The Georgia Bulldogs and the Saint Louis Billikens are set to clash in an 8 vs 9 matchup in the Midwest Region of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The game is scheduled for Thursday.
Georgia enters the tournament with a 22-10 record, having finished seventh in the SEC standings. Saint Louis boasts a 28-5 record, having clinched the A-10 regular season title. The game will be held at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y., with a tipoff time of 9:45 p.m. ET.
Betting Odds and Historical Context
Georgia is currently a 2.5-point favourite, and the over/under is set at 167.5. The money line is at -138 for UGA. Georgia holds a 2-0 all-time record against Saint Louis, with their last meeting in 2010. The Bulldogs lost in the first round of March Madness last year, whilst the Billikens are dancing for the first time since 2019.
Expert Predictions
A SportsLine Projection Model simulated the game 10,000 times, providing college basketball picks and betting predictions. The model suggests betting the Under on the total points (167.5). It also says one side of the spread hits nearly 70% of the time.
The model entered the 2026 NCAA Tournament on an 11-1 run on its top-rated over/under college basketball picks dating back to last season. It is also on a 28-22 run on top-rated CBB side picks.
Why the Under Could Hit
The Billikens have been trending towards lower-scoring games recently. The Under has occurred in three of their last four games and seven of their last ten. Saint Louis averaged 91.3 points over their first 23 games of the season, but only 77.8 points over their last 10.
- The Under is 3-1 over Saint Louis’ last four games.
- The Under is 6-3 for the Bulldogs over their last nine neutral-site contests dating back to last year.
- Georgia’s last game saw just 148 combined points.
The total has not been reached in three of Georgia’s four neutral-site games this season. Postseason play often sees a slower pace, and both teams are expected to score fewer points than their season averages.
The model forecasts the Under to hit in 60.2% of simulations.
For those interested in the model’s specific spread pick, it is available at SportsLine.