Big South Tournament: Gardner-Webb vs. UNC Asheville odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s Gardner-Webb vs. UNC Asheville odds and lines, with college basketball expert picks, predictions and best bets.

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The Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs (17-15) and UNC Asheville Bulldogs (21-11) meet Saturday in the Big South Tournament semifinals at Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena in High Point, N.C. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Below, we analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines around the Gardner-Webb vs. UNC Asheville odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and best bets.

The 3-seed Runnin’ Bulldogs held off 6-seed Presbyterian in the quarterfinals with a 61-60 win, while the Blue Hose picked up the cover as 6-point underdogs as the Under (143.5) cashed. Gardner-Webb has won 4 in a row, and it is still 5-2 against the spread (ATS) in the past 7 games while cashing the Under in 3 straight.

The 2-seed Bulldogs ousted 7-seed Charleston Southern 60-55, although they came nowhere near the cover as 12.5-point favorites as the Under (141.5) connected. UNCA has won just twice in the past 4 outings, including a 78-77 home loss to Gardner-Webb as a 6.5-point favorite Feb. 24 as the Over (153.5) cashed.

Gardner-Webb also won 80-73 as a 2-point favorite in Boiling Springs in the 1st meeting Jan. 31 as the total (153) pushed at most shops.

– Rankings courtesy of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.

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Gardner-Webb vs. UNC Asheville odds

Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 7 a.m. ET.

  • Moneyline (ML): Gardner-Webb +116 (bet $100 to win $116) | UNC Asheville -140 (bet $140 to win $100)
  • Against the spread: Gardner-Webb +2.5 (-110) | UNC Asheville -2.5 (-110)
  • Over/Under (O/U): 149.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)

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Gardner-Webb vs. UNC Asheville picks and predictions

Prediction

Gardner-Webb 79, UNC Asheville 75

Moneyline

GARDNER-WEBB (+116) is a solid play as short ‘dogs in this semifinals matchup. The Runnin’ Bulldogs have been a major thorn in the side of UNC Asheville (-140) this season.

UNCA isn’t playing very well lately, posting just 2 wins in the past 4 outings, and it was swept by Gardner-Webb. The Runnin’ Bulldogs have picked up 7 wins in the past 10 meetings, too.

Against the spread

GARDNER-WEBB +2.5 (-110) is worth a look catching the points in a potentially close battle. UNC Asheville -2.5 (-110) had a rough time against Charleston Southern, and it is just 2-4 ATS in the past 6 outings.

On the flip side, the Runnin’ Bulldogs have cashed in 5 of the previous 7 contests, with Gardner-Webb sweeping the regular-season series.

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Over/Under

OVER 149.5 (-110) is the lean in this Big South Tournament battle. We had the Over cash by 1.5 points at most shops in the most recent meeting in Asheville Feb. 24, and the total pushed at most shops in the 1st meeting Jan. 31.

Be careful, though, as Gardner-Webb has hit the Under in 3 in a row, including just 121 combined points with a total of 143.5 in the quarters.

UNCA has hit the Under in 5 of the past 7 games, too, although, again, 1 of those Over results came against GW Feb. 24.

Get ready, North Carolina!
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South Carolina Upstate hit a (nearly) buzzer-beating 3-pointer to stay alive in Big South tournament

Gardner-Webb went from covering a four-point spread to losing at the buzzer in just 10 seconds.

South Carolina State’s hopes of making the NCAA Tournament as an automatic qualifier remain alive.

The four-seeded Spartans advanced to the semifinal in the Big South men’s basketball tournament in dramatic fashion on Friday, taking down five-seeded Gardner-Webb on a go-ahead three-point shot with just 0.1 seconds to play.

USC Upstate survived despite trailing by five points with just 10 seconds to play in one of our first tastes of March Madness in 2023. To make matters worse for anyone who potentially bet on the Bulldogs, they were a four-point favorite in this one.

To go from winning and covering to losing outright in the final 10 seconds? Brutal.

It’s hard to sum that up any better than Upstate coach Dave Dickerson did after the game.

We’re all wondering the same thing.

To keep their postseason hopes alive, the Spartans will have to knock off top-seeded UNC Asheville, which sits at 25-7 on the season, in Saturday’s semifinal round.

Feature image courtesy of ESPN

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