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March Madness 2015: Updated Tournament Odds and Complete Round of 64 Schedule

Published by Bleacher Report on Thu, 19 Mar 2015


Now that the four first-round games of the 2015 NCAA tournament in Dayton are over, the action is moving from a savory appetizer to the main course of 16 games jam-packing Thursday and Friday.From just after the passing of noon until around midnight over the next four days, March Madness will flood television sets as millions tune in to see how their teams and brackets fare. In that span, a whopping 48 of the 67 games to be played in this year's tournament will take place.Whether it's an elite squad getting into position for a deep run or a Cinderella program aiming for the same, everything about the tournament will begin to take shape during the second and third rounds. Here's what you need to know in order to avoid missing out.All Your Bracket EssentialsDownload the Printable BracketPlay the Free Bracket Challenge!Note: Odds courtesy of Odds SharkBest Round of 64 GamesNo. 8 N.C. State vs. No. 9 LSUTwo teams that played their way off the bubble late in the season will get a chance to seemingly play their way into a meeting with top-seeded Villanova, as the N.C. State Wolfpack and LSU Tigers square off for one of Thursday's best matchups.Head coach Mark Gottfried's Wolfpack have wins over Duke and North Carolina during the season and overcame a seventh-place finish in the ACC to make the tournament. The stellar play as of late from Anthony "Cat" Barber has been an X-factor, as Gottfried knows as well as anyone, per Scout.com site Pack Pride:Between Barber, Trevor Lacey and Ralston Turner, N.C. State boasts five star-studded guards that are capable of taking over games in a tournament setting. But they will have their hands full in the frontcourt in this second-round affair.That's because the Tigers boast one of the more formidable front lines in the entire field, with Jordan Mickey and Jarell Martin able to impact the game on both sides of the court. Each averages over 16 points and nine boards per game on the season and could be an unfamiliar test even for an ACC team, as Randy Rosetta ofThe (New Orleans) Times-Picayune noted:LSU would love to sit back and play this game in the half court, extending possessions and taking down the shot clock to keep the ball out of the hands of the Wolfpack's athletic guards. The Tigers have guard play from Keith Hornsby and Tim Quarterman capable of thwarting N.C. State, but not if both teams are running in transition during the second half.Given each team's strengths, the pace of play should determine a lot about who will advance Thursday night.No. 11 Texas vs. No. 6 ButlerThe President of the United States' seal of approval can prove to be unneeded pressure for some teams during March Madness, but being shunned by the head of state can put a chip on the shoulder of certain overlooked squads.U.S. President Barack Obama made his bracket picks with ESPN's Andy Katz following Selection Sunday, and one of his few upsets seemed to catch the eye of the Butler Bulldogs heading into their game with 11th-seeded Texas. Kirk Bohls of Austin American-Statesmanadded the following tidbit:To be fair, Butler has a right to be miffed about the situation. The Bulldogs enter tournament play as a No. 6 seed, but unlike many of the seasons in which Brad Stevens led Butler to the Big Dance, not much was expected of this year's team following a 4-14 season in Big East play in 2013-14.Amid a 22-10 record with big wins over North Carolina and St. John's in this year's campaign, Butler has proven its worth with strong guard play from Kellen Dunham and Roosevelt Jones.But it's also worth taking into account what Obama saw with his pick of the Longhorns. Texas nearly played its way out of the tournament, but few opponents can come close to matching the athleticism and size of Rick Barnes' squad.But having the better athletes doesn't necessarily mean a win, as The Indianapolis Star's Gregg Doyel pondered:There is a difference, and you'll see that difference Thursday in Pittsburgh when Texas looks so physically and athletically superior, and yet Butler looks like it actually knows what to do. Does that mean Butler wins' Tough call.Teams with polar-opposite strengths matching up is what makes March Madness special, and there won't be many games in which that phenomena is stronger than in Thursday's meeting between Texas and Butler.
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