Bracketology Fired Up for 2023-24 – January 30

It was 1995 when bracketology started. ESPN college basketball analyst Joe Lunardi published something called the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook every year. In ‘95, Lunardi decided to add an 80-page supplement that was released on Selection Sunday. Of course, Lunardi didn’t know which teams would make the NCAA tournament. He had to predict them and bracketology was born.

In 1996, a Philadelphia Inquirer article referred to Lunardi as a “bracketologist” and the term bracketology was born. By 2002, Lunardi had his own bracketology page on ESPN. You can still visit that page today. On it, you will find a complete bracket, broken down by region, completely filled in with seeds given. Lunardi even offers up his last four in, last four out, and all teams on the bubble at that moment. College basketball fans can check the bracketology page any day throughout the season to see where their favorite teams might end up in March Madness.

What Is Bracketology

As defined, bracketology is the process of predicting the field of 68 participants in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, also known as March Madness. Lunardi uses metrics similar to what the NCAA Selection Committee uses. These include the NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool), which has been used since 2019. 

Lunardi’s credibility – and the credibility of other bracketologists – is measured by how many predictions they get correct. Using bracketology, Lunardi and others must correctly place teams in the correct region and correctly identify what seed they will earn. During the regular season, bracketology changes each week. During the conference tournaments, bracketology will change daily as teams are eliminated and automatically qualify.

2023-24 Bracketology Update

Now is about the time in the annual sports schedule when many fans shift into college basketball mode. Teams are hitting the meat of their college basketball schedules and weekend sports shifts from football to basketball. With all of the games each week, bracketology keeps fans up to date on which teams might make the 68-team tournament. 

This year, bracketology is predicting Purdue, UConn, Houston, and North Carolina as No. 1 seeds right now. Right behind them are Kansas, Wisconsin, Arizona, and Tennessee as No. 2 seeds. Lunardi’s bracketology also includes the teams predicted to play in the First Four as well as teams on the bubble. 

As of now, the last four teams to make the tournament, according to bracketology, are Boise State, Texas, Providence, and TCU. The first four teams that will not make the tournament are Gonzaga, Ole Miss, Kansas State, and Cincinnati. Selection Sunday is set for March 17. We’ll find out how Lunardi’s bracketology did then.

Perfection at the Top of the Leaderboard

It was a perfect day for three cappers at the top of yesterday’s leaderboard. Two of those handicappers are ones that you will only find here at Sports Hub. That means that in order to have access to their picks, you have to have a Sports Hub membership. That is something worth having. 

One of those two Sports Hub handicappers at the top of the board was Jimmy Liu. Over the last 30 days, Jimmy has correctly predicted 64.95 percent of his 97 picks. He’s up $2456 which puts him fifth on the 30-day leaderboard at Sports Hub. You would only have the opportunity to win like Jimmy if you are a member of Sports Hub. Just sayin’. 

Anyway, let’s check yesterday’s leaderboard.

• Trifecta at the top: Three cappers went 3-0 yesterday and earned $300. Jimmy Liu, of course, was one of them. He hit all three NBA picks last night. The Bookie also hit three NBA picks last night and Scott Wetzel hit one CBB, one NHL, and one NBA pick. Scott is actually No. 2 on the 30-day leaderboard and is up $2910 for the month.

• Computer Picks: My boy Computer Picks was back in action last night. CP hit 10 of 17 picks, a mix of CBB and NBA with one NHL pick in there. Computer Picks added $230 to its bankroll and continues to win at a 59 percent clip as it has for the past four-plus years.
• Sports Hub Insider: You want inside information that will win you more bets? That’s the Sports Hub Insider for you. With 85-plus years of combined industry experience, the Insider has access to data that the average bettor does not. Last night Sports Hub Insider used that info to go 3-1 and earn $210. Over the last week, Sports Hub Insider has added $1254 to its bankroll. Once again, Sports Hub handicappers rule!

What’s Trending

Every day here in the Daily Report, I bring you tidbits of information about trending sports news. This information is designed to help you in one of two ways. Either the information has some value and can be used to make better betting decisions or the information has entertainment value. That’s it. Sports bettors are always searching for data that can help them win more bets. Sports Hub provides that type of content. And, we try to entertain you as well.

Here’s what’s trending today.

• LeBron gets Le-whacked: The Houston Rockets destroyed the Los Angeles Lakers last night 135-119. Along the way, Houston’s Dillon Brooks smacked LeBron James in the face while going for a rebound. Brooks received a flagrant foul. Earlier in the game, Brooks and Jarred Vanderbilt had an altercation that got Vanderbilt ejected.

• Chiefs DE injured: Kansas City DE Charles Omenihu had a career high seven sacks this season. He will not play for the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII. Omenihu, who recorded a sack in Sunday’s conference championship win over Baltimore, suffered a torn ACL and will miss the Super Bowl.
• Rivers loses debut: Doc Rivers was on the bench for the first time as the new head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks lost to Denver 113-107 last night as Nikola Jokic had a triple-double with 25 points, 16 rebounds, and 12 assists. In debut games, Rivers is now 1-4.
• Houston wins again: Fourth-ranked Houston beat Texas 76-72 in overtime last night to move to 19-2 overall. The Cougars are 6-2 in Big 12 play, just one game behind conference leader Texas Tech (16-3, 5-1)

Tuesday Could Affect Bracketology

It’s a big day in college basketball. Eleven of the 25 teams in the AP Top 25 will play tonight, including a Big 12 matchup of ranked opponents. The results of this final Tuesday in January could change bracketology dramatically. 

College basketball isn’t the only thing on today’s schedule. The NHL continues to get ready for its All-Star break which will start on Thursday. After a big night in the NBA, the league slows down tonight but does present fans with a nice TNT doubleheader.

Here’s today’s sports schedule.

1. College basketball: As mentioned, a huge day for college basketball. No. 3 North Carolina and No. 5 Tennessee, two teams that rank highly in the most recent bracketology, play tonight. The matchup of ranked opponents pits No. 15 Texas Tech against No. 25 TCU. Tonight’s results could flip bracketology dramatically.
2. NBA: There are only five games on the NBA schedule tonight, but the TNT doubleheader should be a good one. It’s Indiana at Boston in the first game and it’s the Sixers at Golden State in the late game. Plenty of NBA props available tonight.

3. NHL: There are only two games on the ice tonight. Columbus is at St. Louis and Seattle is at San Jose. There are three more NHL games tomorrow and then that is it until after the All-Star break.
4. Soccer: There are five English Premier League matches today. They highlight the international soccer schedule.
5. Tennis: With the 2024 Australian Open now a memory, there are tournaments on both the ATP and WTA Tours happening now. The men are competing in the Open Sud de France. The women are playing the Thailand Open and the Upper Austria Ladies Linz.

There you have it. A nice Tuesday is on tap for you. Bracketology will continue to change after tonight. It will be interesting to see how Lunardi’s predictions end up. It will also be interesting to see how our handicappers’ predictions for today’s action turn out. Check the picks database throughout the day for the best picks in the industry. Then, come back tomorrow and