Georgia vs. Gonzaga Prediction, Betting Pick, Latest March Madness Odds for First Round

No. 8 seed Gonzaga takes on No. 9 seed Georgia in the battle of the Bulldogs in Wichita on Thursday.

Gonzaga wasn’t able to escape the dreaded 8/9 game, even though most of the metric sites and Vegas rank this group as a top-10 team in the country. The Bulldogs are a metrics darling even with their 25-8 record as a WCC team because three of their losses this season came in overtime, while the biggest margin of defeat in the other five was a seven-point loss to Saint Mary’s.

Gonzaga is incredibly efficient offensively (9th in KenPom), elite at taking care of the ball (5th in TO%), and one of the best free-throw shooting teams in the country (5th nationally in FT%). Ryan Nembhard is as good as it gets at point guard, averaging 9.8 assists per game and orchestratingthis lethal offensive attack. Graham Ike and Braden Huff are ultra-skilled and efficient low-post scorers, and sixth-year guard Khalif Battle adds even more juice as a downhill driver and deadly three-point shooter.

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Georgia vs. Gonzaga Odds

Georgia vs. Gonzaga Date, Time, and Where To Watch

• Date: March 20, 2025
• Time: 4:35 pm ET
• Where To Watch: TBS

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Georgia vs. Gonzaga Prediction

Georgia is an interesting team, as they were sitting at 4-10 in a loaded SEC a month ago. A four-game win streak, including a home victory over Florida, straightened things out and got head coach Mike White back to the dance. With Georgia, everything starts with surefire lottery pick Asa Newell, the athletic and mobile 6-foot-11 big man who can score in a variety of ways and is a problem on the offensive glass. Georgia is 16th nationally in offensive rebounding rate and 27th in FTA/FGA, as they rely on their physicality to punish opponents at and around the rim.

Newell and the Georgia frontcourt could definitely cause problems on the offensive glass (as Saint Mary’s has been able to do vs the Zags), and Ike could end up in foul trouble — as he often does. Sophomore guards Silas Demary and Blue Cain have been hooping lately and are a big backcourt for Gonzga to deal with. As good as Gonzaga offense is, Georgia ranks 26th nationally in defensive efficiency and has the personel to matchup with them.

It’s never comfortable going against the Zags early on in the Tournament, as Mark Few has led Gonzaga to nine straight Sweet 16s. But the WCC Champs feel a bit overvalued laying 6.5 points here against a tough Georgia team that survived the SEC gauntlet.

Initially, I thought I’d be on Gonzaga here, and while I do think they’re able to outscore Georgia, I also think Mike White’s group is going to cause a lot of issues on the offensive glass and around the basket. That said, I’m having a tough time landing on Georgia with the points, too.

No play on the side for me, but the total at 149.5 is enticing—if both teams find success offensively, I think they can push this over.

Georgia vs. Gonzaga Pick

• Pick: Over 149.5 (-110) Get oddschecker+ right now for just $0.99 per month. Don't miss out on this first month deal!

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