March Madness Bracket 2018: Printable 2018 NCAA Tournament Page and Predictions

The 2018 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament kicks off Tuesday with First Four games, but the real excitement starts on Thursday when 32 teams tip off on what is more or less a holiday for hoops fans. It's one of the most exciting days on the American sports calendar, and it should be fantastic again this year.

In fact, the whole tournament has the potential to be great from start to finish, as no true favorite has separated itself too much from the rest of the pack.

Here's a look at three predictions for this year's tournament below. You can also find a printable bracket by following this link.

Bracket

Predictions

Loyola-Chicago Upsets Miami

While Miami is a solid ACC team and most notably beat No. 2 seed North Carolina in Chapel Hill, the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers might be the most dangerous double-digit seed in the entire tournament.

The Ramblers have a balanced scoring attack featuring five players who score 10 or more points per game. They also sport an efficient offense, making 50.7 percent of their field goals.

Their defense is spectacular, as they allow just 62.2 points per game. That number is third-best among all tournament teams and fifth-best out of the 351 Division I schools.

Lastly, Loyola-Chicago is rolling into the tournament on a hot streak, as it has won 10 in a row and 17 of its past 18. While the Missouri Valley Conference isn't as strong as it used to be, the Ramblers have a quality win on their schedule against No. 6 seed Florida in Gainesville.

If you're looking for a double-digit seed to advance, the Ramblers could be one of your picks.

Gonzaga Makes Final Four

Predicting that Gonzaga will make the Final Four is less a commentary on how good the team is (though Gonzaga won 30 games and is still a solid team after making the national championship this year) and more of a note on its seemingly favorable draw.

First, the Bulldogs are placed in the region with arguably the weakest No. 1 seed (Xavier). Notably, Gonzaga ranks higher than the Musketeers in both the Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings and Sagarin Ratings. If the Bulldogs advance to meet Xavier in the Sweet 16, it's possible they emerge as a slight favorite.

Second, the bottom half of the bracket (which Gonzaga avoided) looks like a gauntlet. No. 2 North Carolina is the favorite there, but No. 3 Michigan, which is on fire after winning the Big Ten tournament, also looms large.

Furthermore, No. 6 Houston, which won 26 games and nearly picked off No. 2 seed Cincinnati in the AAC title game, resides there as well. Good luck picking a winner to emerge from that half.

Ultimately, Gonzaga's path to the Final Four is plausible. Look for the Bulldogs to emerge from the West.

Purdue Wins National Title

This may seem like an odd pick given that the Boilermakers are in the same regional as Big East champion Villanova, but Purdue has a few things going in its favor.

First, the Boilermakers have a ton of experience. Four of their top five scorers are seniors, and that class has made the NCAA tournament in all four of their years, with a Sweet 16 appearance in 2017.

Second, they have a dominant scorer who can put the team on his back if needed in sophomore guard Carsen Edwards. A 40-point performance against Illinois was Edwards' top game this year, but he's been great all season, averaging 18.5 points per game and shooting 41.2 percent from three-point range.

Third, they have size down low. Senior center Isaac Haas is 7'2" and 290 pounds, while the team's leading rebounder, senior forward Vincent Edwards, is 6'8" and 225 pounds. Purdue also has a big man off the bench in 7'3" Matt Haarms.

Fourth, they are battle-tested. They've played NCAA tournament teams nine times this year, including matchups against conference rivals Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State.

Michigan and MSU are No. 3 seeds, while OSU is a No. 5 this year. Purdue also took on No. 3 Tennessee and No. 4 Arizona out of conference, losing by three to the Vols and crushing the Wildcats by 25.

Purdue checks off a lot of boxes, and this well-rounded team should go deep.