March Madness 2015: Bracket Predictions, Odds Tips for Sunday's Round 3 Schedule

A weekend of NCAA tournament madness sadly comes to an end on Sunday with the final games from the round of 32. Unlike Saturday, which featured a number of lower-seeded teams, Sunday is filled with a lot of chalk.

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That really speaks to the way March Madness ebbs and flows. One day can make you think this will be the greatest year for upsets in history; the next reminds you why teams were seeded as they were. 

Predicting the tournament is usually a brutal endeavor because you can talk yourself into any upset. These picks for the round of 32 were exhausted over, but it's a proper representation of where teams are and how individual matchups will swing games.

Matchup	Start Time (ET)	Point Spread	Prediction
No. 7 Michigan State vs. No. 2 Virginia	12:10 p.m.	Virginia (-5)	MSU, 57-52
No. 8 San Diego State vs. No. 1 Duke	2:40 p.m.	Duke (-9.5)	Duke, 77-64
No. 7 Wichita State vs. No. 2 Kansas	5:15 p.m.	Kansas (-1.5)	Wichita State, 64-58
No. 11 Dayton vs. No. 3 Oklahoma	6:10 p.m.	Oklahoma (-4)	Oklahoma, 73-60
No. 7 Iowa vs. No. 2 Gonzaga	7:10 p.m.	Gonzaga (-6)	Gonzaga, 72-67
No. 8 Oregon vs. No. 1 Wisconsin	7:45 p.m.	Wisconsin (-12)	Wisconsin, 77-73
No. 5 West Virginia vs. No. 4 Maryland	8:40 p.m.	WVU (-1)	WVU, 67-63
No. 5 Northern Iowa vs. No. 4 Louisville	9:40 p.m.	Northern Iowa (-3)	Northern Iowa, 57-51

Bracket Tips

Even though it's not likely high on the watch list for most people, Dayton versus Oklahoma is a matchup to keep an eye on if for no other reason than the Sooners look one of the safest Sweet 16 bets at this point.

Providence was my pick as a sleeper in the tournament, as I bought into the hype of LaDontae Henton and Kris Dunn while ignoring the mediocrity of the rest of the team. Dayton dominated that game to earn their date with Oklahoma.

The Sooners have underachieved all year, losing 10 games in the regular season, but they did show signs of life in the final month with wins over Kansas, West Virginia and Iowa State. 

What Dayton has done getting to this point is remarkable, considering the roster runs seven players deep on a good day.

Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports Network credited the cohesion Archie Miller's team shows every night:

Eventually, a lack of bodies will catch up to you, which makes Oklahoma so appealing. This will either be really close or a blowout for the Sooners. Smart money is on the latter because Dayton's legs have to be getting weak with a third game in five days. 

A sleeper game is Oregon taking on Wisconsin. The Badgers are a huge favorite, as you would expect being a No. 1 seed considered to be among the three best in the country, but Dana Altman's coaching ability is being underestimated.

The Ducks head coach isn't put in the elite category of coaches in the country, but he's starting to get noticed for doing a lot with a little, as noted by ESPN's Jeff Goodman:

Even though this isn't the same Oregon team that played Wisconsin tough in the round of 32 last year, it's not that different. The Ducks still score at a terrific rate, ranking 15th in Kenpom's offensive efficiency ratings, and they register a solid 36.1 percent from three-point range. 

Granted, the Badgers are more dynamic this year than they were last season in putting up 85 points against Oregon. 

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Yet having a star who shoots as well as Joseph Young to go along with valuable scorers such as Elgin Cook and Dillon Brooks will keep Oregon in the game longer than the spread would seem to indicate. Wisconsin isn't going to lose, but it will be a tougher fight than you think.

Beyond that, there really don't appear to be many surprises in store on Sunday. Michigan State is seen as the underdog against Virginia, which the oddsmakers have demonstrated by making the Cavaliers a five-point favorite, but Tom Izzo will always get the benefit of the doubt in March. 

It's going to be a physical matchup because that's how Izzo and Tony Bennett coach their players. There aren't going to be a lot of points, but the Spartans do have their best player operating at his highest level right now.

Travis Trice is doing things around the basket that make Michigan State's offense more dangerous, as noted by Joe Rexrode of The Detroit Free Press:

Virginia gets by on the strength of its defense, while taking whatever offense it can get. Justin Anderson is the Cavaliers' best offensive weapon and finally showed signs of life against Belmont after being held scoreless in two ACC tournament games returning from injuries.

But what is Anderson going to do against superior competition? The Spartans are peaking at the right time and will continue their tournament run with an appearance in the Sweet 16.