Sweet 16 2015: Predicting Elite 8 Teams and Updated Championship Odds

Following a rather dull Friday in which 15 of 16 games were won decisively by favorites, March Madness returned with a vengeance over the weekend.

The NCAA tournament's first No. 1 seed was ousted from the competition, as Villanova couldn't overtake a strong NC State squad. A pair of No. 2 seeds also departed from the Big Dance after Virginia and Kansas were downed by Michigan State and Wichita State, respectively.

Those surprising results helped forge this year's Sweet 16.

With so few teams remaining, a couple burning questions have surfaced. Which team has the best chance to win it all, and who will be moving on to the Elite Eight? Let's answer those inquiries by looking at the tournament's updated championship odds and predicting the winners of each Sweet 16 showdown.

Updated Tournament Bracket

Updated Championship Odds

Team	Odds
Kentucky	1-1
Arizona	6-1
Duke	13-2
Wisconsin	9-1
Gonzaga	10-1
Michigan State	15-1
North Carolina	25-1
Notre Dame	28-1
Utah	28-1
Louisville	30-1
Oklahoma	45-1
NC State	50-1
Wichita State	50-1
Xavier	70-1
UCLA	75-1
West Virginia	85-1

All odds courtesy of Odds Shark.

Sweet 16 Predictions

Team 1	Team 2	Pick
No. 1 Wisconsin	No. 4 North Carolina	Wisconsin
No. 2 Arizona	No. 6 Xavier	Arizona
No. 1 Duke	No. 5 Utah	Utah
No. 2 Gonzaga	No. 11 UCLA	Gonzaga
No. 1 Kentucky	No. 5 West Virginia	Kentucky
No. 3 Notre Dame	No. 7 Wichita State	Wichita State
No. 4 Louisville	No. 8 NC State	NC State
No. 3 Oklahoma	No. 7 Michigan State	Michigan State

Top Game to Watch

No. 1 Wisconsin vs. No. 4 North Carolina

Can a well-rounded Wisconsin team slow down the surging Tar Heels and earn a berth in the Elite Eight? Yes, but it won't be easy.

North Carolina didn't begin the NCAA tournament in stellar fashion, just squeezing past Harvard in Round 2. However, the team began to get back into its groove during an impressive 87-78 victory over Arkansas in the round of 32.

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Guard Marcus Paige led the way for the Tar Heels, scoring a team-high 22 points while going 3-of-6 from downtown and 9-of-9 from the foul line. He received plenty of help from his supporting cast, as Justin Jackson notched 16 points, Brice Johnson nabbed 13 boards and J.P. Tokoto finished with 13 points and eight assists.

As a team, North Carolina shot 45.0 percent from the floor and 40.0 percent from behind the arc while bringing down 42 rebounds and racking up 13 steals. That kind of all-around team effort is exactly what's needed to survive in March Madness.

Although, the team wasn't without mistakes. Arkansas may not have won the battle on the boards, but the Razorbacks did come down with 20 offensive rebounds, giving them many second-chance opportunities. North Carolina's 16 turnovers also helped Arkansas in that department. Had the Razorbacks shot better than 36.9 percent from the floor, the game's outcome may have been very different.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

The Badgers began the tournament with a decisive victory over Coastal Carolina, but they were tested by Oregon in the round of 32. The Ducks hung tough with Wisconsin for the majority of the contest before Frank Kaminsky and Co. pulled away late to seal the 72-65 win.

Wisconsin's ability to excel on both ends of the court is what makes it such a dangerous team. On the offensive end, Kaminsky, Sam Dekker, Nigel Hayes and Bronson Koenig scored double-digit points while shooting 43.1 percent from the floor as a team and only turning the ball over six times.

Defensively, the Badgers held an Oregon team that averages 75.6 points per game to 65 points. While the high-octane Ducks did find some success thanks to a brilliant 30-point effort from Joseph Young, the team's frontcourt was held in check, as Elgin Cook, Jordan Bell and Dillon Brooks combined for just 14 points.

Expect Wisconsin's defense to be heavily challenged by North Carolina's attack, which ranks 17th in the nation in points, second in assists, 27th in shooting percentage and continues to be phenomenal on the boards. However, while the Tar Heels will pose a big test for the Badgers, they may not be able to overcome their ongoing mistakes against such a well-rounded and experienced team.

Prediction: Wisconsin 77, North Carolina 74