Published Mar 18, 4:08pm ET by
Gabriel Kozlow - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Mar 18, 4:08pm ET
Updated Mar 18, 4:08pm ET
The Saint Louis Billikens will face the Georgia Bulldogs in a classic No. 8 vs. No. 9 seed matchup in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Historically, No. 9 seeds have won about 51% of the time, making this game essentially a coin flip.
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| GEORGIA BULLDOGS | -148 |
| SAINT LOUIS BILLIKENS | +124 |
This will be the first-ever meeting between these two teams; however, the Billikens are in a good position to potentially steal this game thanks to their strong offense. The program has appeared 11 times in the tournament and owns a 6-12 record, though its last appearance came back in 2019.
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The Billikens enter the tournament with competitive March Madness odds and will be leaning on their high-powered offense, along with their positive rebounding and assist margin over opponents. Robbie Avila is set to be their offensive anchor in this matchup against the Bulldogs.
The Georgia Bulldogs are known more for their football than their basketball, but that will not stop them from trying to keep their March Madness hopes alive. They will need to get past the St. Louis Billikens, a team that is somewhat similar in its offensive approach.
Georgia has appeared 13 times in the tournament and owns a 16-13 all-time record. Its best result came in 1983, when it reached the Final Four. The last time the Bulldogs participated in the tournament was in 2015.
This game has all the March Madness ingredients to be a tight one. Georgia is favored at -2.5 with an over/under of 169.5. The moneyline has Georgia at -148 and the Billikens at +124.
The Billikens will bring a well-managed offense, but Georgia has the edge in overall athleticism. The Bulldogs will look to use Jeremiah Wilkinson to their advantage and capitalize on his quickness in transition. We’re taking Georgia to move on to the next round.
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Pick
Georgia Bulldogs (-148)
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