Final Four 2015: Bracket Predictions, Updated Tournament Odds Advice

An entire season of college basketball has now boiled down to just three games. The Final Four will decide which two programs play for the national championship and which two teams head home brokenhearted.

Well, maybe not completely brokenhearted. Each team did make it to the Final Four, which means a banner will be hung in each gym. But getting this close only to have the trophy ripped away can be earth-shattering for young players.

Kentucky's core players know all about that emotional roller coaster. The Wildcats made a miraculous run to the final showdown last year, and they don't plan to fall short this year.

Prior to the Final Four firing up, here's a look at the full schedule, odds and a breakdown of the matchups.

Date	Matchup	Time (ET)	TV	Prediction
April 4	Duke (-4.5) vs. Michigan State	6:09 p.m.	TBS	Duke
April 4	Kentucky (-6) vs. Wisconsin	8:49 p.m.	TBS	Kentucky

Final Four Breakdown

The first game pits two of the most illustrious coaches in the game against one another. When it comes to March, both Tom Izzo and Mike Krzyzewski have been historically great at getting to this point.

Coach K and Izzo have a combined 19 Final Four appearances and five national titles between them. However, Izzo has cashed in on just one of his seven opportunities by cutting down the nets at the end. It's also familiar territory for Duke against a No. 6 seed or lower, as ESPN College Basketball notes:

"

As a 1 seed, Duke has never lost to a team seeded sixth or worse. 7-seed Michigan State looks to buck that trend. pic.twitter.com/sfM7bWey1W

— ESPN College BBall (@ESPNCBB) March 30, 2015"

First of all, 33 games as a No. 1 seed against a lower seed? Good grief. Secondly, Coach K has typically gotten that job done with a complete team of stars. This year is no exception, with myriad freshmen and a senior leader in Quinn Cook.

Even with three frosh that are projected in the first round by CBS Sports, Jahlil Okafor is the clear centerpiece. The 6'11" center has struggled recently with a combined 15 points in the last two games, but he's still a dominant presence inside for the Blue Devils on both ends of the floor.

Chad Ford of ESPN passed along his thoughts on the big man, via Mike & Mike:

That opinion might change, but who knows. But with Okafor down low and the likes of Justise Winslow, Tyus Jones and Cook taking over, Michigan State's run will come to an end against Duke.

Following Duke's triumph, Kentucky will look to continue its run to an undefeated season. Just like last season, the Wildcats will face the Badgers in the Final Four to seal a berth in the title game.

What that means is another showdown with Frank Kaminsky, who has only gotten better since last year. That improvement led to Kaminsky earning CBS Sports' 2015 Player of the Year honor:

Along with Kaminsky, the Badgers also feature the tandem of Nigel Hayes and Sam Dekker to battle Kentucky's potent lineup. Hayes has been solid, but it's Dekker's average of 21.8 points that has made Wisconsin so deadly in the tournament.

Unfortunately, it won't be enough for the tanks that Kentucky plans on rolling out. Despite the narrow win against Notre Dame, Kentucky will be fresh by the end of the game and pull away from Wisconsin.

With Willie Cauley-Stein and Karl-Anthony Towns leading the way, the Wildcats will match up perfectly with the Blue Devils in the championship game. In a similar battle to the one Kentucky faced last season, it should lead to a memorable showdown. It might also serve as vindication for Kentucky years after "The Shot" in 1992.

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