Sports

The Odds of a Perfect March Madness Bracket

A typical fan's chance of a perfect 63-game men's bracket is 1 in 120.2 billion per tournament (NCAA.com, 2026). Pure guessing: 1 in 9.2 quintillion.

Source: NCAA.com · Data year 2026 · per event

The odds an MLB game will include a player hitting for the cycle

1 in 739.2 The odds an MLB game will include a player hitting for the cycle are 1 in 739.2 (US and CA, 1/1/1901…

The odds an MLB game will be a perfect game

1 in 11,500 The odds an MLB game will be a perfect game are 1 in 11,500 (US and CA, 1901 – 2009).

The odds an adult Cubs fan has seen the Cubs win a World Series

1 in 3,109 The odds an adult Cubs fan has seen the Cubs win a World Series are 1 in 3,109 (US and CA,…

Wildcard rematches – what are the odds?

This week’s NFL playoff schedule features a very peculiar scenario. Three of the four games are between teams matching up for the second time…

Interview with Bradley Trevor Greive

Book of Odds reporter Zachary Turpin recently sat down with Bradley Trevor Greive—author of Why Dogs Are Better than Cats—on a sunny beach on the…

The Tiger Woods Question

With Tiger Woods’ personal life among the most talked about tempests in the public teapot, we have been asked by many sources about the…

Shortest Possible Games of Baseball, Golf, Tennis

An exploration by Professor Dan Myers (Notre Dame) of the shortest possible game of Monopoly® inspired this post. Below are the absolute shortest possible versions of…

The Fish Are Biting

Recreational fishing is one this country’s most cherished and profitable pastimes. According to the American Sportfishing Association, the country’s 40 million anglers generate almost…

Behind the Numbers: It’s Easier to Kick a Field Goal Today

If Scott Norwood had been born later, the former Buffalo Bills kicker would have had a better chance of being remembered as a hero…

Swing and a Miss: Strikeouts in Baseball

Pitching is so important in baseball that as the position players arrive at their Florida and Arizona stadiums this week for spring training, they'll…

Head Coach? Don’t Let the Door Hit You on the Way Out

Head coaches in professional sports are masters at their crafts. They are paid handsomely to put up with onerous owners, petulant players, and fickle…