NCAA Tournament Tiebreaker: Predict the Score

0:00On March 16, filling out your NCAA tournament bracket means nailing the final tiebreaker, predicting the total score of the national championship, game. Since 2010, those title games have averaged about 135 points combined. That gives you a solid starting point to edge out your friends in the pool. Over the past five years, the average has ticked up to 139 points. The highest score was an overtime back in 2019, when Virginia beat Texas Tech 85-77 for a whopping one. 162 total. On the flip side, the lowest came in 2011 with Yukon's 53-41 win over Butler, totaling just 94 points. Fans love debating these close calls, as they often decide pool winners by a single point. Last year's thriller saw Florida edge Houston 65-63 for 128 points, while Yukon's back-to-back titles in two. 1023-24 both hit exactly 135.

1:02Looking at the trends, games like Kansas over North Carolina in 2022 at 141 in Baylor's 86-70, blowout in 2021 at 156, show how scores can swing. The 2020 game got canceled due to COVID, but otherwise, totals have stayed fairly consistent around that 135 mark. With brackets filling up fast, aim for around 135 to 140 for this year's tiebreaker. It could be the key to those, bragging rights.