March Madness Bracket 2015: Odds and Predictions for Top 1st-Round Games

Not all NCAA tournament competitors have an equally difficult road to a coveted national title. That statement is especially true for the play-in teams that must win an additional contest for the right to play in the round of 64.

These play-in games are pivotal for bracket-challenge enthusiasts. Just because the First Four doesn't necessarily feature the cream of the crop, that doesn't mean it doesn't contain a team that could potentially catch fire and bust thousands of brackets (see: 2011 VCU).

That said, it would be wise to pay keen attention to the four play-in games and fill out your March Madness bracket accordingly. So, before the opening round of the Big Dance gets underway, let's take a look at the odds for a couple of the top games and pick a winner for each.

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Predictions for Top Round 1 Games

Boise State vs. Dayton

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Remember those pesky Dayton Flyers from a year ago? They entered the tournament as a No. 11 seed and proceeded to defeat Ohio State, Stanford and Syracuse en route to a berth in the Elite Eight.

Well, they're back.

This year's squad features a strong defense but a rather enigmatic offense. Dayton is only allowing 60.9 points per game. However, earlier this season, the Flyers won a game against Fordham while scoring 101 points but then defeated St. Louis while dropping only 51. That unpredictable Flyers offense will need to be red hot if it is to take down a Boise State squad that is allowing just 60.3 points per game this season.

Dayton's best hopes reside with guard Jordan Sibert. An experienced senior, he's averaging a team-high 16.5 points, adding 3.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. He's complemented nicely by junior forward Dyshawn Pierre, who is averaging 12.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, and shooters Kendall Pollard and Scoochie Smith.

When this team gets into a rhythm, it's tough to beat. Dayton is shooting an average of 46.3 percent from the floor on the season, and if it can get anywhere near that mark, it can be extremely dangerous. However, that will be a difficult feat against Boise State's 35th-ranked defense.

The Broncos are a well-rounded team that went on a great late-season run before a MWC tournament overtime defeat at the hands of Wyoming. Boise State is capable of producing on both ends of the court; however, it is still trying to overcome the season-ending injury to guard Anthony Drmic.

Derrick Marks has picked up the slack following his teammate's departure from action, and when James Webb III begins to produce on the interior, the Broncos become rather formidable on the offensive end of the court. Still, without Drmic, Boise State lacks depth and versatility, and considering it is essentially playing a road game (it is playing Dayton in Dayton), there are too many factors for the team to overcome.

Prediction: Dayton

Ole Miss vs. BYU

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This sets up to be a very interesting contest between two teams looking for redemption. BYU was taken down by a strong Gonzaga team in the WCC tournament final, as the Cougars' high-powered offense came up just short. Ole Miss, on the other hand, collapsed down the final stretch of the season, losing four of its last five, including a big upset loss to South Carolina in the SEC tournament.

Ole Miss has been a decent offensive team this season; however, it has severely lacked consistency in recent games. The Rebels managed just 63 points against LSU on Feb. 28 but came back one game later to put up 82 against Alabama. The team trended downward again in the tournament, putting up just 58 points against South Carolina's defense.

The most troubling aspect of that contest was the fact that Jarvis Summers was the only Rebel starter to score double-digit points. He was helped out by a nice 17-point effort from Ladarius White off the bench, but the remainder of his supporting cast members were virtual non-factors. That lack of depth should be a cause for concern at this time of the year.

On the other hand, we have BYU's stellar offense that ranks second in the nation, averaging 83.6 points per game. The Cougars were riding an eight-game winning streak—which included a huge win over Gonzaga—before they fell in the tournament to the Zags in a rematch.

Guards Tyler Haws and Kyle Collinsworth have been stellar for this team, as each put up a big performance in the loss to Gonzaga, combining for 43 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists. However, this team has a very similar problem to Ole Miss in the fact that it lacks a consistent supporting cast.

Chase Fischer has been brilliant in many games this season, but he must show up in a big way if this team is going to make any kind of a run in the NCAA tournament. Meanwhile, Anson Winder has been nursing a knee injury and hasn't played in either of the team's last two contests. He's been missed recently, and his return will be crucial for BYU's tournament hopes.

Injuries aside, the Cougars have enough capable shooters to put up points in the blink of an eye. If BYU can get off to a hot start and control the pace of the game, Ole Miss won't be able to find its rhythm and will fail to keep up with the Cougars.

Prediction: BYU