NCAA Bracket 2012: Tips That Will Lead to Office Pool Domination

Follow these tips and you'll have an instant advantage on your co-workers in any March Madness office pools. 

Predicting the outcomes of the NCAA Tournament is as inexact science as inexact gets, but that doesn't mean there aren't trends, tips and tricks that will give you a solid foundation to filling out a quality bracket. 

For your printable NCAA Bracket, click here.

Work Backwards

Start by identifying the team you think is going to win, and go back from there. It is the last round games that are going to get you the most points, and the ones that are the most important to hit. 

It is too easy to get caught up in second guessing, and get carried away with upsets if you start with the first round and work out. 

When picking the champion, resist the temptation to just lock onto the No. 1 team. In the past 27 tournaments, only three of the teams ranked No. 1 in the nation have won it all. 

Kentucky is the No. 1 team in all the land this year, and they are loaded with talent, but history tells us they have a slim chance at winning. 

Look to the Stars

I'm not suggesting getting out your charts for an astronomical prediction. If you have that skill, by all means use it, but what I am suggesting is picking teams to advance deep in this tournament that have supreme talent. 

Since 1979, all but one tournament champ has had at least one player that was a McDonald's All-American. 

Going for the Upsets

It is not fun, or all that effective, to only pick the favorites in your bracket. This is tournament that has been made great by upsets. That said, it is easy to get carried away picking upsets. 

You want to have some upsets, but don't get carried away. Know that if you pick any team over a 13 seed that they face very long odds to win. 

The best place to look for upsets is the No. 12 seed vs. the No. 5 seed. In only two of the last 22 tournaments has a No. 12 seed not taken down a No. 5 seed. 

Last year there was one of these upsets. The year before three of the four No. 12 seeds won.