Commentary

Behind the Bets: Getting wise

Pools can be won and lost by early-round Cinderellas. Here's how the wiseguys do it.

Updated: March 10, 2010, 4:53 PM ET

By Chad Millman | ESPN The Magazine

I was reading an article in the Detroit Free Press the other morning about NCAA office pools. It was the headline that grabbed me: "Sports pools harmless, experts say."

In fact, the story said, a survey by the Society for Human Resource Management found office pools to be good for morale. Yippee. For years I've been worried that someone was going to bring down the hammer on our little game. Now that I know we are safe -- and that playing in pools is really good for us -- I feel better doling out advice about how to make some smart picks.

To learn the three principal tenets of wise-guy bracket picks, plus a full list of teams to watch for, you must be an ESPN Insider.