybody has just as much of a chance to win as anybody else."

This year, roughly 20 teams stand a chance to win it all, according to Jay Rood, vice president of race and sports books at MGM Resorts Inteational in Las Vegas. He estimates $150 million will be gambled on the touament in Nevada, more than the $132 million bet on last month's Super Bowl.

"The fact that we have so many teams with a legitimate shot, the more fans will be passionate about their team having a chance," he said. "This touament is wide open."

That's where big data could come in.

Microsoft dumped 10 seasons of data into its computers when it became the NCAA's official bracketologist. That data includes not only statistics about teams and its players, but intangibles including their coaches, mascots and crowd sentiment about them on Facebook and Twitter.

"We've leaed that with 'the wisdom of the crowd,' there's a 5 percent increase in accuracy over some traditional statistical models with some sports," Sun said. "If a key player is injured, the crowd will talk about the loss and its impact. We have a sentiment analyzer that feeds this into the prediction."

Certain statistics have more importance than others. Some teams that are skilled at shooting 3-pointers are regarded as "bracket-busters," potential wiers, Sun said. Teams that struggle shooting free throws, especially down the stretch, are ripe for an upset, Sun added.