NCAA Tournament 2015: Bracket Picks and National Title Odds for Sweet 16 Teams

Only 16 teams remain on their quests to be crowned national champions; however, the NCAA tournament will be reducing that number to eight in short order.

We've already seen some of the Big Dance's top teams go down early, as No. 1 Villanova, No. 2 Virginia and No. 2 Kansas all departed during the round of 32. There have been some extremely solid showings put forth by higher-ranked squads, and we should expect some more upsets during Sweet 16 action. This is March Madness, after all.

So, now that the field has been dramatically decreased and we can see a clear path to the title game for each team, many are wondering who is actually the favorite to go the distance. We won't know the answer to that until the championship game unfolds, but Vegas oddsmakers have already determined a pecking order.

Before the March Madness action returns to the hardwood, here's a look at the updated championship odds and predictions for each Sweet 16 contest.

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. 3 Oklahoma vs. No. 7 Michigan State

If you're a fan of well-rounded basketball teams, this game is for you. Both Oklahoma and Michigan State advanced to the Sweet 16 due to some great play on both ends of the court.

The Sooners took down Albany to kick off the NCAA tournament, and followed that win up by defeating the surging Dayton Flyers in the round of 32. That 72-66 victory showcased Oklahoma's ability to score, dominate the inside and remain resilient when tested late in a postseason contest.

Despite an average shooting day from Buddy Hield, who went 4-of-13 from the floor, the Sooners were able to call upon a deep roster for help on the offensive end of the court. Hield still came away with 15 points, but some solid free-throw shooting from Jordan Woodard was one of the biggest reasons for the team's win, as he went 9-of-10 from the line and tallied a team-high 16 points on the day.

Oklahoma's great blend of physicality on the inside and solid perimeter shooting helped propel the team past the Flyers. TaShawn Thomas and Ryan Spangler combined for 21 rebounds and helped the Sooners to tally 35 boards to Dayton's 23. Meanwhile Isaiah Cousins and Frank Booker took care of business from behind the arc, combining to shoot 6-of-9 from long range. That kind of offensive versatility won't be easily stopped.

Defensively, the Sooners were solid on the inside and came away with nine steals and three blocks. The one concern going forward is the team's perimeter defense, as Dayton's sharpshooters managed to hit 11-of-21 three-pointers—an aspect that kept them in the game for the duration.

The Spartans will attempt to take advantage of that weakness, as Michigan State boasts some terrific three-point shooters to complement a strong presence on the inside and a stout defense. On top of all that, Tom Izzo's team is simply known for stepping up in a big way in March.

After taking down Georgia in Round 2, the Spartans upset No. 2 Virginia 60-54 in the round of 32. The duo of Travis Trice and Branden Dawson propelled the team to the enormous win, flourishing against the Cavaliers' top-ranked defensive unit.

Trice was fantastic from downtown, connecting on 4-of-8 three-pointers on his way to a game-high 23 points. Dawson provided a great complement on the inside, scoring 15 points and adding nine rebounds and four blocks. As a team, the Spartans shot 42.5 percent from the floor and 50 percent from downtown in the win.

Just as impressive on the defensive end of the court, Michigan State held Virginia to just 29.8 percent shooting from the floor and 11.8 percent from downtown while coming away with seven blocks. The lone concern in this department was Virginia's 18 offensive rebounds, which led to the Cavaliers taking 17 more shots than the Spartans in the game.

We should expect a hard-fought, physical contest between Oklahoma and Michigan State in this year's Sweet 16 action. However, there can be only one winner, and given the immense similarities between these squads, the upper hand goes to the team carrying the most momentum. In this case, that goes to the Spartans following their huge win over Virginia.

Prediction: Michigan State 66, Oklahoma 64