bracket busters
Unexpected March victories
Bracket busters are upsets in tournament play—particularly the NCAA basketball tournament—where lower-seeded teams defeat higher-seeded favorites, destroying the predictions on fans' bracket sheets.
The term captures the frustration of having carefully constructed picks ruined by unexpected outcomes: My bracket busters this year were all in the first round.
- spoilerPremature ending disclosure
- giant-killerOne who defeats favorites
- upsetDisturb, topple, or shock
- CinderellaRags-to-riches heroine
- underdogPresumed loser beforehand
seedings · Selection Sunday · phenomenon · shockers · probabilities · dark horses · matchup · elimination · anomaly · betting pools · analytics · long shots · stunner · playoffs · comebacks · office pool · Cinderella stories · forecasts
bracket busterstop seeds
Highest-ranked tournament entrants
blue bloods · favorites · powerhouses · Duke · Kentucky
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