The optimum I believe is to OLCI to at least secure the seat type of your choice, ie an aisle or window. Plus maybe some other benefit of not being one of the first to be bumped if the flight is overbooked as some have suggested

But don't print the BP after OLCI because then you can change it at the airport if a better seat available, ie a window or aisle with a vacant middle seat.

And it saves carrying one of the A4 sheets around too, that need to be folded back and forth a few times by the GA to tear off the bit they keep.