NCAA Bracket 2016: Odds and Predictions for Sweet 16 Showdowns

With the NCAA tournament's peak madness out of the way, the Sweet 16 schedule will replace a quantity of chaos with higher-quality basketball.

The first two rounds offered everything fans love about the game. Improbable upsets. Impossible rallies. Last-second miracles. Regular shots of jubilant fans dancing and downtrodden viewers covering their mouths in dismay.

Then again, it takes a ton of ugly mistakes to squander a sizable lead with under a minute remaining. These 16 squads are too good to suffer such a meltdown, and that's probably a good thing. Let's look at the updated bracket's schedule and odds, courtesy of Odds Shark, entering the Sweet 16.

Bracket

Sweet 16 Odds and Predictions

Date	Matchup	Time (ET)	Odds	Prediction
Thu, 3/24	No. 2 Villanova vs. No. 3 Miami	7:10 p.m.	NOVA -4	74-66 Villanova
Thu, 3/24	No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 3 Texas A&M	7:37 p.m.	OKLA -2	64-61 Oklahoma
Thu, 3/24	No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 5 Maryland	9:40 p.m.	KU -6.5	73-64 Kansas
Thu, 3/24	No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 4 Duke	9:55 p.m.	ORE -3	76-69 Oregon
Fri, 3/25	No. 1 Virginia vs. No. 4 Iowa State	7:10 p.m.	UVA -5	68-65 Virginia
Fri, 3/25	No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 7 Wisconsin	7:27 p.m.	ND -1	67-66 Wisconsin
Fri, 3/25	No. 10 Syracuse vs. No. 11 Gonzaga	9:40 p.m.	GONZ -4.5	66-59 Gonzaga
Fri, 3/25	No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 5 Indiana	9:57 p.m.	UNC -5	76-74 Indiana

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Check out Bleacher Report's live updating bracket to track your picks along the road to the Final Four. 

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Villanova vs. Miami

Frank Franklin II/Associated Press

Villanova finally escaped the opening weekend. 

Following consecutive early exits, the Wildcats pummeled Iowa to cement their first Sweet 16 appearance since 2009, when they advanced into the Final Four. An 87-68 victory over Iowa, during which they shot 59.2 percent from the floor, made a believer out of ESPN's Jeff Goodman:

Per KenPom.com, they're one of four teams (No. 1 seeds Virginia, Kansas and North Carolina) with a top-10 adjusted offense and defense. The title contender could stare down Kansas in a monolithic Elite Eight bout, but it first must overcome the Miami Hurricanes.

Despite needing a First Four win to earn a spot as a No. 11 seed, Wichita State still entered the weekend a popular pick to reach the Sweet 16 and beyond. Miami, however, squashed those aspirations behind a career-high 28 points from Angel Rodriguez. 

Charles Krupa/Associated Press

The senior guard hadn't scored 20 points in a game this season before tallying 24 against Buffalo and 28 against the Shockers. Hurricanes head coach Jim Larranaga told USA Today's Chris Korman that his star strives when the stakes rise.

“His biggest challenge is he needs competition,” Larranaga said. “When the competition is at its highest, he's at his best."

It makes for a captivating story. An overlooked, undersized guard (5'11") carries his overlooked team during his final run. It also, however, is a tale with an upcoming expiration date. Expecting another career game from someone averaging 12.4 points per contest is a lot to ask, especially against a well-rounded, guard-heavy powerhouse like Villanova.

Prediction: Villanova 74, Miami 66

Oregon vs. Duke

Michael Dwyer/Associated Press

Forgive any skeptics not sold on Duke. The Blue Devils are still dancing, but only after a seven-point win over No. 13 UNC Wilmington and an eight-point victory over No. 12 Yale, which slashed a 27-point deficit to as little as three.

Duke fended off Yale's rallies, but not without revealing some glaring weaknesses. Without a true point guard to handle the rock, the Blue Devils wilted against the Bulldogs' pressure and zone defense. 

John Canzano of the Oregonian envisioned Oregon—which has generated 7.3 steals per contest—as a nightmarish matchup:

Oregon, however, hasn't enjoyed smooth sailing, either. The Ducks didn't look like a No. 1 seed entering the tournament, and they struggled playing the part against Saint Joseph's. They salvaged a second-round victory over the Hawks despite shooting 6-of-24 from behind the arc and tallying only six assists.

Duke also boasts a potential No. 1 NBA draft pick in freshman Brandon Ingram, who has scored at least 20 points in both tournament victories. ESPN Stats & Info measured his early success for the prestigious program:

The Blue Devils will need another tremendous showing from Ingram to stick around, but that still may not prove enough. Dillon Brooks and Co. can hold their own offensively, and an aggressive defense will flummox Duke's volatile unit into costly mistakes to triumph.

Prediction: Oregon 76, Duke 69

Wisconsin vs. Notre Dame

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

In terms of KenPom.com's team ratings, Wisconsin (No. 31) and Notre Dame (No. 34) are the two worst schools standing. Yet they each flex a significant strength to pit against the other's forte.

Notre Dame's No. 7 adjusted offense takes on Wisconsin, ranked No. 11 in adjusted defense on KenPom.com. They have both held true to those reputations. Notre Dame survived a 76-75 shootout over Stephen F. Austin in the second round, while Wisconsin began the tournament by registering 47 points against Pittsburgh and living to tell about it.

During the last two tournaments, the Fighting Irish have participated in four thrillers decided by four points or fewer. Head coach Mike Brey discussed his squad's flair for suspense with CBSSports.com's Matt Norlander. 

"Remember when they told Rocky, 'Give 'em a good show'? We're a good show," Brey said. "We're in dramatic games, we've won most of them, and I don't know what it is. I just love the fact that, in dramatic games with high energy, we really believe we can finish, and that's a great trait to have."

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

The Badgers have also kept things interesting, downing Pittsburgh by two before Bronson Koenig ousted Xavier with a buzzer-beating three on Sunday evening. In order to secure an improbable Elite Eight bid, they must dictate a slow tempo to keep the Fighting Irish well below their 75.7-point scoring average.

This has all the makings of another tight finish. In fact, FiveThirtyEight equates it to a coin flip, awarding each side a 50 percent win probability.

There's no quit in either side, but another gutsy performance will still leave one team short of victory. With Wisconsin's elite defense neutralizing Notre Dame's sterling offense, Nigel Hayes and Ethan Happ give the Badgers the narrow edge with strong showings down low.

Prediction: Wisconsin 67, Notre Dame 66