Tournament favorite Gonzaga (26-0 SU, 12-12-2 ATS) remains perfect on the season and has won by an average margin of 23.5 points per game. The Bulldogs face the Norfolk State Spartans (17-7 SU, 13-9 ATS), who captured the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title and squeaked past Appalachian State in their First Four encounter Thursday night.
- Date/Time: March 20, 9:20 p.m. ET
- Arena: Bankers Life Fieldhouse
- TV Coverage: TBS
- Sportsbook Odds: Gonzaga -33.5 | O/U 154 (Line History)
- Norfolk State vs Gonzaga Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
Oddsmakers not surprisingly expect a walk in the park for No. 1 Gonzaga, Sportsbook the Bulldogs as 33.5-point favorites against a Norfolk State team that has covered six in a row. The total for this contest opened at 154, reflecting Gonzaga’s ranking as the No. 1 scoring team in the country.
Norfolk State News & Notes
Norfolk State had a wild ride in its play-in game Thursday night. The Spartans couldn’t have played a better first half, holding Appalachian State without a three-pointer and leading by 16 at the break.
In typical March Madness fashion, the Mountaineers came back to take a six-point lead with just over five minutes remaining but the Spartans averted disaster with a 9-2 run to close out the game.
Devante Carter leads the Spartans in virtually every offensive category, but it was guard Jalen Hawkins who put the team on his back Thursday night, scoring 24 points in the 54-53 win.
Norfolk State ranks in the top 80 in the country in three-point shooting percentage and opponent field-goal percentage.
Gonzaga News & Notes
Gonzaga averages an NCAA-best 92.12 points per game and leads the nation by shooting over 55 percent from the field as a team. The Bulldogs also are 22nd in defensive rebounding.
The prolific Gonzaga offence is paced by senior Corey Kispert, who averages 19.2 points a night. Sophomore Drew Timme contributes 18.7 points per game and future NBA star Jalen Suggs chips in with 14.3 ppg.
The Bulldogs trailed BYU by 12 points at halftime but bounced back to win 88-78 in the championship game of the West Coast Conference Tournament.
Betting Pick: OVER 154
Look for Gonzaga to send a message to the field Saturday night and run the Spartans out of the building. Both teams have been going above the total lately. With the Bulldogs’ No. 1 offense in the house, OVER bettors should be in great shape if Norfolk State gets to the 60-point mark.
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Buy Sports Picks Now- The OVER is 5-1 in Gonzaga’s last 6 games.
- The OVER is 4-1 in Norfolk State’s last 5 games.
- Gonzaga is a perfect 26-0 SU this season.
