March Madness 2019: 8 safest teams that won't bust your bracket

March Madness 2019: 8 safest teams to pick that won’t bust your bracket

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 16: Cassius Winston #5 of the Michigan State Spartans meets with head coach Tom Izzo in the first half against the Wisconsin Badgers during the semifinals of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at the United Center on March 16, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – MARCH 16: Zavier Simpson #3 of the Michigan Wolverines steals the ball from Jordan Murphy #3 of the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the first half during the semifinals of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at the United Center on March 16, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

Having one of your Final Four teams go out early is the worst, so try and avoid that fate by relying on these eight teams.

You’ve done all the hard work, agonized over the matchups, studied all the data, and landed on a bracket you think can win your office pool. As luck would have it, your runner up got bounced early, busting your bracket while Susan from accounting wins the pool because she picked based on what mascots she liked better.

It’s a tale as old as time and one that many a bracketologist can relate to, but we’re here to help you avoid that infamy this season. We can’t guarantee that one of these eight teams will win a national championship, but the odds of them surviving through the first weekend are very high, which counts for something.

Let’s get started with a look at a team that made a deep run last year, Michigan.

8. Michigan

The Wolverines made it all the way to the national championship game last season, losing to Villanova, but they are ready for another deep March run. Despite losing tournament hero Mo Wagner to the NBA, Michigan has a lot of battle-tested players on its roster, headlined by point guard Zavier Simpson and senior Charles Matthews.

Another thing to like about the Wolverines is their defense, which KenPom ranks as the most efficient in the nation. The adage goes that defense wins championships, and Michigan can compete with the best of them on that side of the floor.

Head coach Jon Beilein is also a proven winner in March, guiding Michigan into the second weekend in four of their last five appearances in the NCAA Tournament. With Montana in the first round and the winner of the Nevada-Florida matchup on the docket, Wolverines’ fans should feel confident about getting to Anaheim.

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