March Madness Final Four predictions and national champion picks
From chalk favorites to hot upsets, the panel shares Final Four picks and bold calls on who cuts down the nets.
No. 8 seed Georgia and No. 9 seed Saint Louis play Thursday, March 19, in a March Madness NCAA Tournament first-round game.
The Midwest Region game is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. MST and can be seen on CBS (stream with FUBO).
Who will win the March Madness game and advance to the second round in the NCAA Tournament bracket?
Check out these March Madness picks and March Madness predictions for the men’s college basketball NCAA Tournament matchup.
Georgia is a 1.5-point favorite over Saint Louis in the game in March Madness odds provided by BetMGM Sportsbook. The Bulldogs are -145 on the moneyline. The Billikens are +118. The over/under for the game is set at 169.5 points.
March Madness picks: Ohio State-TCU | Nebraska-Troy | Louisville-South Florida | Wisconsin-High Point | Duke-Siena | Vanderbilt-McNeese | Michigan State-North Dakota State | Arkansas-Hawaii | North Carolina-VCU | Saint Mary’s-Texas A&M | Illinois-Penn | Georgia-Saint Louis | Gonzaga-Kennesaw State | Houston-Idaho | Kentucky-Santa Clara | Texas Tech-Akron | Arizona-Long Island | Virginia-Wright State | Iowa State-Tennessee State | Alabama-Hofstra | Villanova-Utah State | Clemson-Iowa | St. John’s-UNI | UCLA-UCF | Purdue-Queens | Kansas-Cal Baptist | UConn-Furman | Miami-Missouri | The Republic’s score predictions
Watch Georgia vs Saint Louis on FUBO (free trial)
Jeremy Cluff writes: “Saint Louis went 28-5 on the season, but it didn’t exactly face a difficult schedule. Georgia has been tested by a tough SEC slate. That will help the Bulldogs late against the Billikens.”
Dimers: Georgia 83, Saint Louis 81
It writes: “After extensive simulations, our model gives Saint Louis a win probability of 43%, while Georgia has a win probability of 57%.”
How to watch March Madness: Ohio State-TCU | Nebraska-Troy | Louisville-South Florida | Wisconsin-High Point | Duke-Siena | Vanderbilt-McNeese | Michigan State-North Dakota State | Arkansas-Hawaii | North Carolina-VCU | Saint Mary’s-Texas A&M | Illinois-Penn | Georgia-Saint Louis | Gonzaga-Kennesaw State | Houston-Idaho | Kentucky-Santa Clara | Texas Tech-Akron | Arizona-Long Island | Virginia-Wright State | Iowa State-Tennessee State | Alabama-Hofstra | Villanova-Utah State | Clemson-Iowa | St. John’s-UNI | UCLA-UCF | Purdue-Queens | Kansas-Cal Baptist | UConn-Furman | Miami-Missouri | Schedule | TV channels | Announcers
ESPN: Georgia has a 50.9% chance to beat Saint Louis
The site gives the Billikens a 49.1% shot at defeating the Bulldogs in the NCAA Tournament March Madness first-round game.
Join the madness: USA TODAY Bracket Challenge | Survivor Pool | Printable bracket
Bookies.com: Bet Georgia to cover vs Saint Louis
Bill Speros writes: “The Bulldogs earned an all-bark, no-bite March Madness reputation of late. Georgia won 5 of their 6 to close the regular season with a program-record 22 wins under Mike White. He’s quietly built a dangerous squad led by guard Jeremiah Wilkinson (17.0 PPG). Robbie Avila’s injury has been priced in here. Still, the ‘Dawgs won’t woof this time.”
March Madness odds: Ohio State-TCU | Nebraska-Troy | Louisville-South Florida | Wisconsin-High Point | Duke-Siena | Vanderbilt-McNeese | Michigan State-North Dakota State | Arkansas-Hawaii | North Carolina-VCU | Saint Mary’s-Texas A&M | Illinois-Penn | Georgia-Saint Louis | Gonzaga-Kennesaw State | Houston-Idaho | Kentucky-Santa Clara | Texas Tech-Akron | Arizona-Long Island | Virginia-Wright State | Iowa State-Tennessee State | Alabama-Hofstra | Villanova-Utah State | Clemson-Iowa | St. John’s-UNI | UCLA-UCF | Purdue-Queens | Kansas-Cal Baptist | UConn-Furman | Miami-Missouri | Betting odds | Title odds
ESPN: Pick Georgia to win against Saint Louis in NCAA bracket
Jay Bilas writes: “Saint Louis hunts great shots and runs a beautiful offense. Georgia has better athletes — sophomore Jeremiah Wilkinson averages 17.0 points per game — and can beat Saint Louis in transition.”
Sporting News: Take Georgia to defeat Saint Louis
Daniel Mader writes: “Coming out of the SEC, Georgia is far more experienced against top-notch opponents, including wins over Alabama and Arkansas this season. The 6-foot-10 Avila, the Atlantic 10’s Player of the Year, will be a fun March story. But the pick here is Georgia, thanks to its strong offense, Cyril’s defensive presence vs. Avila, and a lot more games against top teams in 2025-26.”
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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