March Madness Bracket 2017: Easy Upset Picks to Make on Printable NCAA Bracket

Upsets define the NCAA bracket. 

Or viewed through a different lens, they dash the hopes of those who fill out brackets and have a certain idea in mind as to how things will unfold.

Regardless, the 2017 March Madness bracket seems ripe for the usual array of upsets. Vulnerable big-conference teams sporting a No. 5 seed will still need to deal with red-hot mid-majors slotted No. 12. The usual 11-over-six will exist, as will what seems like a coin flip when the eighth and ninth seeds get together.

Hard to say if something bigger than those regulars will occur, but such is the beauty of the bracket. Those on the hunt for the likeliest upsets, though, shouldn't go too wild in picking a high seed to take an early exit.

Below, let's look at the full bracket and then highlight some of the best upset picks to make.

NCAA Men's Basketball Championship Bracket

Upset Picks to Know

No. 11 Rhode Island over No. 6 Creighton

At first pass, a No. 6 seed is always in danger of suffering an upset. 

So too is a team reliant on the deep ball.

When deep attempts fall for the Creighton Bluejays they look unbeatable. Folks know the opposite. Creighton ranks 26th in RPI after tackling a 50th-ranked strength of schedule, riding a wave of elite scoring from Marcus Foster (18.3 points per game). The problem, as mentioned, is 744 attempts from deep with only 297 hit.

Rhode Island is a bit more well-rounded, finishing 37th in RPI on a strength of schedule ranked right behind Creighton. Where the Bluejays struggled to a 2-3 mark against the RPI top 25, the Rams rode a 32nd-ranked adjusted defensive efficiency at KenPom.com to a 3-1 mark against the RPI top 25.

The Rams will look to clamp down and force the Bluejays into bad looks, a recipe that has worked thus far. Momentum is the final factor in picking an upset here, as this approach has Rhode Island 10-2 over its last 12, whereas Creighton has been hot and cold from the field while going just 6-6.

Maybe this isn't the premier upset to pick at this seeding right now, but it remains one of the safer picks available.

No. 12 Princeton over No. 5 Notre Dame

A few No. 12 over No. 5 candidates stick out in this year's bracket, though Princeton over Notre Dame might make the most sense. 

This matchup is a classic case of quantity. The Fighting Irish, ranked 23rd in RPI or not, don't like to rebound the ball much and wound up ranked outside the top 10 in the category in the ACC.

That's going to be a big problem against the slow-paced Tigers, ranked 50th in RPI and boasting four scorers—Devin Cannady, Myles Stephens, Stephen Cook and Spencer Weisz—averaging double-digit output.

Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey seemed to understand the task ahead right after the bracket went official.

"The Princeton offense is run all throughout college basketball and the NBA," Brey said, according to the Chicago Tribune's LaMond Pope. "I told the guys, 'Now you get to guard a Princeton offense run by Princeton.'"

Notre Dame will find itself in hot water against a slower attack if the shots aren't falling and the usual lack of rebounding pops up. Momentum is something else to keep in mind, if not circle in red ink—the Fighting Irish are only 8-4 over their last 12, which isn't bad, but it pales in comparison to the 19-game tear the Tigers bring into the bracket.

A team that hasn't lost since December 20 and sees a weakness it can exploit doesn't much care for seeding. Neither should those filling out brackets.

No. 11 Xavier over No. 6 Maryland

The fact an even better No. 11 over No. 6 might exist was something hinted above. 

Thanks to a Xavier-Maryland encounter, it's a reality.

It's a long conversation just wondering how these two came to their seeding landing spots, so just look at the reality of the situation—Xavier ranks 36th in RPI, Maryland 34th. Xavier had a 16th-ranked strength of schedule and went 1-6 against the RPI top 25, while Maryland was 54th and 2-2 in those same areas.

Along with an honorable mention here, ESPN Stats & Info revealed this encounter is one of the most likely upsets using their advanced metrics:

Maryland has struggled to impose its will as of late, hingeing on the deep ball and a lack of rebounding to iffy success. Last time out, the Terrapins took a 72-64 loss to Northwestern while only hitting six shots from deep. Those Wildcats rank 35th in adjusted defensive efficiency at KenPom.

This live-on-the-edge approach is a big reason the Terrapins are only .500 over their last 12 outings. It's also why the team has two losses outside of the RPI top 100. Xavier has none.

Look for the Xavier zone to fluster Melo Trimble (17 points per game) and the Terrapins into mistakes, which opens up the rebounding disparity once more.

Stats and information courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified. Advanced metrics courtesy of ESPN.com.