NCAA First Round: Saint Louis vs Georgia Preview, Odds, Predictions (March 19)

• The Billikens secured an At-Large bid to go to the Big Dance.
• The Bulldogs are in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year.
• This marks the third all-time matchup between the two squads.

The NCAA Tournament is due for an interesting battle between a mid-major squad and a rising SEC squad when the Saint Louis Billikens face the Georgia Bulldogs. The visitors come out as the solid favorite, paving the way for many factors to come into play for this showdown.

How to Watch

• When: Thursday, March 19, 9:45 pm ET
• Where: KeyBank Center, Buffalo, New York
• How to Watch: CBS

NCAA Matchup Odds & Lines

Game Preview

The Billikens (28-5) secured an At-Large bid to the NCAA Tournament after pulling off one of the best mid-major stories in college basketball. Saint Louis ranks 10th nationally in scoring offense with 87.2 ppg. Its scoring margin of +17.7 is fourth in the NCAA. They are also second in the NCAA in 3FG% (.401), fourth in eFG% (.600) and seventh in FG% (.509). Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Year Robbie Avila leads the Billikens in scoring with 12.9 ppg. He is first among NCAA centers in assists/game (4.1) and 3s per game (1.9). Meanwhile, Trey Green is third in the NCAA in 3FG% as he knocks down 45.7 percent of his chances from long range.

The Bulldogs (22-10) are back in the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year, looking to pull off a solid run in March Madness. They lead the nation in percentage of field goals that are dunks at 19.0 percent (198 of 988 FGs). Individually, Somto Cyril tops all D-I players in dunks with 83 rim rattlers. They lead the country in fastbreak points (19.9 ppg) and are also ranked among the top-10 nationally in blocks (No. 2 at 6.1), scoring (No. 5 at 89.8 ppg) and bench points (No. 6 at 34.1 ppg). Jeremiah Wilkinson is averaging a team-high 17.0 ppg, while Blue Cain is contributing 13.3 ppg, Kanon Catchings is adding 12.0 ppg and Marcus “Smurf” Millender is chipping in 11.9 ppg.

Saint Louis vs Georgia Head-to-Head

The two programs have had two meetings in their history, and the result is 2-0 for the Bulldogs. The last matchup was in November 2010 when Georgia won 61-59 on the road.

Saint Louis vs Georgia Predictions

This matchup is anticipated to be an offensive shootout as both Saint Louis and Georgia possess elite offenses as two of the best in the country. Saint Louis has enjoyed incredible momentum throughout the campaign to make the tournament while Georgia has the quality to beat some of the best in the nation. This game will go down to the wire, meaning that clutch shots in the final minutes are to be expected. Our betting pick here is the Billikens to cover a 2-point spread.

• Free NCAAB pick: Saint Louis Billikens -2