It’s a battle of Bulldogs as Gonzaga and Georgia meet for an NCAA tournament first-round bout Thursday afternoon in Wichita.
Gonzaga just won the West Coast Conference tournament to extend its NCAA tournament streak to 26 straight seasons. Georgia, on the other hand, played under .500 in the SEC this season and recently lost its first game in the SEC tournament.
However, the SEC and the WCC are two different animals at the moment.
Small-school Gonzaga is favored by a touchdown for this contest. Who do we like for our free NCAA tournament betting pick?
Game Information and Betting Lines
The NCAA tournament betting market opened Gonzaga at -6.5 over Georgia, with an over/under of right around 151. Both figures were holding steady in early betting action.
Team Season Performance Comparison
Georgia played 20-12 this season, 8-10 in SEC play, which was just enough to receive an invitation to the Big Dance for the first time since 2015. The Bulldogs started 12-1, with wins over NCAA tournament qualifiers St. John’s and Grand Canyon, the loss coming against Marquette. The ‘Dawgs then struggled through a 4-10 stretch as the tough SEC schedule took a toll. But with the season on the brink, Georgia won its last four games, including victories over Florida and Vanderbilt, to reach 20. The Bulldogs then lost their first game in the SEC tournament to Oklahoma 81-75.
As of early this week, Georgia was listed at around 80/1 to make the Final Four and 500/1 to win the national championship.
Meanwhile, Gonzaga played 25-8 this season, 14-4 in West Coast Conference action, and then won the WCC tournament. The Bulldogs started 7-1, with a win over San Diego State, then lost back-to-back games to Kentucky (in overtime) and Connecticut. The Zags later stumbled through a 2-3 stretch but finished with a 7-1 run, the loss coming against rival St. Mary’s, the eventual WCC regular-season champ. But Gonzaga got its revenge when it beat the Gaels in the conference tournament championship game 58-51.
As of early this week, the Zags were catching around 10/1 to make the Final Four and 45/1 to win this tournament.
Key Statistical Matchups
Georgia shot 46 percent from the field this season, while Gonzaga held opponents to 41 percent.
The Zags shot 50 percent from the floor (No. 2 in the country), while Georgia held foes to 41 percent.
Gonzaga owns a 20/9 assist/turnover ratio; Georgia is 13/13.
Strength of Schedule Analysis
Finally, according to Kenpom.com, the Zags played the No. 74 schedule in the country this season and the Dawgs No. 25.
Common Opponent Results
These teams played one common opponent this season; Kentucky. Back in December Gonzaga lost a crazy game in overtime to the Wildcats 90-89 in Seattle. One month later Georgia beat Kentucky 82-69.
Betting Trends and Angles
Georgia is 6-12 SU, 7-11 ATS this season against teams that made this NCAA tournament.
Gonzaga is 3-5, both SU and ATS vs. teams that made the tournament.
Totals Report
The Overs are 7-3 over Georgia’s last 10 games.
The Overs are 3-1 over Gonzaga’s last four games.
The Unders played 16-15-1 in the first round of the NCAA tournament last year.
