Bracketsmith2026

How to use Bracketsmith

Pick game winners

Click either team in a game card to override the model's pick. The bracket re-simulates with your choice, and the winning team advances to the next round. Overridden cards get a blue border and lock icon.

Chaos-+0.35

Chaos slider

Controls how aggressively the model picks upsets. At 0 the model always picks the team it thinks will win. As you increase chaos, the model will pick the underdog in games where it believes they have a real chance. This isn't random and it doesn't use seeding. It's the model's assessment of which upsets are most likely.

PROJECTED UPSET

Games where the model picks an upset are marked PROJECTED UPSET with an orange border. This only appears on predicted games, not completed ones.

Force Champion

Select a team from the dropdown in the header to force them to win every game they play, all the way to the championship.

Injuries
OUTGTDIN

Injury adjustments

When enabled, the model adjusts team efficiency ratings based on injured players. OUT players get the full adjustment. GTD (game time decision) players get half. IN means a previously injured player has been cleared to play and no longer affects predictions.

Reset to Model Picks

Clears all your overrides and returns the bracket to the model's predictions. This button appears in the top bar when you have active overrides.

FINALFINAL (model: X)

Live results

Completed tournament games show actual scores and are locked. A green border means the model's prediction was correct. A red border means the model got it wrong, and the label shows who the model picked. Predictions for remaining games automatically adjust as teams are eliminated.