NCAA Bracket 2015: Updated Picks and Odds for Sweet 16

Following four frenetic days of nonstop college basketball, the layoff until the NCAA tournament returns feels never-ending. Hang in there a little longer, as the Sweet 16 starts Thursday.

While no outlandish Cinderella teams have run amok, some surprises in North Carolina State and UCLA remain dancing while Villanova, Virginia and Kansas watch from home. Still, three No. 1 seeds and two No. 2 schools remain in the fold.

Now that fans have taken their mandated break from March Madness, let's jump back into the tournament with Sweet 16 odds and picks.

Thursday, March 26	Time (ET)	TV	Odds	Pick
Friday, March 27	Time (ET)	TV	Odds	Pick
No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 7 Wichita State	7:15 p.m.	CBS	WIC -2	Wichita State
No. 1 Wisconsin vs. No. 4 North Carolina	7:47 p.m.	TBS	WIS -6	Wisconsin
No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 5 West Virginia	9:45 p.m.	CBS	KEN -13.5	Kentucky
No. 2 Arizona vs. No. 6 Xavier	10:17 p.m.	TBS	ARI -10.5	Arizona
No. 2 Gonzaga vs. No. 11 UCLA	7:15 p.m.	CBS	GON -8.5	Gonzaga
No. 4 Louisville vs. No. 8 NC State	7:37 p.m.	TBS	LOU -3	Louisville
No. 1 Duke vs. No. 5 Utah	9:45 p.m.	CBS	DUKE -5.5	Utah
No. 3 Oklahoma vs. No. 7 Michigan State	10:07 p.m.	TBS	MSU -2	Oklahoma

All odds are courtesy of Odds Shark. 

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Most Underrated Matchup: No. 1 Duke vs. No. 5 Utah

If another No. 1 seed is going down before the Elite Eight, it's Duke.

It's not a slight against the Blue Devils, who have easily handled business with two double-digit victories. Star Jahlil Okafor is showing why he deserves No. 1 pick consideration in this year's NBA draft, going a ridiculous 21-of-27 against Robert Morris and San Diego State.

OPP	MIN	PTS	FGM-A	REB	BLK
Robert Morris	21	21	9-11	3	2
San Diego State	33	26	12-16	6	3

His domination over San Diego State is particularly impressive considering the Aztecs rank No. 4 in KenPom.com's adjusted defense. San Diego State, however, lacks the size of Utah, which boasts two seven-foot centers—Jakob Poeltl and Dallin Bachynski.

Poetl acknowledges the challenge ahead to The Salt Lake Tribune's Kyle Goon.

"I've seen a lot of the Duke games," Poeltl said. "He's very aggressive in the post, got good touch, good footwork, he's really a complete big man down on the block."

Duke gets another defensively potent adversary in Utah, which places No. 7 in KenPom.com's adjusted defensive rating. But the Aztecs offered no offensive firepower, and the Utes score 72.1 points per game with a No. 19 adjusted offensive rating. 

Even if Okafor gets his points down low, Chris Bunn of 247Sports noted the struggles the Blue Devils will face on the perimeter:

There's nothing exciting about Utah, a popular pick to experience a second-round upset against Stephen F. Austin. Yet the Utes remain standing with two mundane victories, and they've yet to earn their proper due.

Ironically enough, CBS Sports' Matt Norlander underrated Utah while calling it "the field's most overlooked team." In his power rankings of the Sweet 16 schools, he placed the Utes No. 10 despite their No. 8 KenPom.com team efficiency rating among all 351 college squads.

Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

Depth also gives Utah an edge. Against San Diego State, Mike Krzyzewski employed an eight-man rotation that allotted 25 combined minutes for his reserves. Grayson Allen's five points marked the only scoring from the bench.

Dakarai Tucker at least gives Utah a legit threat for the second unit, and Bachynski will likely again receive regular minutes in an effort to stymie Okafor down low. 

In a closer game than everyone anticipates, Utah pulls off the Sweet 16's biggest upset.

Prediction: Utah 74, Duke 72