The Coin Toss: Madness!

Welcome to The Coin Toss, where I make some bold, unlikely predictions about your favorite professional sports.

Last week, I made some NFL free agency predictions, two of which have already been busted. Alshon Jeffery signed with the Eagles (I had Titans) and A.J. Bouye signed with the Jaguars (I had Texans). We're still waiting on Dont'a Hightower, Jamaal Charles and Adrian Peterson to make their decisions.

I usually do professional sports, but it's a special time of year: March Madness starts this week! I thought I'd share some upset predictions for the round of 64. These picks are in my bracket, so you know I'm not just throwing them out there. Let's get to it.

West Region: 10 VCU over 7 Saint Mary's

VCU has always been a tournament team that loves being the underdog. It's no longer under coach Shaka Smart, but this team has the same kind of grit and tenacity that it did back in its final four run back in 2011. I won't say that the Rams will get quite far, as they'd likely have to face Arizona in the second round. However, I do think they can make it out of the first. VCU has a solid defense that forces almost 15 turnovers per game. The St. Mary's offense depends on moving the ball. If the Rams can make it a sloppy contest, they should come out on top. Additionally, St. Mary's only had two wins against top 50 WPI teams this season. That lack of success in big game situations could seriously hurt the Gaels in the tournament. That's why I think they're due for a first-round exit against VCU.

Midwest Region: 11 URI over 6 Creighton

Creighton comes into the tournament off of a loss to Villanova in the Big East Championship game. It had a strong showing in that game, and it did make it to the championship round. However, Creighton was only 10-8 this season in its conference.The Blue Jays finished the season with a 25-9 record and are facing a tough team in the URI Rams. Suffice it to say I like the teams with "Rams" as their nickname to get upsets. URI has a good chance to win this game. It holds its opponents to 64.9 PPG on average, and that stout defense will go a long way against a team like Creighton. After all, that's what doomed Creighton in its loss to Villanova; it was held to only 60 points. Additionally, the Rams have a few capable scorers and are a great rebounding team. I'm taking the 11th-seeded URI in this match-up.

West Region: 11 Xavier over 6 Maryland

Maryland was a somewhat surprising pick as a sixth seed. It came into the tournament 24-8 with a team largely made up of first-years. This is what I think will be the team's demise. Kemba Walker led a group of first-years to a championship with UConn. I don't think Melo Trimble will be able to do the same for the Terrapins. Additionally, I think Maryland will lose to an 11th seeded Xavier. The Musketeers struggled toward the end of the season but got a few big wins leading up to the tournament, one of which was over Butler in the Big East tournament. Butler went on to earn a fourth seed in the South Region. Xavier is a team with veterans that have been tested on big stages. Maryland simply doesn't have that. That's why I chose this game for an upset. The pick is in: Xavier over Maryland.