Sweet 16 2019: Updated Bracket, Schedule and Odds for 2019 NCAA Tournament

The favorites have ruled the 2019 NCAA men's basketball tournament through two rounds. 

Instead of the witnessing madness, we observed plenty of dominant performances from the programs who were favored in the eyes of the oddsmakers. 

The competition begins to get tougher in the Sweet 16, as all four regions have their top three seeds left in the bracket. 

For the eight matchups taking place Thursday and Friday, the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds are favored by the odds, and it's hard to argue against that decision given how the tournament has played out. 

2019 NCAA Tournament Bracket

Sweet 16 Schedule

Sweet 16 Odds

Can Every Favorite Win For 2nd-Straight Round? 

The favored teams won every game straight up in the second round, and given how well the favorites have played so far, it's not out of the question for the trend to continue into the Sweet 16. 

All of the favorites for Thursday and Friday's games are No. 1 or No. 2 seeds, with top seeds Duke, Gonzaga and Virginia possessing the biggest spreads. 

While the eight favorites are more than capable of winning, the level of competition in the Sweet 16 is more even than it was in the second round. 

Recent history also suggests some lower seeds could win, as Florida State defeated Gonzaga at this stage a year ago and Virginia Tech downed Duke in the regular season. 

The Seminoles returned the majority of the squad that knocked off Mark Few's Bulldogs in 2018, including Terance Mann, Phil Cofer and Mfiondu Kabengele. 

Jae Hong/Associated Press

As for Virginia Tech, it beat Duke without Zion Williamson, but it was also missing its biggest star in Justin Robinson. 

If the Hokies are able to get similar production out of Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Kerry Blackshear Jr. that they received in the win over Duke, Buzz Williams' team has a three-pronged offensive attack that could challenge Duke. 

Virginia Tech should also take some defensive tips from UCF's second-round game plan in order to stifle the effectiveness of the Blue Devils, especially from three-point range. 

If you look at some of the other matchups, there are a few underdogs capable of riding their biggest star to an upset win.

Texas Tech's Jarrett Culver, Purdue's Carsen Edwards, Houston's Corey Davis and LSU's Tremont Waters are all able to take over games by themselves, and they could do plenty of damage to the collection of No. 2 seeds. 

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

Purdue and Texas Tech could have more backers than the other underdogs since the lines on their respective games sit at one point. 

In addition to Culver, the Red Raiders have a pair of efficient guards in Davide Moretti and Matt Mooney who could outplay Michigan's stable of experienced backcourt players. 

While Edwards will receive the bulk of the attention from the Tennessee defense, the Boilermakers are far from a one-man show on offense, as Matt Haarms and Ryan Cline can also wreak havoc on the Volunteers. 

Then there's Oregon, who should be the favored upset pick because of its recent play and the negative perception that still haunts Virginia. 

The Ducks aren't playing like a typical No. 12 seed, and before Bol Bol went down with a season-ending injury, they were considered to be a program capable of making a deep run in March. 

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

As a 7.5-point underdog, you should feel comfortable betting on the Ducks to either win straight up, or play the Cavaliers close to the final buzzer. 

While all of the upset options appear intriguing, the last NCAA tournament to go to chalk this much remained that way in the Sweet 16. 

In 2009, six No. 1 and No. 2 seeds advanced to the Elite Eight, with the only two upsets coming from No. 3 seeds. 

The chalk broke in the Elite Eight, as one No. 2 seed and a No. 3 seed advanced to the Final Four, but since 2019 is turning into a mirror image of 2009, it might be a good idea to keep riding with the favorites for one more round. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.