NCAA Bracket 2015: Sweet 16 Schedule, Predictions and Odds

A high number of upsets in the first few rounds has made the NCAA tournament extremely unpredictable. Amazingly, we are just getting started.

The Sweet 16 might not have the loaded schedule of nonstop action like the round of 64, but the games are even more important while featuring only the teams playing at their absolute best. After seeing each squad compete over the last weekend, we should have a better idea of what to expect going forward.

Follow along for a breakdown of the upcoming round of March Madness with predictions straight up and against the spread.

	Thursday
	Friday
Time (ET)	Matchup	TV	Pick	ATS*
7:15 p.m.	No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 7 Wichita State	CBS	Notre Dame	ND +1
7:47 p.m.	No. 1 Wisconsin vs. No. 4 North Carolina	TBS	Wisconsin	WISC -5.5
9:45 p.m.	No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 5 West Virginia	CBS	Kentucky	WVU +13.5
10:17 p.m.	No. 2 Arizona vs. No. 6 Xavier	TBS	Arizona	AZ -11
7:15 p.m.	No. 2 Gonzaga vs. No. 11 UCLA	CBS	Gonzaga	UCLA +8.5
7:37 p.m.	No. 4 Louisville vs. No. 8 North Carolina State	TBS	NC State	NCST +1.5
9:45 p.m.	No. 1 Duke vs. No. 5 Utah	CBS	Duke	DUKE -4.5
10:07 p.m.	No. 3 Oklahoma vs. No. 7 Michigan State	TBS	MSU	MSU -2.5

Best Bets

Michigan State (-2.5) over Oklahoma

Bob Leverone/Getty Images

We should have all learned by now never to doubt a Tom Izzo team in March. The coach consistently finds ways to get the most out of his players at the right time, always peaking heading into the NCAA tournament.

This has never been more true than this season, which has featured ups and downs but now an appearance in the Sweet 16. Guard Denzel Valentine noted his respect for the coaching staff after the win over Virginia, via Mike Griffith of MLive.com:

"

At this point in the season, we're playing teams that we're not familiar with, so if we got to do something that's uncharacteristic of us, then we just have to do it and we've got to trust in the coaches that they're being right. Obviously they were right because our defensive concepts, it worked today.

"

With a few more days to prepare for the upcoming game, Izzo should be able to come up with more plans to beat Oklahoma.

One simple strategy will be to just control the boards as the Spartans have done all year. The Sooners have been inconsistent at rebounding the ball on both ends of the court, and Michigan State can take advantage behind Branden Dawson.

Add in the red-hot play of Travis Trice, and the Big Ten squad should keep advancing.

Wisconsin (-5.5) over North Carolina

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

North Carolina has had a great postseason so far by simply doing what it does best. Roy Williams' squad pushes the pace against opponents to get more possessions, and the elite offensive rebounding ability leads to easy points.

Unfortunately, this is a miserable matchup for the Tar Heels.

Wisconsin is an experienced and disciplined team that will make opponents play its game. The squad will slow the contest down to a crawl and limit North Carolina on the boards with its great defensive rebounding.

Frank Kaminsky will also be a matchup nightmare for anyone on the floor whether he is scoring inside or out.

Additionally, Seth Davis of CBS Sports explained the closing ability of the team:

The Badgers will do what they need to do to advance and should be able to cover the spread.

West Virginia (+13.5) over Kentucky

Alex Goodlett/Getty Images

It's obviously extremely difficult betting against a team that has won its first 36 games of the year. However, West Virginia has what it takes to at least keep it close.

ESPN's Jalen Rose sums up what the Mountaineers provide on the court:

This is clearly a squad that will not be afraid of the challenge Kentucky brings in this matchup. What this intensity leads to is one of the top pressing teams in the country, which puts any opponent on edge. The squad leads the nation in turnover rate and steal percentage, something that will test Andrew Harrison in the backcourt.

Additionally, West Virginia is one of the top offensive rebounding teams in the nation, which could take advantage of one of Kentucky's few weaknesses of defensive rebounding.

There are few ways to score against the Wildcats, but turning steals into easy points and getting offensive rebounds will certainly help.

Kentucky might find a way to pull out a win as it has done all year, but the Mountaineers should be able to cover the spread.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for the latest breaking news and analysis.