25 bold sports predictions for 2018

Until a freak knee injury curbed him for the better part of the final two months of the season, Harper was on a collision course with the National League MVP last summer. With the most lucrative foray into free agency ever awaiting after the 2018 season, it will be all eyes on Bryce this summer, and with his penchant for dramatics, he will put on a show. When the bidding does open for his services after the year, expect the Cubs to come with a stunning pitch to pair Harper with his childhood friend Kris Bryant in a tandem of MVPs that is more reminiscent of the NBA than MLB. The pair of sub-30 supernovas could corner the National League pennant chases together for the next decade.

LeBron has spent the first leg of the season turning back the clock, playing at perhaps a higher level than any other 15-year veteran in history. After a rocky start, his efforts have propelled the Cavaliers up the standings, and he looks prepared to do whatever it takes to keep them headed toward a fourth straight NBA Finals appearance. While the rumors of his relocation to the West Coast will continue to thrive, history will not repeat itself, as Bron makes the "decision" to stay put and build the final stages of his empire — on and off the court — around himself in Cleveland.

This is not exactly going out on a long branch in theory, as the Patriots make February football a way of life more years than not. But with a shoddy defense, porous offensive line and the critical loss of Julian Edelman all transpiring early in the season, it appeared as if the rest of the pack could catch up to Pats. Yet all of those issues are being covered up via the mastery of Brady, who at 40 is putting up one of his finest seasons and has the team in position to be the AFC’s top seed yet again. In an underwhelming year for the conference, a trip to Minneapolis will follow.

Regarding McGregor’s absence from Octagon for over a year, UFC honcho Dana White quipped, “It’s tough to get punched in the face every day when you have $100 million in the bank.” That is undeniably true, but there is also an undeniable competitive streak within McGregor. There is also the knowledge that after the earning power and profile raises he gained after his superfight with Floyd Mayweather, the 29-year-old Irishman could redefine the way he is compensated for his mixed martial arts forays. McGregor will return to defend one — if not both — of his UFC titles by summer of 2018.

OK, technically this is for 2019, but the body of work that will lay the foundation will take place next year. The Rams' night-and-day breakout in 2017 has been the most unexpected outcome of the NFL season. They are in position to return to the playoffs for the first time in over a decade and look to just be getting started. With the guiding hand of coach Sean McVay getting through his first full year at the helm, along with the rise of Jared Goff and Todd Gurley driving the offense, the Rams are in position to make the biggest leap in 2018 toward a Super Bowl return.

While the Nationals seem to be content with riding out their contractual obligation with Bryce Harper, the Orioles will likely not be in the same place with their soon-to-be departed star. As the July trade deadline grows closer and closer, so will the pressure to move Machado for the O’s. Expect a trade partner capable of rebooting Baltimore's minor league system to do so by making a move for the wunderkind third baseman.

Any time Tiger sets foot on a golf course is news, and his recent return at the Hero World Challenge proved to be no exception. While there is little comparison between that event and say the ones held at St. Andrew’s or Augusta next year, there is still the hope that there can be a few glimpses of the unparalleled experience of Woods being in the hunt on a Sunday. An outright win may be bit too optimistic, but the chance that the 14-time Major victor could crack a top 10 is in play — if his health abides.

College basketball fans were robbed of an opportunity to see what could have been one of the great one-and-done years ever, as 2017’s top overall prospect Michael Porter Jr. had his college career likely end after just two minutes due to a back injury that required surgery to fix. Now the next time MPJ takes to the court, it will be in the NBA, where if the early indications are accurate, he will make a quick impact. Multiple scouts raved that if Porter was eligible for the 2017 NBA Draft, he would have been the top player selected coming out of high school. Speaking of which…

NBA commissioner Adam Silver has not been shy about wanting to shake up the NBA’s draft eligibility rules. As such, the days of the one-and-done rule for high schoolers integrating into the league could be coming to an end. The question remains about which direction things will go from here. Will the league fully repeal the rules to allow high schoolers to be immediately eligible to reach the league again? Or will there be an extension of the rule to a two-year waiting period? Could there be a hybrid type of decision made, integrating a stop in the G-League along the way? With the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery requirements already having been remixed, the player pool likely will be next.

George spent much of last summer as one of the most discussed trade candidates in the game, as the Cavaliers, Celtics and Lakers each spent time being discussed as the next stop for the All-Star forward. Ultimately, the Oklahoma City Thunder surprisingly sprung him from Indiana as a part of a push to pull ahead for at least a year in the Western Conference. However, George still has a date with free agency ahead, and he has not been shy about his desire to head home to Los Angeles and become a Laker. With his destiny in his hands alone this summer, expect the Lakers to land the proven superstar they have lacked the last few years.

Manchester City has gotten off to an unprecedented start, going undefeated through the first 15 matches and posting an absurd 43 points in the process. They are easily within range of blowing past the single-season Premier League record of 95 points, which Arsenal set in 2004-05, and they are already nearly halfway to the season wins record of 38 that Chelsea set just a year ago.

Although the Tigers lost the greatest player in program history after Deshaun Watson’s career concluded in last year’s National Championship Game, what the Tigers did not lose was a step. Kelly Bryant stepped in behind center and accounted for 24 touchdowns and carried the Tigers to a 11-1 season and an ACC championship. They will square off in a rematch against Alabama in the national semifinals as underdogs (again), despite being the higher-ranked team. Expect for Dabo Swinney’s boys to pull off a bit more magic and complete their push for consecutive titles.

The college basketball season kicked off with a series of rampant allegations of improper recruiting tactics sweeping across the sport, most notably at Louisville where coach Rick Pitino was forced to step down and ultimately relieved of his position. This situation is simply a pot of tea brewing on the stove. When the NCAA investigation carries on over the next year, there stands to be a plethora of punishments levied. Everyone from players and coaches to athletic directors and presidents of institutions could come under fire. Lawsuits could even be levied against the implicated shoe companies that are at the heart of the issue. The foundation of college basketball’s funneling system is about to be under siege in the new year.

Both the Western and Eastern Conference could be host to a pair of must-see grudge matches this spring, albeit with one likely more cordial than the other. The East will run through Cleveland and Boston again, but this time there is the added intrigue of Kyrie Irving taking on LeBron and his old club, the one he left in search of crafting his own legacy outside the shadow of James. Meanwhile in the West, if the Warriors and Thunder pair off in a series it is guaranteed to produce fireworks of the type that haven’t been seen in the league in the 20+ years. Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant make no secret of their competitive (and perhaps personal at this point) disdain for each other. Fun times could be ahead.

The Olympics are always a hotbed for political undertones, and in a time when a handful of countries are on an edge that feels like it could tilt into World War III at any moment, it is a rough time for the Games to take place, especially in South Korea, of all places. The decision to bar Russia from the Games for doping could prove to be the first of many plot twists that shape the scene around the event. What will be the impact on hockey with the NHL not sending its players? How viable will the Winter Games continue to be at time when consolidation could be ahead for the Olympics' traveling format? Could the Games be host to a narrative-changing strike, the likes of which have not been seen since Munich? The stakes are high.

It is still beyond stunning to think that Williams won the 2017 Australian Open while two months pregnant. The greatest women’s player of all time did so, and with her first year of motherhood behind her, she will be making her return to the court this year. Is it beyond comprehension that she could defend her Australian title? Of course not. But whether she wins the Aussie Open or not, it should not be a shock to see her win at least one of the Grand Slam events in the next year.

The political, financial and public relations disaster that has been the NFL season is just the tip of a much bigger iceberg that could await once the Super Bowl is in the books. Jerry Jones is not happy with Roger Goodell, and he is far from alone there. With Goodell up for an extension and the league’s issues not subsiding anytime soon, this could be the final go-round for Goodell at the helm of the NFL, as his employers (also known as the owners) could look get a fresh look in office.

In their debut season, the Golden Knights have taken hockey by storm not only by transforming Sin City into somewhat of a hockey destination town, but also by being amazing by expansion team standards. The 1994 Florida Panthers currently have the record for most points in an inaugural season with 83, although they missed the playoffs by a point. The Knights are in position to best that total by the spring and even potentially host a playoff series. It has been an expansion year like none other.

Anthony Davis had a freshman year for the record books back in 2012 at Kentucky, posting the greatest one-and-done college stop of all time. The Brow pull off a single-year, four-point play for the ages, winning National Player of the Year, a National Championship, Most Outstanding Player honors at the Final, all before moving on to be the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft. Bagley III has a chance to do all of these things. He is averaging a double-double for the No. 1 team in the nation at Duke and has a phenomenal shot at making it a March to remember for the Cameron faithful before moving on to the franchise cornerstone role that awaits in the NBA.

There has been a notion of this being the era of Clayton Kershaw and that everyone else just must live within it. However, Max Scherzer has been regularly in the business of setting that idea straight, as the dominant Nationals hurler won his second consecutive Cy Young Award in 2017, with Kershaw coming in as runner-up. It has been 17 years since a three-peat was pulled off in the Cy Young race, and with Scherzer showing no signs of relenting soon, another classic performance is ahead for the future Hall of Famer.

The spectator event of engaging in esports has become an undeniable part of the competitive universe in recent years. While debate about its status as an actual sport continues to develop (many contend that the level of planning, reflexes, execution and competitive outcome qualify it as such), there is no disputing that the phenomena is rising to a level that is noticeable on many sporting mediums. Broadcast outlets that specialize in sporting events already have esports-based programming on with regularity, and the events are drawing more and more live attendees. The very definition of what qualifies as a sport could be up for grabs here.

The BIG3 league did a phenomenal job of landing credible former NBA stars to make up rosters around the league in its phenomenal first year of existence. With that success fully realized and evident to other former NBA stars now, it is highly likely that a few more notable stars from the past make their way into the mix for season 2. The likes of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Metta World Peace, Lamar Odom and maybe even a freshly retired Vince Carter could take the league to an even higher level.

Ric Flair has long reigned as the most accomplished World Champion in pro wrestling history. However, Cena has been knocking on the door, and with the face of the WWE increasingly spending more and more time away from the ring to focus on entertainment endeavors, his twilight in the square circle is in full effect. So it makes sense that Cena would break his tie with the Nature Boy at some point in the near enough future, especially since Brock Lesnar’s reign has proven the champion does not need to be present every week. Whether it be at WrestleMania in April or at SummerSlam next August, Cena should climb to top of the all-time pile of championship wins.

Of all the notable golfers on the tour, Rickie Fowler being without a Major victory yet stands out as an albatross of sorts. Fowler has four victories on the PGA Tour and four top five finishes in Major events but has not gotten over the hump. Add in the rise of Hideki Matsuyama, who finished in the top 14 of each Major in 2017, and the likes of Jon Rahm, Marc Leishman, Paul Casey and more, and there should be a shake-up of first-timers atop the Majors in 2018.

We have seen how undeniable this team is when it is at its best. The Warriors simply overwhelmed and out-talented the Cavaliers a year ago in five-game Finals win, but as always, the NBA adjusted to the curve and is currently offering a more complete set of legitimate challengers than the club has faced in any of its three other championship pursuits. With the high-octane Rockets lurking in the West, along with the star-studded (and motivated) Thunder to play the role of exhausting speed bumps, if not outright foils, the road to a repeat is ripe for failure. Oh yeah, there is an upgraded, T-1000 version of LeBron awaiting still at the end of the road, as always. The odds seem stacked a bit too high for the Dubs this time around.