NCAA Tournament 2017: Latest Predictions and Odds for Bracket Busters

On the surface, this doesn't seem like a big year for upsets to riddle the first few rounds of the NCAA tournament because the teams along the top five seed lines are very strong (for the most part) this year.

Then again, no one expected No. 15 seed Norfolk State to beat No. 2 seed Missouri in 2012 (except for Norfolk State), no one expected No. 15 Florida Gulf Coast to beat No. 2 Georgetown in 2013 (except Florida Gulf Coast) and no one expected No. 11 VCU to make the Final Four (except VCU) in 2011.

If there's anything we learned from March Madness, it's that it is one of the most unpredictable sports competitions in the world, one where a dog can win your betting pool (I have been in one such pool, and it is not fun).

Here's a look at three teams who could bust brackets this year, along with some predictions.

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Kansas State

K-State looked fantastic in a 95-88 First Four victory over Wake Forest on Tuesday. They shot 66 percent from the field and scored 55 second-half points, led by senior forward Wesley Iwundu with 24.

The Wildcats are running hot right now, winners of four of their last five. They can hang with any team in the country and nearly beat No. 1 seed Kansas twice this year but lost both times by scores of 90-88 and 74-71.

K-State will face No. 6 seed Cincinnati in a South Regional battle. The Bearcats are favored by three-and-a-half points, per OddsShark, and they rank ninth in adjusted defensive efficiency, per kenpom.com. They won 29 games and have a balanced scoring attack with six players averaging at least eight points a game.

On paper, Cincinnati should win this game. However, sometimes, you have to trust your gut. The Wildcats were an unlucky team this year (kenpom.com ranked them 258th in luck) and lost a few close games. The guess here is that variance is finally swinging the Wildcats' way, and they are starting to ride some positive momentum into the NCAA tournament.

This should go down to the wire, but take K-State to beat Cincinnati.

Florida Gulf Coast

The 2017 Eagles aren't Dunk City 2.0, as they play at one of the slowest tempos in the country, per kenpom.com (299th).

FGCU is able to play at a slow tempo because it is an efficient offensive team, making an incredible 50.2 percent of its shots from the field. Senior forward Demetris Morant plays a big part in that effort, as he leads Division I in field-goal percentage by making a mind-boggling 75.7 percent of his shots.

That might be a problem for Florida State, which likes to push the tempo a bit (52nd, which actually ranked first in the ACC). If FGCU slows the game to a halt, FSU will be playing out of its element.

FGCU hung with Baylor (losing 81-72) and Michigan State (losing 78-77) in their arenas this year, so it has proved that it can hang with power conference teams that made the NCAA tournament.

Picking the Eagles is tempting in this spot, and the guess is that they will definitely beat the 12-point spread (per OddsShark). However, FSU, which finished second in the tough ACC, should be too tough for the Eagles down the stretch, led by leading scorer and sophomore guard Dwayne Bacon (16.9 points per game).

Take the Seminoles to win outright but the Eagles plus the 12 points.

Princeton

While Princeton is a good team in its own right, it's hard not to look at the history of Ivy League teams in this decade and use that to predict how the Tigers might do in this tournament.

The Ivy League champion brings it nearly every year. In fact, Ivy schools have won four of seven first-round games since 2010, with No. 12 seed Cornell reaching the Sweet 16 in 2010.

Back to the Tigers for a minute: They went undefeated in Ivy League play, going 14-0 during the regular season and winning two games in the inaugural Ivy League tournament.

Unsurprisingly, Princeton plays at one of the slowest tempos in Division I (336th per kenpom.com) due to its methodical offense based on a lot of passing, backdoor cuts and three-pointers.

Much like the FGCU vs. FSU game, that could be a problem for Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish don't look to run up and down the floor, but teams can sometimes run into issues against that Princeton offense.

Notre Dame is a little too tough down low (led by 6'5" Bonzie Colson and his 17.5 points and 10.2 boards per game) for Princeton, but the Tigers should make this game very interesting and beat the 6.5-point spread (per OddsShark).