Sweet 16 2018: Updated Bracket, Schedule and Odds for 2018 NCAA Tournament

Following up a weekend in which surprises happened at every turn is going to be difficult, but there's plenty of intrigue surrounding the Sweet 16.

While there isn't the volume of games like the first and second rounds of the NCAA men's basketball tournament, Thursday and Friday's contests possess a good amount of intriguing individual showdowns.

Experienced powerhouse programs like Kansas, Duke and Villanova headline the field, but there are a few teams worth keeping your eye on entering the Sweet 16.

Although there won't be a large number of unexpected results, we should see a few challengers to the higher seeds across four regional sites.

Sweet 16 Schedule (Odds via OddsShark)

Thursday, March 22

No. 7 Nevada (-2) vs. No. 11 Loyola-Chicago (7:07 p.m., CBS)

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

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

No. 4 Gonzaga (-6.5) vs. No. 9 Florida State (9:59 p.m., TBS)

Friday, March 23

No. 1 Kansas (-4) vs. No. 5 Clemson (7:07 p.m., CBS)

No. 1 Villanova (-4.5) vs. No. 5 West Virginia (7:27 p.m., TBS)

No. 2 Duke (-11.5) vs. No. 11 Syracuse (9:37 p.m., CBS)

No. 2 Purdue (-1.5) vs. No. 3 Texas Tech (9:59 p.m., TBS)

All Times ET.

Michigan-Texas A&M Will Be Best Game of Sweet 16

Some may have thought No. 3 Michigan received a break with No. 2 North Carolina losing to No. 7 Texas A&M in the round of 32, but that's far from the case.

The opening game at Staples Center Thursday night should give us the best matchup of the Sweet 16 because of the battle down low between Michigan's Moritz Wagner and the Texas A&M duo of Robert Williams and Tyler Davis.

Wagner was the star of Michigan's run to the Big Ten tournament title; he has put together a trio of double-doubles since the start of February.

In the second-round victory over No. 6 Houston, Wagner totaled 12 points and seven rebounds, as he bounced back from a brutal night against No. 14 Montana in the first round, a game every Wolverines fan has already forgotten.

Against Houston, Wagner received help from all around the lineup on the boards, as the Wolverines hauled in 38 rebounds, 10 of which came on the offensive glass.

John Beilein's team is going to have to do an even better job rebounding Thursday, with Davis and Williams in incredible form.

The frontcourt duo, who both average over nine rebounds per game, earned three more rebounds than No. 10 Providence did as a team in the round of 64, as they had a 29-26 advantage.

The story was similar in the round of 32, as Davis and Williams pulled down 22 of the Aggies' 50 rebounds, and the SEC team won the rebounding battle by 14.

Davis and Williams' performances in the first weekend of the Big Dance put validity behind the early-season hype surrounding the Aggies, but they weren't able to put it all together on a consistent basis during the regular season.

Jeff Gross/Getty Images

With both teams storming into Thursday with a head of steam, we could be in store for a battering-ram clash in the frontcourt, while the collection of guards on each roster knocks down plenty of key shots.

Whichever team comes out on top has a legitimate chance to knock off No. 4 Gonzaga in the Elite 8, but it'll enter Saturday as the more tired of the two teams since the Bulldogs should take care of business against No. 9 Florida State.

Don't Sleep on Clemson

While everyone was oozing praise over the performances of No. 1 Villanova and No. 2 Duke, and the rest of the nation paid close attention to upsets, No. 5 Clemson put together a pair of impressive showings in San Diego.

Brad Brownell's Tigers earned their first trip to the Sweet 16 since 1997 with a pair of double-digit wins over No. 12 New Mexico State and No. 4 Auburn, the latter of which was a 31-point shellacking.

Four different Clemson players eclipsed double digits in points in the victory over Auburn, with Gabe DeVoe's 22 points leading the way.

Bob Leverone/Associated Press/Associated Press

Clemson cleaned up on the boards with 50 rebounds, and it wasn't shy about distributing the ball around on offense, with 19 assists.

Those numbers must remain at the same levels in order for the Tigers to have a chance of knocking off No. 1 Kansas.

The Tigers have a frontcourt presence in Elijah Thomas who could take advantage of Kansas' lack of depth in the paint. If Thomas works well against Udoka Azubuike from the start, the Tigers will have a go-to man down low to set up balance with the play on the perimeter.

Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

Of course, the Tigers are going to face their toughest task of the tournament in defending Kansas' senior guards, but they've had plenty of preparation for a challenge like that from their ACC schedule.

Clemson split the regular-season series with North Carolina and its experienced backcourt, and it played Virginia tight in the ACC tournament semifinals.

The one concern you could have about the Tigers is their performance on the road, as the only key win on their travels came at Ohio State in nonconference play.

With a pro-Kansas crowd surrounding them in Omaha, the Tigers must be able to absorb the runs made by the Jayhawks in order to play their game and challenge the top-seeded team in the Midwest.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.