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There are a few sporting events that simply eclipse others when it comes to wagering on games. The Super Bowl is probably at the top of the list, but you can bet that March Madness is also up there. Bettors will descend on Vegas to watch and wager on the tournament, but for those of us stuck at home, there is still plenty of opportunity to get those wagers in and hopefully make some money over the next couple of weeks. Tuesday night will see the start of the Final Four games, after which we will get to the tournament proper on Thursday. As always, we have some serious mismatches in the opening round, with this game very much falling into that category. Gonzaga is favored by 23 ½, with the point total for this one set at 149 ½. With that in mind, let’s take a look at both teams and how they arrive in this Gonzaga vs Georgia State matchup so you can bet against their March Madness Odds.

March Madness First Round Betting Preview for Gonzaga Bulldogs vs Georgia State Panthers

#1 Gonzaga versus #16 Georgia State Match Info

When: Thursday, March 17 at 4:15 PM EST
Where: Moda Center, Portland
TV: TNT

Why bet on the Gonzaga Bulldogs

Gonzaga delivered yet another solid season in 2022, finishing things up with a 26-3 record, as well as the regular season and conference tournament crowns. Those are all great achievements, but Bulldogs brass and fans will tell you as good as the season was, it will still feel like a disappointment if they do not go on and win the National Championship. You can bet that they are going to want to come out and set the tone early, and if the Gonzaga Bulldogs can control the pace of the game, they have a shot at covering a rather large spread. The reality, though, us that they are just 2-4 ATS in their last 6 games, but they have gone 5-1 ATS in their last 6 played in the month of March. The UNDER has hit in the 7 of the last 9 games that Gonzaga started as the favorite.

Why bet on the Georgia State Panthers

It is never easy to step into the tournament as the #16 seed, especially knowing that only one team in the history of March Madness has won an opening round game from that position. The Georgia State Panthers finished the season with an 18-10 record, but they got hot at the right time, closing pout the regular season in a great run of form that saw them roll all the way to the Sun Belt Championship. As good as that was, this is still very much a step up in class for them, but can they be competitive against a tournament favorite? Playing them against the spread might be the way to go, as they are 8-1-1 ATS in their last 10 games. That said, they are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 as the underdog. The UNDER has hit in 16 of their last 20 games.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

If the Panthers are able to slow down the pace of this game, they might just be able to do enough to cover the spread in this one. If they can manage that, then we are almost certainly looking at the UNDER, which is what I am playing.

Pick: Gonzaga Bulldogs 73 Georgia State Panthers 58