Elite 8 2019: Updated Odds and Predictions for Sunday's NCAA Tournament Games

Half the Final Four field is already set, and the other two teams will punch their tickets to Minneapolis on Sunday. 

Three of the four teams in action are blue bloods of the sport. Michigan State, Duke and Kentucky have combined for 42 Final Four appearances. They're joined by Auburn, which is hoping to advance to the Final Four for the first time in program history. 

Here's a look at Sunday's schedule, followed by a quick breakdown and predictions for each game. 

Sunday's Elite Eight Schedule and Odds (All Times ET)

No. 5 Auburn vs. No. 2 Kentucky (-4.5), 2:20 p.m., CBS

No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 1 Duke (-2), 5:05 pm., CBS

Auburn vs. Kentucky

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The Auburn Tigers are the lone Cinderella story alive in the tournament, advancing to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1986, where they'll face conference rival Kentucky. The Wildcats won both regular-season meetings, but the games featured two wildly different storylines. 

In the first matchup at Auburn, the Tigers kept things interesting, before Kentucky pulled out an 82-80 victory. At Kentucky, however, the Wildcats trounced Auburn, 80-53. 

In Kentucky's blowout victory, it appeared to be the Wildcats defense that made the difference, as they held Auburn to just a 32.8 percent shooting mark from the field. That performance wasn't an outlier either, as Kentucky ranked 19th in the nation in opponents field-goal percentage. 

It's possible Auburn's home-court advantage gave the Tigers enough of an edge in the first matchup to keep the game close. But away from home, they were unable to match Kentucky's talent. With this game being played in Kansas City, and Kentucky's fans' reputation for traveling, chances are this will feel more like a road game for the Tigers. 

Prediction: Kentucky 84, Auburn 74

Michigan State vs. Duke

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From the time the brackets were released, this was the Elite Eight matchup many were anticipating. It's a battle worthy of the Final Four or even a Championship Game, and the winner may emerge as the favorite to cut down the nets. 

This matchup pits two talented but different squads against each other, which should make for an exciting game on the court. 

The difference in this battle could be three-point shooting, on which Michigan State appears to hold an edge. The Spartans rank 23rd in the nation in three-point percentage at 38.2 percent and have hit 10 or more three-pointers 10 times this season, including 13 in their Sweet 16 victory over LSU. 

Duke, which ranked 331st in three-point percentage, doesn't have much of a shooting game on offense. However, its defense has been stifling. Blue Devils opponents are shooting just 29.9 percent from three-point range this season. 

Because of Duke's poor three-point shooting of its own, when an opponent does get hot from behind the arc, the Blue Devils struggle to keep pace. When opponents hit 10 or more threes this season, Duke is just 3-3. 

So which side do you trust more, Duke's defense or Michigan State's shooting?

Momentum can change quickly in March, but right now it looks like Michigan State is the one to beat. Since the start of the Big Ten tournament, the Spartans are hitting an average of 8.2 three pointers per game while outscoring opponents by 12 points per game. 

Prediction: Michigan State 81, Duke 78