Fewer than 1% of NCAA Tournament brackets were still perfect after Thursday's 16-game slate, according to several services where fans attempt the all-but impossible task of predicting every March Madness game correctly — or, barring that, win their office pools.

By bypassing the Blue Devils for the title, you can differentiate your entry. Duke’s prowess has made it the most popular title pick in ESPN’s bracket contest ( 25 percent of entries as of Tuesday) as well as CBS’s. Not going with Duke to win is a smart pool strategy Mock outlines here — while still collecting points by riding Duke to the finals.

Millions of Americans have been scrambling to finalize their men’s and women’s college basketball brackets ahead of the tip-offs of a weeks-long sporting spectacle that will see people wager billions of dollars.