March Madness 2018: Updated Bracket, Championship Odds Ahead of Sweet 16

The opening weekend of the 2018 NCAA tournament is officially in the books, and oh, how the mighty have fallen.

For the first time in men's March Madness history, a No. 1 seed lost in the first round. But Virginia isn't the only No. 1 seed out of the tournament, as fellow top seed Xavier was also sent packing after losing to Florida State in the second round.

Throw in other eliminated teams such as North Carolina, Michigan State, Cincinnati and Tennessee, it's clear that this tournament is there for the taking for any team.

The Sweet 16 is approaching, so let's hope that the chaos continues.

Sweet 16 TV Schedule

Thursday, March 22

No. 7 Nevada vs. No. 11 Loyola-Chicago (7:07 p.m., CBS)

No. 3 Michigan vs. No. 7 Texas A&M (7:27 p.m., TBS)

No. 5 Kentucky vs. No. 9 Kansas State (9:37 p.m., CBS)

No. 4 Gonzaga vs. No. 9 Florida State (9:59 p.m., TBS)

Friday, March 23

No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 5 Clemson (7:07 p.m., CBS)

No. 1 Villanova vs. No. 5 West Virginia (7:27 p.m., TBS)

No. 2 Duke vs. No. 11 Syracuse (9:37 p.m., CBS)

No. 2 Purdue vs. No. 3 Texas Tech (9:59 p.m., TBS)

Odds to Win National Championship (via OddsShark)

Villanova (+500; bet $100 to win $500)

Duke (+540)

Kansas (+900)

Michigan (+1000)

Kentucky (+1000)

Gonzaga (+1100)

Purdue (+2000)

Texas Tech (+3000)

West Virginia (+3300)

Texas A&M (+10000)

Clemson (+12500)

Florida State (+15000)

Loyola-Chicago (+17500)

Nevada (+19000)

Kansas State (+23000)

Syracuse (+40000)

Teams to Watch

Villanova

Rob Carr/Getty Images

As only one of two No. 1 seeds left in the NCAA tournament, it's not a mystery that the Wildcats are the favorite to win the national championship this year.

After all, Villanova's road to another title just got a whole lot easier. With the likes of Virginia, Michigan State and UNC out of the tournament, the field of legitimate contenders (on paper, anyway) has gotten a lot smaller. After Villanova, the only other top seed is an inconsistent Kansas Jayhawk team that was nearly eliminated by an experienced Seton Hall squad in the second round.

Going up against No. 5 Clemson in the Sweet 16, Kansas could have its hands full. But hey, so could Villanova.

The Wildcats have a date against one of the dark horses of the tournament in No. 5 West Virginia, a team that has defeated the likes of former No. 1 Virginia during the regular season.

West Virginia's full-court press and aggressive style of play could cause a team like Villanova fits, but if the Wildcats can get past West Virginia unscathed, the road to the Final Four becomes a lot easier. 

Duke

Keith Srakocic/Associated Press

It's usually a safe bet to put money on Duke to make it through to the Sweet 16, but this year's team has been wildly inconsistent despite its talent.

The No. 2 seed Blue Devils have, admittedly, looked impressive through the first two rounds of the tournament. Led by senior Grayson Allen and freshman phenom Marvin Bagley, Duke is now one of the favorites to win it all especially now that Michigan State is out of their region.

A date with fellow ACC opponent No. 11 Syracuse is no easy task, but it's a winnable game for the Blue Devils, who have already beaten Syracuse this season back in February in a 60-44 victory.

Gifted with an easy route to the Final Four, the Blue Devils could be a betting favorite moving forward.

Loyola-Chicago

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

No one expected Loyola-Chicago to make it this far, and not many expect this No. 11 seed to advance to the Elite 8.

But isn't this what makes March Madness so great?

Loyola-Chicago is the Cinderella team of this year's tournament now that University of Maryland, Baltimore County is out of the Big Dance. In Loyola-Chicago's way is, arguably, the easiest team that they will have faced so far in this year's tournament in No. 7 Nevada, the Wolf Pack have been just as surprising and entertaining as any team over this past opening weekend.

Can Loyola-Chicago win it all? It's doubtful, but it's fun to imagine. With +17500 going into the Sweet 16, they're a team that could make you a lot of money if you have enough faith in a Cinderella story.