NCAA Bracket 2015: Updated Odds and Picks Against the Spread for Sweet 16

The first weekend of the NCAA tournament taught us that we can't trust a favorite.

Heading into the Sweet 16, there are four teams seeded No. 7 or higher, as the Cinderellas continue to battle their way deep into the tournament. This doesn't guarantee any success going forward, but it should certainly cause you to question the seeding before you make your picks.

The upcoming round will feature some competitive battles across the board, but here is a look at some underdogs who should cover the spread.

	Thursday
	Friday			Friday
Time (ET)	Matchup	TV	Pick	ATS*
7:15 p.m.	No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 7 Wichita State	CBS	Notre Dame	ND +2
7:47 p.m.	No. 1 Wisconsin vs. No. 4 North Carolina	TBS	Wisconsin	WISC -6
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 -10.5
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 +3
9:45 p.m.	No. 1 Duke vs. No. 5 Utah	CBS	Duke	DUKE -5
10:07 p.m.	No. 3 Oklahoma vs. No. 7 Michigan State	TBS	MSU	MSU -2

All odds/spreads via Odds Shark.

No. 5 West Virginia (+13.5) vs. No. 1 Kentucky

BRODY SCHMIDT/Associated Press

Kentucky has unquestionably been the best team in college basketball this season. The squad is 36-0 and is the overwhelming favorite to run the table and end the year as the national champion.

While there have been some close calls, head coach John Calipari remains confident, via Chris Fisher of 247Sports:

This obviously remains true, but West Virginia certainly brings a style that the Wildcats haven't yet seen this year. The Mountaineers press for most of the game and force turnovers at a higher rate than anyone else in the country, according to KenPom.com. Arkansas and Florida have aggressive defenses as well, but they don't push the action quite as much as Bob Huggins' team.

Additionally, West Virginia is the rare team that has the depth to stick with Kentucky for 40 minutes. While others wear down in the second half, this squad will be able to keep the pressure on and force Andrew Harrison and Tyler Ulis into making mistakes as they run the point.

Kentucky still has the talent to pull out a win, but this will be closer than most are predicting.

No. 8 North Carolina State (+3) vs. No. 4 Louisville

North Carolina State might be a No. 8 seed in this tournament, but it's clear the team's talent level is much higher. Andy Katz of ESPN broke down the ceiling for this group:

At their best, Trevor Lacey, Anthony "Cat" Barber and Ralston Turner can combine to be one of the top backcourts in the nation. Lacey and Barber can create any shot for themselves, while Turner is absolutely deadly from beyond the arc.

Obviously, inconsistencies throughout the season kept the team on the bubble for much of the year, but we saw with the win over Villanova how good the Wolfpack are playing at the moment.

This is bad news for Louisville, who already lost to North Carolina State at home earlier in the year. The Cardinals are getting contributions from previously invisible players, like Wayne Blackshear and Quentin Snider, in addition to Terry Rozier and Montrezl Harrell, but the team's offense is still lacking overall.

If Beejay Anya can do his defensive work in the post against Harrell, North Carolina State should be able to win this outright.

No. 11 UCLA (+8.5) vs. Gonzaga

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

In its first two games, Gonzaga has shown that it is better than many chose to believe. Playing in the West Coast Conference prevents plenty of casual fans from watching games, so it's easy to assume this group is just like the ones that lost early in the tournament in years past.

However, the deep and varied frontcourt, consisting of Kyle Wiltjer, Przemek Karnowski, Domantas Sabonis and others, makes this a difficult team to defend. Experienced point guard Kevin Pangos also helps the group in close games.

The Bulldogs have the overall talent to win this game, although UCLA still has what it takes to keep things close.

Much of the debate on Selection Sunday concerned the Bruins' inclusion in the field despite a less-than-stellar resume. Jeff Eisenberg of Yahoo Sports summed up the opinion of what this meant after the first weekend:

With Tony Parker and Kevon Looney doing an excellent job in the low post and Norman Powell pairing with Bryce Alford in the backcourt, this starting lineup is as talented as any in the country. This group has what it takes to match up against even a great team like Gonzaga.

The lack of depth could cause the Bruins to fall apart late, but the game should remain close throughout.

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