March Madness 2015: Updated Bracket, Picks, Odds Advice for Sweet 16

The third round of the 2015 NCAA tournament has come and gone, with Sunday's batch of games mostly going according to plan.

The biggest surprise by far was the Michigan State Spartans beating the second-seeded Virginia Cavaliers. The Cavs' methodical style was their ultimate undoing as they shot 29.8 percent from the field and made just two three-pointers.

It might not necessarily qualify as a surprise, but it certainly made for great theater to have the Wichita State Shockers upset the Kansas Jayhawks to win state superiority. Wichita State is undoubtedly one of the most dangerous teams remaining in the field.

The deeper into the Big Dance we get, the more important it is to be careful with how you're picking games and forming an opinion on each of the betting lines. The gulf between teams gets smaller, making it harder to try to handicap each result.

Below you'll find brief analysis on two of the more intriguing Sweet 16 games to come.

Bracket

Schedule

Time (ET)	Matchup	TV Info	Odds	Pick
Thursday, March 26
7:15 p.m.	No. 7 Wichita State vs. No. 3 Notre Dame	CBS	WICH (-1)	Wichita State
7:47 p.m.	No. 4 North Carolina vs. No. 1 Wisconsin	TBS	WISC (-5.5)	Wisconsin
9:45 p.m.	No. 5 West Virginia vs. No. 1 Kentucky	CBS	UK (-13.5)	Kentucky
10:17 p.m.	No. 6 Xavier vs. No. 2 Arizona	TBS	ZONA (-11)	Arizona
Friday, March 27
7:15 p.m.	No. 11 UCLA vs. No. 2 Gonzaga	CBS	GONZ (-8.5)	Gonzaga
7:37 p.m.	No. 8 North Carolina State vs. No. 4 Louisville	TBS	TBA	Louisville
9:45 p.m.	No. 5 Utah vs. No. 1 Duke	CBS	Duke (-4.5)	Duke
10:07 p.m.	No. 7 Michigan State vs. No. 3 Oklahoma	TBS	MICH ST (-2.5)	Michigan State

Odds Advice

The first line that really stands out is Kentucky getting favored over West Virginia by 13.5 points. Generally, you don't see that kind of line this late into the tournament; it's a testament to just how good the Wildcats are and how much they're currently pacing the field.

You'd be smart to back Kentucky. The No. 1 overall seed has won its last 10 games by an average of 18.6 points.

What also might serve to increase the buffer between the Wildcats and Mountaineers is Bob Huggins' more uptempo style. According to KenPom.com, West Virginia is 29th in adjusted tempo, which makes it the second-fastest team remaining in the tournament.

Kentucky was only able to beat Cincinnati by 13 points in part because the Bearcats slow the game down to a crawl. John Calipari's team should have more possessions against West Virginia, which means more opportunity to open up a wide gap against West Virginia.

ESPN's Jeff Goodman doesn't see the matchup being particularly close:

Another line to monitor as the week unfolds is Wisconsin vs. North Carolina.

Right now, the Badgers are favored by 5.5 points, but that could change depending on the status of Kennedy Meeks. The Tar Heels announced early Sunday morning that Meeks sprained his left knee against Arkansas, with the extent of the injury still unknown.

"Kennedy has a knee sprain. That's all we're saying right now," said UNC head coach Roy Williams, per ESPN.com's Andrea Adelson. "We think that's all it is, but we'll get some X-rays or MRIs or both when we get back and find out what it is."

While Meeks wouldn't be solely responsible for defending Frank Kaminsky, his presence would help North Carolina potentially neutralize the Wisconsin big man.

Much of the Badgers' success or failure depends on how well Kaminsky plays. He's one of the best players in the tournament, and if Meeks is out or limited by his knee injury, Wisconsin would likely have a slightly easier time against the Heels.

It's still a bit early to go either way with this line. You'll want to wait to get more information about Meeks. In the event the sophomore forward isn't 100 percent, take Wisconsin and the points. He's averaging 11.6 points and 7.4 rebounds a game, so his contribution to North Carolina isn't insignificant.

The Badgers might play at a slow pace, but their offense is extremely efficient. Don't be surprised if North Carolina is hanging close for most of the game, only to have Wisconsin break it open late and win by nine or 10 points.

Note: Odds are courtesy of Vegas Insider.