March Madness is upon us, which means you've employed any number of strategies in hopes of filling out the perfect bracket.
Maybe you relied heavily on historical seeding statistics (using the article we supplied). Maybe you used some advanced probability equation to make your picks. Maybe you just like one team's mascot more than the other.
The Sciencing team decided to pit our biggest sports fan against our strongest data scientist. Watch the video below:
And if you want to see how their picks play out during the tournament, take a look at their full brackets:
The Data Scientist's Bracket

Backed by historical seedings, the picks are the algorithm's, not the data scientist's.
The Sport Fan's Bracket

Loaded with upsets and irrational picks based on mascots, family allegiances and misguided loyalties.
Related March Madness Content:
- How Statistics Apply to March Madness
- Why Predicting March Madness Upsets Is so Challenging
- This Is Why It's So Tough to Get a Perfect March Madness Bracket
- March Madness Tournament Preview: Sam Laird's Data-Driven Picks
- March Madness Tournament Preview: Brian Truong's Data-Driven Picks
- March Madness Tournament Preview: Ayrton Ostly's Data-Driven Picks
About the Author
As Sciencing.com's editor-in-chief, Jacob leads weekly editorial coverage and all sports-related, data-driven projects. He studied journalism at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and covered sports for Mashable.