The year 2017 had a lot to offer us in the sports world. From the greatest comeback in Superbowl history, To Russel Westbrook averaging triple-double for a full NBA season, to an action packed seven game World Series, 2017 defiantly did not fail us when it came to surprises and outstanding performances in the world of sports. But what does sports have in store for us in 2018? It’s very tough to predict what will be the outcome of an NBA, MLB, or NFL season, or what things will transpire throughout the season, but to make predictions for numerous sports over the course of one full calendar year? its gotta be next to impossible. Well, I am going to give five of my bold sports predictions for 2018 anyway, will these thing happen that I am about to predict? good chance they will not, but as the famous Wayne Gretzky once said “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take”.
With that, lets get started with these bold predictions.
The Houston Rockets will meet The Warriors in the Western Conference Final, But Houston will lose in seven games.
The Houston Rockets this season pretty much have had little to no competition when playing against other teams this season. Houston currently sits at 25-5 in the NBA standings, which is currently the best record in the NBA. Aside from only losing fie of their first thirty games, The Rockets also are an astonishing 14-1 when James Harden and Chris Paul play together. The Rockets also are leading the NBA in three pointers made this season with 479 so far this year, the second place team in this category only has 412. For anyone that watches basketball you know it is next to impossible to take down Stephen Curry and his squad from Oakland, but if there is any way to beat them, it is to OUTSHOOT them, and if there is any team that can outshout the Warriors, its the Houston Rockets. For every three Steph, Durant, and Klay hit, Harden, CP3, and Eric Gordon have shown that they can match them from behind the three point line. In a seven game series between these two teams it will be nothing short of an three point palooza, and I believe the Rockets will be able to match Golden State from behind the arc every step of the way. But at the end of the day Golden State has more star power then Houston does, which is what I believe will put them over the top and send them once again back to the NBA finals.
Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge will both hit 60 home runs for the Yankees. That’s Right, 60.
The New York Yankees are now the favorite to win it all in 2018 with the acquisition of this years NL MVP from the Marlins, Mr. Giancarlo Stanton. There in no question that baseballs will be flying out of Yankee Stadium this coming year, and I believe 120 of them will be coming from just two players. Last season Aaron Judge hit 52 bombs in his rookie year, yes his rookie year!! I am assuming Judge will come back better then last season, more prepared, and he will have a better understanding of the MLB and the pitchers that play in the league. I believe the experience he gained from his rookie year will help him hit 60 home runs, and who knows if it will even stop there. Stanton is coming of the greatest home run season anyone has ever had since the Barry Bonds days, and he did it in Marlins Park, a stadium that is notorious for giving hitters a real tough time to hit bombs because the field is so large. Last season Stanton hit 59 homers while playing half the games on the schedule at a park that is a pitchers paradise, freeking 59 homers!! Stanton only needed to one more homer to get to 60 anyway at one of the MLB’s largest fields, and now he will be playing half his games at the notoriously small Yankee Stadium where it seems like if you hit the ball in the air, it will land 10 rows up in the stands. Since Giancarlo will now be playing in an MLB bean-box, 60 home runs should be a piece of cake for him if he stays healthy all season, and he could possibly get to 70 with his ability.
If the Eagles and Cowboys meet in the NFL postseason, The Cowboys will beat them.
The Philadelphia Eagles currently hold the NFL’s best record at 12-2, while Dallas is only 8-6 and are not even garenteed a spot in the NFL postseason yet. The Eagles have dominated week in and week out, making it a regular occurrence to put up 30 plus points on the scoreboard every Sunday, which is a pretty good formula if you want to win the football game. Philadelphia is currently third in the NFL in total yards and yards per game, only trialing offensive juggernauts New Orleans and Tom Brady’s Patriots. Dallas after winning the NFC East last season has proven to be inconsistent leading to questions about weather they are s good as they showed last year. So how will the struggling Cowboys be able to take down the NFL leading Eagles in a playoff game? Well with Phili’s young stud QB Carson Wentz now done for the season the Eagles offense will not be as deadly as it was pre Wentz Injury. The starting QB for the Eagles now is Nick Foles, although he is capable at holding his own on the field, he is defiantly no Carson Wentz. With the injury to Wentz, Dallas having playoff experience from last season, and Dallas also owning a real good young quarterback in Dak Prescott, look for the Cowboys to shock the NFL and take down the Eagles in a possible playoff match-up.
The Two Time defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins will not make it past the first round of the 2018 NHL playoffs.
The Penguins have been one of the best teams in the NHL over the last decade or so, winning three championships over the last nine NHL seasons. This year the Pengiuns aren’t necessarily playing poorly, its just that the teams in Pittsburgh’s division have substantially improved. The NHL’s Metropolitan Division is jammed packed this season with teams that could potentially win the Stanley Cup or make a deep playoff run for the trophy, such as the New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals, Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Rangers, and New York Islanders. In years past the only teams of these four that really posed a legitimate threat to the Penguins were the Capitals and Rangers, who both have constantly been in the playoffs over the last decade or so like the Pens. But this season the Capitals look like they might be better then they have in years past, they are tied for first place in the Metro Division (which is by the way hockey’s best division) lead by Mr. Ovechkin who just can’t stop scoring. Columbus was a playoff team last season, but this year they look like they have taken the next step to become an elite team that could have chance at capturing to the Cup. The Rangers continue to be a real solid team and will probably also capture a playoff spot. The Islanders missed the postseason last year, but this year have made significant improvements. The Isles own the second highest scoring offense in the NHL and almost never lose at home (and the rest of their regular season schedule is quite home heavy). Oh Yea, and who could forget the Devils, THE TIED FOR FIRST PLACE DEVILS!! A team that was expected to be one of the NHL’s cellar dwellers this year is tied for the division lead in hockey’s best division, and they have shown no signs of slowing down. With the Metropolitan Division full of so much talent this year, the Penguins are going to have a much harder time getting to the top of the mountain then they did last year or the year before. I believe they will make the playoffs, but then they will probably run into a real good Washington or Columbus team in the first round, which have a real legitimate shot at taking down the defending Stanley Cup Champions in the 2018 postseason.
LeBron James Stays in Cleveland.
As we all know Lebron James will once again have the ability “to take his talents” to another city this coming off-season when his current contract with the Cavaliers is up. Lebron James is still widely regarded as the best player currently in the NBA and is right now the favorite to win the NBA’s MVP award. There have been rumors over the last year or so that Lebron is going to leave Northeast Ohio once again for a big city with the limelight, and this time most people are expecting that he will go out west to LA. There have been numerous rumors that LBJ wants to go to the Lakers and play for the legendary franchise in America’s second largest city. But would he leave Cleveland for LA strictly so he can perform at a high level in a bigger city? If Lebron goes to the Lakers he will defiantly take them from being one of the West’s worst teams to one of the West’s best, but they FORSURE will not have enough talent to take down the star-studded Warriors or even the Rockets or Spurs. Would Lebron go to LA just to possibly not even make the conference final? Does he really not care about winning anymore? If he goes to LA to finish out his last few years as a Superstar, there in an almost 100 percent chance that he will never win a title again as an elite player, because the Lakers just wont have enough star-power around Lebron to defeat a superstar Warrior’s team. By staying in Cleveland he will solidify the notion that he is forever an Ohio boy, and because of that the people of Ohio will love him unconditionally for the rest of his life. Oh and by the way not to forget, Lebron just has a straight up better chance at WINNING by staying with the Cavs. Cleveland has a much better supporting cast then the Lakers, and the Eastern Conference is not as strong as the West (although the east is looking better then it has in years past) making Lebron’s march to the finals substantially easier then it would be if we went to the west coast. By staying in Cleveland Lebron gets eternal love from every individual in Ohio, plus a much better opportunity to win more rings. If he goes to play in LA he will have virtually no chance at making the finals and he will once again put his loyalty trowed the people of Northeast Ohio into question, and some Cavs fans might even burn his jersey once again. The opportunity is for LBJ to become greater then he already is resides in “The Land” A.K.A. Cleveland, Ohio. If he stays, he is more then likely to also get a storybook ending to his legendary career by finishing out in his hometown that loves him so much. I believe Lebron will realize these circumstances and stay in Ohio after this NBA season.
