2015 Free Sweet 16 Picks: East Region Odds & Expert Predictions – March Madness Bracketology

2015 Free Sweet 16 Picks: East Region Odds & Expert Predictions – March Madness Bracketology: March Madness is known for its upsets, and the East Region of the 2015 March Madness Bracket has several Cinderella stories going for it. Top-seed Villanova and second-seeded Virginia have both been eliminated, leaving third-seeded Oklahoma as the top remaining seed. Of course, the region does have some big programs remaining with Louisville and Michigan State still alive, and after bouncing Villanova, eighth-seeded North Carolina State can’t be overlooked in this suddenly wide-open region.

2015 Sweet 16 East Region Matchup Previews

No. 8 North Carolina State vs. No. 4 Louisville: It hasn’t always been pretty for either team, but the Wolfpack and Cardinals have both found a way to reach the Sweet 16. Louisville is an elite defensive team, but the problem has been a wildly inconsistent offense. Meanwhile, North Carolina State has been flat out Jekyll and Hyde, losing to Wofford earlier in the year while easily beating Duke.

Overall, neither of these teams have been great offensively this year, especially when it comes to efficiency. That being said, the Cardinals do have two players that can take over a game on the offensive end in guard Terry Rozier and forward Montrezl Harrell. More importantly, they are by far the superior defensive team, ranking sixth in the country in defensive efficiency while the Wolfpack rank 132nd. Look for the Rick Pitino’s bunch to stifle North Carolina State’s already shaky offense while finding just enough offense to advance to the Elite Eight. You can view the latest 2015 March Madness Odds on the NC State vs Louisville game from Bovada Sportsbook.

2015 Sweet 16 East Region Projected Winner: Louisville

No. 7 Michigan State vs. No. 3 Oklahoma: Both sides are coming off hard-fought victories heading into their Sweet 16 showdown with the Sooners needing a late rally to edge 11th-seeded Dayton in the Round of 32 while the Spartans outlasted second-seeded Virginia in a grinder. Another close game is likely on tap between these two experienced teams, as neither side is dominant offensively but will get after opponents on the defensive end.

The battle between Oklahoma guard Buddy Hield and Michigan State guard Travis Trice will be crucial in deciding the outcome, and while neither player is an efficient scorer, both have proven they are willing to take and make big shots. The Sooners have been the slightly more balanced team on the offensive end, but Michigan State has the stronger secondary weapons in Denzel Valentine and Branden Dawson.

The Spartans also have the Tim Izzo factor working for them, and few active coaches have been as successful at preparing their teams for the gauntlet that is March Madness. Michigan State played a very tough schedule this season, and the Spartans have already stared down one of the country’s best teams, Virginia, and come away with the win. In a battle of teams that appear equal in several ways, Izzo tips the scale in favor of the Spartans.

2015 Sweet 16 East Region Projected Winner: Michigan State

2015 Sweet 16 East Region Favorite to Make the Final Four

Michigan State: I picked the Spartans to win the region prior to the start of the NCAA tournament, and my opinion certainly hasn’t changed now that the region has opened up even further. Year in and year out, Tom Izzo makes his teams face a brutal out-of-conference schedule, and every year, it seems like it brings out the best in his teams at the perfect time. The Spartans are once again hitting their stride just in time to make a run back to the Final Four. You can get even more March Madness picks for the March Madness games this week from NSAwins.com’s top handicapping experts.