2 Best College Basketball Bets and Player Props for Georgia vs. Gonzaga

Deciding 9/8 seed matchups is often some of the toughest picks of the first round in the men's college basketball tournament. These are often toss-up type games, but 9 seeds have had a recent edge by winning 13 of the last 20 matchups (65.0%).

Georgia-Gonzaga carries the largest spread among 9/8 matchups as the Zags are favored by 6.5 points. Usually, we don't see many 9/8 results that are considered big upsets, but a UGA win here would be one as Gonzaga is consistently being labeled as one of the most underrated teams in the field.

To see thoughts on other games, check out our full men's college basketball tournament predictions page. But for Georgia vs. Gonzaga, here are my favorite bets in FanDuel Sportsbook's college basketball betting odds.

Betting Picks for Georgia vs. Gonzaga

Gonzaga -6.5 (-105)

The 6.5-point spread could cause some hesitation for backing Gonzaga. Bart Torvik's game projections have Gonzaga by four while KenPom has the margin at six points. However, this is simply not a good matchup for Georgia.

Let's dive into the numbers.

Focusing on the Dawgs' offense, they take only 20.8 three-point shots per game (30th percentile). This offense firmly relies on getting to the bucket, ranking in the 85th percentile of dunks shot distribution and the 70th percentile for close twos. Meanwhile, the Zags are in the 78th percentile of dunks shot distribution allowed and the 93rd percentile for close twos.

On the other side of the ball, the Dawgs are in the 48th percentile of close twos shot distribution allowed and 4th percentile of dunks shot distribution allowed, which will likely allow Gonzaga's frontcourt of Graham Ike (17.1 PPG) and Braden Huff (10.8 PPG) to feast.

Georgia also averages 12.9 turnovers per game (21st percentile), and Gonzaga forces 13.0 turnovers per contest (79th percentile). The Zags are in the 95th percentile of defensive rebounding percentage, helping offset the Dawgs' 34.1% offensive rebounding percentage (93rd percentile).

The Bulldogs simply feel far outmatched in this one. Gonzaga has the third-shortest odds to win the Midwest region (+850) while Georgia is +1480 just to make the regional semifinals (final 16).

Graham Ike Over 16.5 Points (-125)

We mentioned Georgia's vulnerable interior defense, and Graham Ike leads Gonzaga by taking 57.7% of his shots at the rim.

Over Ike's last six games, he's posting 18.8 PPG. This includes some splash performances such as 27 points on March 10 and 24 points on February 25. During this six-game span, Ike is also averaging 5.3 free throw attempts per game while making 28 of 32 attempts (87.5%). Georgia is in the 54th percentile of personal fouls per game, causing little worry about Ike getting to the line.

The Dawgs are even giving up solid workloads against bigs, ceding 11.2 field goal attempts per 40 minutes (tied for the fourth-most among SEC teams). Ike will likely draw most of his matchups against Georgia's Asa Newell (1.30) and Somto Cyril (1.10), and neither player holds exceptional Defensive Bayesian Performance Ratings (DBPR), via EvanMiya.

With Ike flourishing in the scoring department, this should only boost Gonzaga's chances of also covering the spread.

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Which bets stand out to you for today's games? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's latest men's college basketball betting odds to see the full menu of options.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.