March Madness 2015: Picks, Odds for Most Compelling Teams in NCAA Tournament

You want the NCAA tournament bracket? You want odds? You want the most compelling teams to watch? You want the Madness? 

Well, you've come to the right plac,e folks. Read on.

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Bracket

Odds

School	Odds
Kentucky	1/1
Duke	17/2
Wisconsin	9/1
Arizona	12/1
Virginia	12/1
Gonzaga	14/1
Villanova	16/1
Kansas	20/1
Notre Dame	25/1
Utah	28/1
North Carolina	33/1
Iowa State	33/1
Ohio State	50/1
Louisville	50/1
Wichita State	50/1
Maryland	50/1
Northern Iowa	50/1
Oklahoma	66/1
Arkansas	66/1
Michigan State	66/1
Butler	75/1
Baylor	75/1
LSU	75/1
West Virginia	75/1
Ole Miss	100/1
SMU	100/1
Georgetown	100/1
San Diego State	100/1
Oregon	150/1
VCU	150/1
Oklahoma State	150/1
NC State	200/1
Texas	200/1
Georgia	200/1
Dayton	200/1
Purdue	200/1
Iowa	200/1
Xavier	200/1
Indiana	200/1

Odds courtesy of Odds Shark.

Predictions

Region	Round of 64 Winners	Round of 32 Winners	Sweet 16 Winners	Elite Eight Winners
Midwest	Kentucky, Cincinnati, Buffalo, Maryland, Texas, Notre Dame, Wichita State, Kansas	Kentucky, Maryland, Notre Dame, Wichita State	Kentucky, Notre Dame	Kentucky
West	Wisconsin, Oregon, Arkansas, North Carolina, Xavier, Baylor, Ohio State, Arizona	Wisconsin, North Carolina, Baylor, Arizona	Wisconsin, Arizona	Arizona
East	Villanova, NC State, Northern Iowa, Louisville, Providence, Oklahoma, Michigan State, Virginia	Villanova, Louisville, Providence, Michigan State	Villanova, Michigan State	Villanova
South	Duke, San Diego State, Stephen F. Austin, Georgetown, SMU, Iowa State, Davidson, Gonzaga	Duke, Stephen F. Austin, Iowa State, Gonzaga	Duke, Iowa State	Duke

Analysis

There are four tiers at this year's NCAA tournament.

There is the "Team That Is Going To Win The Title" tier (Kentucky); the "Teams That Would Be Title Contenders In Other Years" tier (Villanova, Duke, Wisconsin, Virginia, Arizona); the "Talented Teams That Could Make Some Noise" tier (Gonzaga, Kansas, Maryland, Notre Dame, North Carolina, Iowa State, Northern Iowa, Wichita State); and everyone else.

Granted, some teams will outplay their tier (I like Michigan State and Stephen F. Austin) and others will underachieve (I don't think Kansas or Virginia wills survive the weekend). Thus is the nature of the NCAA tournament.

And yet, all roads lead to Kentucky. The Wildcats are the only team in college basketball without a major flaw. Duke isn't a good defensive team. Villanova doesn't have great size down low. Wisconsin's lack of depth could hurt them late in the tourney. Virginia's offense is suspect, and if Justin Anderson isn't 100 percent, they don't have a go-to player. Kansas is inconsistent. And on and on it goes.

Kentucky has a pretty easy road to, at the very least, the Sweet 16. Cincinnati or Purdue don't stand a chance. Truthfully, whichever team awaits them in the Sweet 16 (I believe it will be Maryland) probably doesn't stand much of a chance either. From a talent standpoint, Kansas has the best chance to beat them in the Elite Eight. Wichita State would have poetic justice on their side. Notre Dame probably has the best shot to beat the Wildcats, if only because Jerian Grant could go all Shabazz Napier on them.

But honestly, the Midwest Region feels like a foregone conclusion. So, who will they face in the Final Four?

Wisconsin and Arizona seem to be on a crash course. Neither team has an easy path to get there. Wisconsin could have tricky matchups in the second round against Oregon and in the Sweet 16 against North Carolina. Ohio State's D'Angelo Russell could will the Buckeyes to victory over Arizona in the second round, while Baylor could be a tricky matchup in the Sweet 16.

Ultimately, I like Arizona to advance in the West Region. I love their athleticism, I love their stifling defense and I worry about Wisconsin's depth, no matter how talented Frank Kaminsky and company are. It nearly cost them against Michigan State in the Big Ten title game, as Wisconsin looked downright sluggish at times in the second half before they found one final gear. Against a more talented team like Arizona, however, that gear may not be enough.

There isn't a No. 1 seed—or many No. 2 seeds, for that matter—getting less respect than Villanova, and yet all the Wildcats did this season was bulldoze their way through the Big East. They have the fourth-most efficient offense in the country and the 13th-most efficient defense, per KenPom.com. They are experienced. They play team basketball. They bomb away from beyond the arc. They can score in a hurry. 

They also have a tough road. Either NC State or LSU would be a tough second-round matchup. Louisville or Northern Iowa are brutal potential Sweet 16 opponents. Virginia, Michigan State, Oklahoma or Providence would all be tough Elite Eight matchups. 

Few teams want to face Virginia, after all, perhaps none more so than No. 15 seed Belmont.

Ultimately, you either believe in this group or you don't. I tend to think Villanova will reach the Final Four. But if they don't, it won't be a huge shock based simply off the tough East Region. 

Finally we head down South, where Duke has the talent to mow through this region. I don't see a tough matchup for them until the Elite Eight, where I'd expect Iowa State to be awaiting, though Gonzaga is supremely talented, SMU can beat any team on the bottom portion of the region's bracket and Davidson could always make a run.

But Duke will survive. 

Kentucky is going to have to go through the two teams best-suited to beat them, Arizona and Duke, in Indianapolis. Arizona's size, athleticism and defense will test the front-runners. Duke's Jahlil Okafor leads a cast of characters that possess the most talent Kentucky will have faced all season. 

But Kentucky is too good, too deep and too cohesive. They'll be this year's national champions, though the rest of the tournament leading up to that inevitability will sure be fun to watch.