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The No. 8 seed Gonzaga Bulldogs (25-8) and the No. 9 seed Georgia Bulldogs (20-12) meet Thursday at INTRUST Bank Arena in an NCAA Tournament Midwest Region first-round game in Wichita, Kansas. Tip-off is scheduled for approximately 4:35 p.m. ET (TBS) Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Gonzaga vs. Georgia odds, and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions.
We’ve grown accustomed to Gonzaga having a much higher seed in recent seasons. In fact, its No. 8 seed is the lowest since it was an 11-seed in 2016. It won 2 games in the NCAA Tournament, going to the Sweet 16 that season, before bowing out. Gonzaga has lofty standards, and it has won at least 2 games in each of the past 9 NCAA Tournaments it has appeared.
While this team might not be as dominant as usual, it still has star power. F Graham Ike averaged a team-best 17.1 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, while G Khalif Battle averaged 13.2 PPG. G Nolan Hickman chipped in with 11.0 PPG and a sparkling 43.6% shooting percentage from behind the arc, while G Ryan Nembhard had 10.8 PPG to go along with a team-best 9.8 assists per game.
Gonzaga enters the NCAA Tournament on a heater, winning 9 of its past 10 games, including a 58-51 victory over the Saint Mary’s Gaels in the WCC Tournament title game. Gonzaga is a healthy 5-2 against the spread (ATS) in the past 7 games, too.
For Georgia, it is one of a record 14 SEC teams to make the field of 68. The Dawgs spent some time in the rankings, but tumbled out after a 4-game losing skid from Jan. 15-25. Of course, all 4 of those losses were against top-tier SEC teams Arkansas, Auburn, Florida and Tennessee.
It all starts with F Asa Newell on offense, as he was good for team highs of 15.3 PPG and 6.8 RPG. UGA doesn’t have the depth of Gonzaga, but G Silas Demary is a nice secondary scoring option with 13.4 PPG and a decent 37.6% mark from behind the 3-point line.
Georgia won its final 4 regular-season games, while covering the final 5 outings. However, it was quickly dispatched in the SEC Tournament by fellow 9-seed the Oklahoma Sooners, falling 81-75 as a 3.5-point favorite as the Over (146.5) cashed. The Over is 5-2 in the past 7 for UGA.
– Rankings: USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll
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Georgia vs. Gonzaga odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday at 11:19 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Gonzaga -285 (bet $285 to win $100) | Georgia +230 (bet $100 to win $230)
- Against the spread (ATS): Gonzaga -6.5 (-110) | Georgia +6.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 149.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
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Georgia vs. Gonzaga picks and predictions
Prediction
Gonzaga 76, Georgia 72
Moneyline
Gonzaga (-285) will cost you nearly 3 times your potential return. While the Zags have won at least 2 games in the NCAA Tournament in 9 straight appearances, you can’t risk this much for such a small return.
AVOID, and look to the spread instead.
Against the spread
GEORGIA +6.5 (-110) is worth a look catching more than 3 buckets.
The SEC was stout this season, and the Dawgs did a good job covering the spread lately. They covered 5 of the past 6 games, including an outright win over the No. 1 seed Florida Gators in Athens on Feb. 25 (88-83).
Gonzaga -6.5 (-110) is on a decent run itself, going 5-2 ATS in the past 7 games. The Zags are just 3-3 ATS in the past 6 first-round games, however.
Over/Under
UNDER 149.5 (-105) is the lean, but go with a half-unit play most.
While the Over is 5-2 in the past 7 games for Georgia, those 2 Under have happened in the past 3 outings.
Gonzaga has hit the Over at a 3-1 clip in the past 4 games, but the Under is 7-4 across the past 11 outings.
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