Joining an NCAA tournament survivor pool is a whole different beast than just filling out a bracket. Here are three picks to help you win.

Michigan was given a No. 5 seed, mainly because of a NET ranking of No. 23. The Wolverines had an eye-popping 12 Q1 victories this season, including 2 victories over No. 3 seed Wisconsin and wins over NCAA Tournament teams Maryland, Oregon, Purdue, UCLA and Xavier among others.

A survivor pool can yield a massive payout off a modest investment, and Douglas Farmer has you covered for this solvable puzzle ahead of Thursday's tip-off.