The top seeds are littered with high-major conference teams for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, and once again, Gonzaga is crashing the party. The Bulldogs are the best mid-major program in the country and they have once again put together a stellar season. No. 4 seed Gonzaga will open up March Madness with a matchup against the No. 13 seed UNCG Spartans in the opening round.
The Bulldogs come in with a sparkling overall record and a winning streak that has reached double digits. UNC-Greensboro came away with the Southern Conference title and would love to win a game in March Madness. However, it will be a significant underdog and will need to play extremely well to pull off the upset in March Madness basketball odds.
Don't miss the hardwood action from Taco Bell Arena at 1:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 15, 2018. Catch every moment of the game live on TNT.
We'll have NCAA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NCAA Thursday schedule.
Odds Analysis
Gonzaga enters this game as a 12.5-point favorite and more than 58 percent of the action is on the Bulldogs to cover despite the double-digit spread. The scoring total is pretty low at 136 points. The “over” has been chosen more than 71 percent of the time.
Gonzaga is 30-4 straight up and has gone 14-18-1 against the spread. The Bulldogs have covered in four of seven neutral court games. Gonzaga is 13-16-1 against the spread as the favorite.
UNC-Greensboro is 27-7 straight up and 17-9-1 against the spread. The Spartans have only been on a neutral court three times this season and have covered once. UNC Greensboro is 4-1-1 against the spread as underdog.
Key Stat
14. That’s how many games in a row that Gonzaga has won coming into this tournament. The Bulldogs captured the West Coast Conference title to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Gonzaga defeated BYU 75-54 in the West Coast Conference championship to earn that tournament berth and went unchallenged throughout the tournament. The team will be looking to carry that momentum over into this game against UNC Greensboro.
Gonzaga has only lost once since late December, falling to Saint Mary’s by three points on January 18th. The Bulldogs avenged that loss a few weeks later, however, defeating the Gaels 78-65 in the rematch.
Matchup To Watch
Gonzaga’s high-scoring offense against UNC Greensboro’s stingy defense. This will definitely be something to watch on Thursday.
The Bulldogs come into this one averaging 84.5 points a game, the ninth best mark in the country, while the Spartans have been holding opponents to 62.4 points a game this year, putting them at No. 6 in the country for points against. UN Greensboro doesn't have the same talent on offense that Gonzaga does so getting stops is critical.
The Bulldogs have a very balanced offense with five players who average 11 points or more per game. It always makes it tough for opposing defenses when a team has so weapons so this will be a big challenge for the Spartans.
Free NCAA ATS Picks
UNC Greensboro prides itself on defense but simply won’t have the foot speed or the athleticism to keep Gonzaga in check. Look for the Bulldogs to run out to a quick lead in NCAA basketball first half odds and cruise home to the win.
Some of the double-digit seeds in the NCAA Tournament will give higher seeds scares but this game won’t be one of them. Take Gonzaga to not only win this game but also cover the large spread in March Madness NCAA basketball betting lines.
NCAA Odds: Gonzaga 75, UNC Greensboro 60
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