The No. 15 Georgia State Panthers (24-10) challenge the No. 2 Cincinnati Bearcats (30-4) in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament at Bridgestone Arena. The game begins at 2 p.m. ET on Friday, March 16, 2018.
Cincinnati is a 14-point favorite on the opening line, while the Over/Under (O/U) for the game opened at 130 points.
Georgia State Panthers vs. Cincinnati Bearcats ATS Prediction
The Panthers will be looking for similar success after defeating the UT Arlington Mavericks in the Sun Belt Conference Tourney, 74-61. Georgia State’s 0.518 effective field goal percentage was their largest strength over UT Arlington, who had a mark of 0.333. The Panthers’ mark was below their season average of 0.543, while the Mavericks’ was below their season average of 0.528. With 27 points on 8-for-19 shooting, D’Marcus Simonds was the top scorer from either team.
In the American Athletic Conference Tournament, the Bearcats edged the No. 21 Houston Cougars, 56-55. The Bearcats had a great free throw rate of 0.261 (above their season average of 0.252) and held the Cougars to an effective field goal percentage of 0.409 (below their season average of 0.543). Gary Clark was the game’s high scorer with 20 points on 5-for-8 shooting.
The game should be a matchup of strength against strength as the high-octane offense of Cincinnati takes on the top-notch defense of Georgia State. The Bearcats rank 37th in offensive efficiency, while the Panthers are 56th in defensive efficiency. Furthermore, the Panthers rank 45th in turnover percentage (16.6 percent), while the Bearcats rank 19th in opponents’ turnover percentage (22.5 percent).
Georgia State holds records of 24-10 straight up (SU) and 19-11 against the spread (ATS). Panthers games tend to finish over the total (56.7 percent).
Meanwhile, Cincinnati is 30-4 SU and 17-14 ATS. Unlike Georgia State, games involving the Bearcats have a tendency to finish under the total (60.0 percent).
Georgia State Panthers vs. Cincinnati Bearcats Odds Pick
Pick: SU Winner – Cincinnati, ATS Winner – Georgia State, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
Cincinnati averages 38.9 rebounds per game, which ranks 27th in the NCAA. Georgia State ranks 236th in rebounds allowed per game (36.8).
The Bearcats rank 102nd in three-pointers allowed per game (20.6) while the Panthers rank 290th (25.6).
Cincinnati ranks 34th in assists per game (16.0) while Georgia State ranks 169th (13.3).
The Bearcats rank eighth in blocks per game (5.5) while the Panthers rank 125th in blocks allowed per game (3.4).
Cincinnati ranks 49th in steals per game (7.3) while Georgia State ranks 17th in steals allowed per game (4.9).
Bettings Trends:
The Panthers’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 8.6, up from 8.0 for the season.
During their last five games, the Bearcats have scored an average of 65.4 points per game (9.1 below their season average) and allowed an average of 55.2 points per game (1.9 below their season average).
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