Risky Business with Nate Silver and Maria Konnikova

March Madness Bracket Extravaganza

Mar 19, 2025

Dive into the thrilling world of college basketball as the hosts tackle March Madness with a blend of data and instinct. They outline Nate's innovative predictive model while Maria relies on vibes for one of her brackets, showcasing different strategies. Enjoy their banter on potential Final Four candidates and the excitement of upsets. The discussion highlights team rivalries and humorous anecdotes, making it a fun take on the tournament. With friendly wagers and superstitions tossed in, the anticipation for the games is palpable!

42:03

Creator website

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

The podcast discusses the blend of statistical modeling and personal intuition in creating successful March Madness brackets, emphasizing varied approaches among fans.

Nate and Maria explore the vibrant fan culture surrounding March Madness, highlighting how communal experiences and rituals enhance the excitement of the tournament.

Deep dives

March Madness Insights

The discussion centers around the excitement and unpredictability of March Madness, a college basketball tournament known for its upsets and surprises. Two hosts, both avid fans, delve into their personal experiences with making brackets, emphasizing the importance of strategic modeling in predictions. One host reveals consulting a seasoned basketball expert, Monty McNair, who provides insights into bracket-making that blend statistical models and human intuition. This blend of analysis highlights how predictions can be enhanced by considering various factors such as team performance, injuries, and historical data.

Intro

2min

March Madness Model Madness

15min

Bracket Strategies and March Madness Predictions

3min

Bracket Battles: Vibes vs. Data

7min

Predicting the Final Four: A Statistical Approach

2min

March Madness Predictions and Strategies

9min

Excitement and Rivalry in March Madness

2min

March Madness Anticipation

4min

Lucky Chips and March Madness Reflections

3min

This week, Nate and Maria talk college basketball. Nate explains how he made his recently-released March Madness model. Then, they compare their tournament brackets. Maria gets some help from Sacramento Kings GM Monte McNair, but also makes one bracket entirely based on vibes. Nate mostly sticks to his model, but makes a few surprising picks.

Check out Maria’s brackets here.

For more from Nate and Maria, subscribe to their newsletters:

The Leap from Maria Konnikova

Silver Bulletin from Nate Silver

Get ad-free episodes, and get your questions answered in an exclusive weekly bonus episode, of Risky Business by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Pushkin+ subscribers can access ad-free episodes, full audiobooks, exclusive binges, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows.

Subscribe on Apple: apple.co/pushkin
Subscribe on Pushkin: pushkin.fm/plus

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Risky Business with Nate Silver and Maria Konnikova

March Madness Bracket Extravaganza