Norfolk State Spartans vs Gonzaga Bulldogs Betting Picks, Lines & Predictions
Odds-on championship favorites, Gonzaga, will play their first 2021 tournament game on Saturday night. They will face Norfolk State at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Unbeaten so far this season, The Bulldogs are heavily favored in this matchup. They were dominant throughout the season with an average winning margin of 23.5 points. Gonzaga is the first school to enter the tournament with a perfect record since Kentucky in 2015.
Norfolk State Spartans comes to the tournament as No. 16 seed after winning the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. They earned their place in the First Round with a 54-53 First Four win over Appalachian State. The Spartans are now 13-9 ATS and have covered in their last six games. They’ve also won 9 out of the last 10 games straight up.
Norfolk State Spartans vs Gonzaga Bulldogs Betting Line Movement
Not surprisingly, Gonzaga is heavily favored to win this one. The spread is set at 33.5, with some bookies offering going even higher at 34. The Bulldogs are the No. 1 scoring them in the nation and the Spartans can get hot, too. As a result, the total opened at 155.5. It has dropped by a point since, currently standing at 154.5.
Notes On The Norfolk State Spartans
On Thursday night, the Spartans came out of gates flying jumping to an early lead winning the first half by 16. However, they barely survived in the second half, allowing the Mountaineers to go on a 24- 6 run. Near the end of the game, they managed to claw back from the 6-point deficit and secure the 1-point win. The Saturday game will certainly be played at a much faster pace which should suit the Spartans who love to run down the court. They’re also capable of solid defensive performances, especially against 3-point shooting.
The key player for the Spartans this season is senior guard Devante Carter. He leads the team in points, assists, and rebounds. However, on Thursday, the main contributor was Jalen Hawkins who scored 24 coming off the bench.
Notes On The Gonzaga Bulldogs
It’s hard to find enough superlatives to describe this season for Gonzaga. The Bulldogs are scoring the nation-best 92.1 points per game on a pretty efficient 55% from the field. They are bookmakers’ favorites to go all the way. The biggest doubt ahead of the tournament is can they can handle the pressure and high expectations. Still, coach Few’s team should be able to handle Norfolk State with relative ease. Whether they can cover is another question. The Zags have been 30+ favorites seven times this season, going 2-5 ATS.
The deep roster is spearheaded by the trio of Corey Kispert, Drew Timme, Jalen Suggs. It will be interesting to see how the potential top-5 draft pick Suggs will fare on the big stage.
Norfolk State Spartans vs Gonzaga Bulldogs Betting Pick: Over 154.5
Gonzaga is an offensive juggernaut and will look to make a statement in the first game. We’re looking at a probable blowout, so the Zags may relax a bit on defense towards the end of the game allowing the Spartans to put up at least 60 points.
