March Madness 2015: Updated Schedule and Predictions After Friday's Sweet 16

March Madness settled down during the Sweet 16, admitting renown college basketball clubs into the weekend's Elite Eight.

For a tournament initiated by two stunning upsets, there's nothing wild about the eight squads standing. Louisville and Michigan State aren't top seeds, but they're prestigious programs led by legendary coaches. At this point, the Spartans are expected to perform better than their billing.

Yet there are still plenty of juicy storylines to bite into over the weekend. While Kentucky continues its quest for perfection, Gonzaga looks to finally earn its first Final Four foray. 

Let's reset the NCAA tournament bracket in preparation for the Elite Eight.

Date	Matchup	Time (ET)	TV	Pick
Sat., 3/28	No. 1 Wisconsin vs. No. 2 Arizona	6:09 p.m.	TBS	Arizona
Sat., 3/28	No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 3 Notre Dame	8:49 p.m.	TBS	Kentucky
Sun., 3/29	No. 4 Louisville vs. No. 7 Michigan State	2:20 p.m.	CBS	Michigan State
Sun., 3/29	No. 1 Duke vs. No. 2 Gonzaga	5:05 p.m.	CBS	Gonzaga

Midwest: No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 3 Notre Dame

It's getting harder each day to justify picking against Kentucky maintaining its unblemished record. After doubling West Virginia's total in a 78-39 bloodbath, Kentucky's probability of winning the championship increased to 54.5 percent, according to FiveThirtyEight's Neil Payne. 

Normal teams don't beat other very good teams by 39 points. In fact, ESPN College BBall noted it matched the most lopsided Sweet 16 finish in NCAA tournament history:

"

Kentucky's 39-point win over WVU tied for the largest ever margin in the Sweet 16. pic.twitter.com/pKZo8Fbun4

— ESPN College BBall (@ESPNCBB) March 27, 2015"

Following their dominant display, it comes as no surprise to see the Wildcats favored by 11 points as of Friday night, according to Odds Shark. Notre Dame coach Mike Brey, however, welcomes the underdog labeling.

"Weren't we two-point underdogs to Wichita State?" Brey told the Chicago Tribune's Chris Hine. "That's kind of driven this crew the whole year. They love it. They relish it. Maybe it helps us play loose and attack more. If that's the case, I love being 12-point underdogs (against Kentucky)."

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

This underdog boasts a 51.0 field-goal percentage and the nation's third-best adjusted offensive rating. The Fighting Irish's ability to find open looks is pivotal to slaying the colossal giants.

They need some favorable variance to stun the world. It'll take an onslaught of accurate shooting to keep up with Kentucky, which is capable of going cold on the offensive end. Given its stellar defense, it likely still won't matter.

Notre Dame is skilled enough to hang tight, but don't expect the Wildcats to get eliminated this weekend.

Prediction: Kentucky 76, Notre Dame 68 

South: No. 1 Duke vs. No. 2 Gonzaga

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

With 17 straight NCAA tournament appearances ruining any underdog appeal, predicting Gonzaga to fail became the popular thing to do. Rather than lavish praise on the West Coast Conference stalwart, everyone cited its five straight round of 32 losses games heading into 2015.

Despite their No. 7 team rating backed by the fourth-best adjusted offense, the Bulldogs were never perceived as a serious contender. Now they're one victory away from their first Final Four in school history.

Friday served as Przemek Karnowsk's coming-out party. The 7'1" center tallied 18 points and nine rebounds during a 74-62 victory over UCLA while also displaying slick passing chops, courtesy of Sports Illustrated:

The Bulldogs need him now more than ever with Jahlil Okafor lurking on the other end. Duke's sensational freshman carried the Blue Devils into the Sweet 16 by scoring 47 combined points on an incredible 77.8 percent shooting in Duke's first two contests. 

Against a worthy adversary in Utah, however, he mustered just six points, vanishing while Justise Winslow carried the load. 

Gonzaga has only suffered two losses this year, each by three points. One was an overtime defeat against Arizona, which faces Wisconsin for another Final Four spot. Mark Few's club leads the NCAA in field-goal percentage and flaunts tremendous size to combat Okafor.

It's time to acknowledge the Bulldogs as a legitimate team that will outlast the Blue Devils in a scoring slugfest.

Prediction: Gonzaga 79, Duke 76 

Note: Advanced statistics are courtesy of kenpom.com.