“Center Road” Bracket Remains Perfect After 2nd Round; Odds of Completing Perfect Bracket Set at 40-1
By Ryan Murphy in College Basketball
Updated: April 13, 2020 at 2:24 pm EDTPublished:
- There is only one perfect March Madness bracket remaining after the first two rounds of play
- No one has ever picked a perfect bracket in the long history of March Madness pools
- Can “Center Road” defy the odds and become the first?
Approximately 70 million March Madness brackets were filled out online this year, and after less than one week all but one of them are broken beyond repair.
The last perfect bracket belongs to “Center Road”, an otherwise anonymous bettor who correctly identified the results of all 48 games during the frantic first two rounds of March Madness. According to the NCAA, this is the first time in the history of their popular Bracket Challenge Game that someone has reached the Sweet Sixteen without a single incorrect pick.
“Center Road’s” streak hasn’t been lost. The oddsmakers are offering +4000 odds that “Center Road” will stay unbeaten until the final buzzer sounds on Monday, April 8th.
Odds of a Perfect Bracket on the NCAA’s 2019 Bracket Challenge
Will there Be a Perfect Bracket on the NCAA’s 2019 Bracket Challenge? | Odds |
---|---|
Yes | +4000 |
*Odds taken 03/25/19
Filling Out a Perfect Bracket is Nearly Impossible
Anyone who has ever filled out a March Madness bracket before knows that it’s an exercise in futility. Sure, you might be able to predict the tournament winner, but the odds of filling out a perfect bracket are one in 9.2 quintillion. Let that sink in for a second. 9.2 quintillion. You have a far better chance of becoming the next president of the United States than you do of predicting the correct result of every single March Madness game.
The odds of filling out a perfect bracket are one in 9.2 quintillion.
In the 42-year history of March Madness pools no has ever filled out a perfect bracket. The closest anyone has ever come was back in 2010 when an autistic high school student named Alex Herrman went 48-for-48 during the first two rounds of action. However, Herrman’s luck soon ran out and his bracket imploded during the following round.
Center Road is Going Straight Chalk During the Sweet Sixteen
We don’t know much about “Center Road”, but we do know who he’s picked for the Sweet Sixteen, and its straight chalk across the broad. Unlike the first two rounds, “Center Road” isn’t anticipating any upsets and has chosen 1 and 2 seeds exclusively for all eight games.
Center Road’s Sweet Sixteen Picks
March Madness Matchup | “Center Road’s” Pick |
---|---|
(1) Gonzaga vs (4) Florida State | Gonzaga |
(2) Tennessee vs (3) Purdue | Tennessee |
(2) Michigan vs (3) Texas Tech | Michigan |
(1) Virginia vs (12) Oregon | Virginia |
(2) Michigan State vs (3) LSU | Michigan State |
(1) UNC vs (5) Auburn | UNC |
(1) Duke vs (4) Virginia Tech | Duke |
(2) Kentucky vs (3) Houston | Kentucky |
It’s hard to fault most of “Center Road’s” selections, but how sure is anyone that Duke can beat Virginia Tech after the Blue Devils barely scraped by UCF in their second round showdown? And can Kentucky triumph without All-SEC forward PJ Washington, who is likely done for the tournament? A lot has happened since “Center Road” first locked in his selections and any number of new developments could blow a Tacko Fall-sized hole in his bracket.
Odds Are Against “Center Road”
March Madness hasn’t been particularly mad just yet with all 16 betting favorites winning in the round of 32, but we’re inclined to believe there are some upsets brewing. After all, we saw an 11 seed and a 3 seed sneak into the Final Four last year, and No. 1 seeds have only won 21 championships since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
“Center Road” has had a remarkable run, but the odds are stacked against him. Count on his bracket being broken by this time next week.
Former Sports Writer
Ryan worked as an Editor and resident Lead NBA and MLB Writer for SB from 2017-19. He has authored his own weekly columns for Fox Sports and AskMen, and has created successful campaigns for the WWE, the NHL, and the NFL. Ryan's critically acclaimed stories have been published in 20 books.