How to fill out your March Madness brackets for the best odds in NCAA Tournament

It's that time again.

Time for millions of people to be less productive at work for the better part of two weeks and watch the NCAA Tournament, while hoping their favorite teams are standing in a pile of confetti at NRG Stadium in Houston on April 3.

Picking a national championship is an inexact science, but filling out your bracket can be a fun and rewarding experience even if you don't know what you are doing. For the 68 teams in the tournament, they aren't paying attention to odds, so go crazy with your brackets. Here are a few tips to keep you sane and competitive in your office pools.

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12-5 upset is the way to go

There have been 52 instances where a 12-seed knocked off a 5-seed, including twice last season when Richmond beat Iowa and New Mexico State took down UConn. Only five times in the past 36 tournaments has a 12-seed failed to advance past the first round, so when filling out your bracket pay attention to these matchups.

More times than not, a 12-seed is one of the last to enter the tournament field, but the gap of talent between the seeds has shrunk to the point that it's a good practice to ink in at least one upset.

Don't load up on upsets

While the 5-12 upset is prevalent, don't go loading your brackets with upsets across the field, or chances are your bracket will be trash along by the end of opening weekend with the other millions of upset-minded brackets. Here is where a little research would do you some good.

Pick at least one No. 1 seed to make the Final Four

This is what is called "chalk." Pick the favorites and ride their success all the way to the bank. Since the NCAA began seeding the field in 1979, only three Final Fours have not included at least one No. 1 seed: 1980, 2006 and 2011.

Last season, Kansas was the lone No. 1 seed to make the Final Four. Villanova and Duke were 2-seeds and North Carolina stunned many by making it to the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans as an eighth seed.

Since seeding began, 61 No. 1 seeds have made the Final Four, with 37 reaching the title game and 24 ended up cutting down the nets. But beware: Only once has all four No. 1 seeds made it to the Final Four. (2008: North Carolina, UCLA, Memphis, and Kansas). So the odds are pretty good that you won't get shut out completely when making your Final Four picks.

Use common sense

This piece of advice is more for the serious fans who fill out their bracket. Let's be real, most people haven't watched one-tenth of college basketball this season, so being a predictor of what's going to happen in March makes no sense. The best thing to do is read about the teams and if you don't know much about them, there are plenty of videos online to help you make up your mind. Just remember that higher seeds are that for a reason and will make you a winner more times than not.

When all else fails…guess

There is also a very good reason why no one has ever filled out a perfect bracket because it is nearly impossible. You have better odds of winning the Powerball or getting struck by lightning, but go ahead and fill out a bracket to prove you are smarter than everyone else and to brag about something that doesn't mean anything in the big scheme of things.

There is nothing wrong with picking teams based on mascots, favorite colors, love for your school, flipping a coin or asking your beloved pet to make your picks. Either way, have fun and enjoy the tournament with the hopes that you make a taxable profit.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness bracket tips: 5 things for best odds in NCAA Tournament