2015 NCAA Tournament Picks & Predictions: Round of 32 Sunday Upset Specials

2015 NCAA Tournament Picks & Predictions: Round of 32 Sunday Upset Specials: Half of the Sweet 16 is set in stone, but the Round of 32 isn’t over yet. There are eight more games on tap Sunday, and as is usually the case, the NCAA tournament has already featured several notable upsets, including top-seeded Villanova going down. As a result, many brackets are already in bad shape. On the plus side, there are still plenty of chances to make some money by betting on underdogs in single-game situations. With that in mind, here is a closer look at some of the teams in NCAA Tournament Bracket that could pull off an upset Sunday in the Round of 32.

South Region: No. 7 Iowa over No. 2 Gonzaga

Gonzaga rolls into the NCAA tournament with an offense that ranks 10th in scoring and first in field goal percentage, and the Bulldogs have a ton of firepower on the perimeter and in the paint. However, the Hawkeyes just took on another fast-paced, high-scoring team in Davidson, and all Iowa did was blow out the Wildcats 83-52. Granted, Gonzaga has better personnel than Davidson, and they have a lot more muscle inside, but the Hawkeyes are blessed with several skilled big men that allow them to hold their own in the paint and on the glass while creating mismatches for opposing defenses. Not to mention the fact that the Hawkeyes are finally playing up to their potential, winning seven of their last eight. The Bulldogs have struggled as the favorite in recent NCAA tournaments, and the trend could certainly continue against an Iowa team that is much more balanced than its overall record shows.

Check out 2015 NCAA Tournament Betting Odds from Bovada!

East Region: No. 7 Michigan State over No. 2 Virginia

Virginia deserves a lot of credit for winning the ACC regular season title, but the Cavaliers did lose two of their last three games heading into the NCAA tournament. Perhaps more importantly, they have been a shaky offensive team for much of the second half of the year. Yes, Virginia’s defense remains elite, but if there is one thing any Tom Izzo-coached team can do, it is win a low-scoring, physical grinder. Plus, the Spartans have been playing their best basketball of the season down the stretch, finishing 9-3 with two of those losses coming to Wisconsin. With out-of-conference games against Duke, Notre Dame and Kansas, Michigan State is as battle tested as any team in the NCAA tournament. The Spartans are hitting their stride at the perfect time, and they should have plenty of chances to pull off an upset over a Virginia team that doesn’t have the offensive firepower to pull away.

East Region: No. 5 Northern Iowa over No. 4 Louisville

The Cardinals squeaked out a win against UC Irvine in the Round of 64, and their path doesn’t get much easier Sunday as they prepare to face Northern Iowa. The Panthers are one of the best teams in the country at controlling pace, and more importantly, they are one of the best at creating and making high-percentage shots. On the flip side, Louisville struggles offensively and tries to compensate with a stingy defense that is able to create turnovers and scoring opportunities. If Northern Iowa plays its typical game, the Cardinals are going to have to generate most of their offense in the half court, which never seems to be easy for them. To top it off, the Panthers have an NBA-caliber player in Seth Tuttle to offset Louisville’s Montrezl Harrell. The Cardinals could be in trouble in this one.

Midwest Region: No. 7 Wichita State over No. 2 Kansas

If motivation alone could propel a team to victory, the Shockers would have no problem taking care of business against the Jayhawks. After all, Kansas has essentially been dodging Wichita State, refusing to schedule their in-state rivals during the regular season. Well, the Jayhawks can’t dodge this matchup, and Bill Self’s talented but inconsistent Kansas team is going to get all it can handle from Wichita State. The Shockers have a talented, experienced backcourt duo in Ron Baker and Fred VanFleet, and they should be able to attack a group of Kansas guards that have been hit and miss all year. Perhaps more importantly, the advantage that the Jayhawks should have up front will be lessened to a degree by the suspension of Cliff Alexander and a knee injury that has Perry Ellis playing at less than 100 percent. Throw in the fact that the Shockers’ roster is actually much more battle tested in March, and the Jayhawks need to be a on high alert in this one.