The Memphis Tigers looked like world beaters in the opening half of their first round showdown with Boise State. Though it ultimately covered the 3.5-points at online sportsbooks in the 63-54 triumph, a more consistent brand of ball will need to be executed to overcome the NCAA tournament’s top seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs on Saturday; especially with Mark Few’s kids out to make amends after stinking the joint up early on against what proved to be a game Georgia State outfit as decided favorites. Had leading rebounder and shot blocker Eliel Nsoseme not succumbed to a game-ending injury in the first half, things likely would’ve played out much differently than the 93-72 final score suggests. Remember, the Zags were on upset alert after only holding a slim 35-33 lead at the break. Memphis won’t live to tell about it should it be unable to put two rock solid halves of basketball together. As such, I’m expecting some points to hit the board in these program’s first-ever March Madness skirmish.
Take this Second Round matchup in live from the Moda Center in Portland, OR on Saturday, March 19, 2022. BookMaker.eu will have NCAA basketball odds available for this and every game lined up for today’s NCAA Tournament schedule.
NCAA Tournament Odds at BookMaker.eu
Memphis Tigers +12.5
Gonzaga Bulldogs -12.5
Total 153
Odds Analysis
This tilt opened with Gonzaga installed 12.5-point favorites and the O/U lined at 153 points. Early betting action has gone the way of Anfernee Hardaway’s Tigers with the number to beat down to -10 with heavier -113 juice attached to the Bulldogs side of the impost. Makes sense considering how much of a gold mine Jalen Duren and his mates have proved to be since the end of January. The team enters the matchup winners in 13 of their last 15 games, and they sent their college basketball betting supporter’s back to the window to cash tickets 12 times. The O/U has also seen some early line movement with it up to 154 by way of a majority of the early bets and money of the belief these teams exchange points all game long. The Bulldogs have seen two of their three postseason games play to high scorers, but closed the regular season cashing under tickets in six of seven.
Memphis Tigers
The key to Memphis excelling against Gonzaga’s No. 8 ranked adjusted defensive efficiency will come with making hay in the paint and competing on the glass. Both chores will fall upon the shoulders of bigs Deandre Williams and frosh Jalen Duren. The latter was an all-out stud versus the Broncos on Thursday afternoon in logging a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. His presence down low had Boise State’s defense scrambling for the game’s entirety. Team veteran Williams led the way with 14 points and also added five rebounds. Gonzaga (No. 274) is no Boise State when it comes to forcing turnovers, so even a gimpy Alex Lomax should have an easier go of it running the offense after the unit coughed it up 15 times on Thursday. That bodes well for keeping the scoreboard operators busy.
Gonzaga Bulldogs
Though the Bulldogs rank out with the best two-point defense in the country, Memphis more than handles it business in the paint itself in ranking No. 18 overall. Drew Timme went off versus Georgia State in the first round leading the team in scoring with 32 total points while adding 13 rebounds for good measure. That being said, he did most of his damage after the Panthers big man was forced out of the game. With Memphis likely to put most of its attention towards stopping Timme and Chet Holmgren down low, it’s going to open up some wide-open looks for the Zags sharpshooters to take advantage of. As solid the Tigers defense is in the paint, it’s not perimeter dominant (No. 108). Andrew Nembhard and company are likely to shine making them must targets in the player props market.
Betting Prediction
The athleticism on the Memphis roster is no joke! While it might be young, it’s just oozing with talent. I came away impressed with the Tigers ability to stop Boise State from getting all the way back into Thursday’s game since that was something Leon Rice’s squad did with regularity over the course of the season. However, Gonzaga is a completely different animal and points – lots of ‘em – will need to be scored to make a game of it. Boise State prevented Memphis from getting out in transition in round one, but the Tigers will have no choice but to let it fly with a ticket to the Sweet 16 on the line. I think Memphis makes this one interesting, but the better investment is on the over. If Memphis doesn’t kill itself with turnovers, it’ll put an even bigger scare into the tourney’s top overall seed. Either way, look for a fast-paced offensive clinic to playout in this must-see showdown!
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