Elite 8 2018: Updated Odds and Predictions for Sunday's NCAA Tournament Games

Sunday's Elite Eight games provide a rare chance in the 2018 NCAA men's basketball tournament for the marquee programs of the sport to shine.

In a competition dominated by Cinderella stories, No. 1 Villanova, No. 1 Kansas and No. 2 Duke have been left out of the spotlight a bit.

Jay Wright's Wildcats open Sunday's two-game slate with a clash against No. 3 Texas Tech, while Kansas and Duke collide in a showdown to conclude the Elite Eight.

Some of the nation's top players are on display Sunday, as Jalen Brunson, Devonte' Graham and Marvin Bagley III headline a collection of superstars hungry to lead their respective teams to the Final Four.

Sunday's two winners head to San Antonio to join No. 3 Michigan and No. 11 Loyola-Chicago in Saturday's Final Four.

Sunday's Elite 8 Schedule (Odds via OddsShark)

No. 1 Villanova (-6.5) vs. No. 3 Texas Tech (2:20 p.m., CBS) 

No. 1 Kansas (-3) vs. No. 2 Duke (5:05 p.m., CBS)

All Times ET

Predictions

Villanova

Villanova displayed a bit of weakness against its first Big 12 opponent of the NCAA tournament Friday, as it experienced difficulty with No. 5 West Virginia's press.

Although it took the Wildcats a while to find a rhythm, they managed to knock down 13 three-pointers to pull away with a 90-78 victory.

Regular contributors Brunson and Mikal Bridges stepped up in the second half, but so did forward Omari Spellman, who hit four three-pointers in an 18-point performance.

Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Spellman is going to be Villanova's X-factor once again Sunday, as he throws a skill set at the Red Raiders they rarely saw this season.

The Villanova forward displayed Friday that he's able to spread out opposing defenses with his shooting from beyond the arc in addition to the dominant paint play he provides a guard-heavy lineup.

While Texas Tech contains the guards capable of matching Villanova's production from three-point range, it doesn't have a threatening post player like Spellman faced in West Virginia's Sagaba Konate.

In the Sweet 16 win over Purdue, Norense Odiase, Tommy Hamilton IV and Zach Smith combined for 19 points and nine rebounds against a frontcourt occupied by seven-footer Matt Haarms.

Spellman and Eric Paschall should be able to outplay the Texas Tech frontcourt trio over 40 minutes, which leaves it up to the Villanova guards to finish off the victory.

Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

As we've seen throughout the season, the Wildcats' backcourt is as deadly and versatile as they come.

Even if Keenan Evans shuts down Brunson, Villanova has Bridges, Phil Booth and Donte DiVencenzo willing to step up and hit big shots.

With its overwhelming offense controlling the pace from the jump, Villanova moves on to its second Final Four in three seasons.

Duke

There's so much to love about Sunday's second Elite Eight matchup between Kansas and Duke. 

The Midwest region final is a clash of Kansas' experience with Duke's youth, and it brings together two of the most successful head coaches in the nation in Kansas' Bill Self and Duke's Mike Krzyzewski. 

The guard battle is going to be fascinating to watch, as Jayhawks seniors Graham and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk combine with Malik Newman and Lagerald Vick to cause all sorts of problems to the Duke freshmen. 

Conversely, the Blue Devils have Grayson Allen, Trevon Duval and Gary Trent Jr. leading the charge as a nice complement to Bagley and Wendell Carter Jr. in the paint. 

Bagley and Carter should be the difference-makers in the contest, as they use their athleticism to get around Udoka Azubuike for a few early baskets. 

If the Duke forwards get Azubuike into foul trouble in the first half, it could dominate down low, as the talent level drops a bit when you reach Mitch Lightfoot and Silvio De Sousa on the Kansas depth chart. 

Although Lightfoot and De Sousa are solid players in their own right, they don't possess the otherworldly talent Bagley and Carter have. 

Keith Srakocic/Associated Press

Even with Azubuike in the game, it's going to be hard for Kansas to stop Duke, as Bagley and Carter have been on a tear in March.

Bagley scored 22 points in each of his first three March Madness games, and he failed to reach the 20-point mark once since March began, and that was a 19-point outing against North Carolina in the ACC tournament semifinals.

Carter, who hit double digits in points in three of his last four games, is coming off one of the best games of his collegiate career, as he recorded his first double-double since February 24 against Syracuse.

As long as Bagley and Carter clean up on the glass and deny Kansas a ton of second-chance opportunities, Duke will be in position to bury the Jayhawks with a few clutch three-pointers, which will most likely come from Allen.

While you could argue Duke's inexperienced roster could hurt it Sunday, Krzyzewski makes up for that with his 12-2 record in Elite Eight games, while Self is 2-7, per Luke DeCock of the News and Observer:

With an advantage in pure talent on the court, and in the coaching department, Duke advances to the Final Four for the first time since 2015, when it won the national championship.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.