Fans of college basketball always have Selection Sunday circled on their calendars, as that is when the March Madness bracket finally takes shape and betting strategies get put together. Prior to all of that, though, there is the excitement of watching bubble teams battle to try and force their way into the big dance. We all basically know who the top teams are going to be long before the final 68 are announced, but it is the little guys who tend to be the ones to watch once the Conference Championship Tournaments begin. After all, this is where potential Cinderella teams are likely to emerge from to contradict the NCAA Basketball spread established by the bookies.
The Georgia State Panthers ended their regular season on a run that saw them lose 4 of their last 6 games, yet they were able to suck it up and emerge from the Sun Belt as a conference champion. Their reward was a spot in the Round of 64, but a game against the #2 ranked Cincinnati Bearcats, a team that a lot of people like to come out of the South Region. Cincinnati comes into their opening game of the tournament as a 14-point favorite.
They gave up just 57.2 PPG this season, second only to the Virginia Cavaliers, and they finished the season on a 7-game winning streak that took them all the way to the American Conference Title. They have amassed 30 wins already this season, but you get the sense that they are not done just yet.
Panthers vs. Bearcats NCAA Basketball Spread & Expert Pick
Did you know this #MarchMadness fact about the #Bearcats?
— Cincinnati Men’s Hoops (@GoBearcatsMBB) 15 de marzo de 2018
- When: Friday, March 16 at 2 PM EST
- Where: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville
- TV: TBS
- Radio: TuneIn
- Live Stream: MM Live
- NCAA Basketball Spread: Cincinnati Bearcats -14 (Over/Under at 129.5 points)
UNC vs. Lipscomb March Madness Betting Preview & Pick
Team Records
- All: Georgia State Panthers 24-10 / Cincinnati Bearcats 30-4
- Home: Georgia State Panthers 14-4 / Cincinnati Bearcats 21-1
- Away: Georgia State Panthers 10-6 / Cincinnati Bearcats 9-3
- ATS: Georgia State Panthers 19-11 / Cincinnati Bearcats 17-14
- Over/Under: Georgia State Panthers 16-14 / Cincinnati Bearcats 11-19
Why bet on the Georgia State Panthers?
Given how the Panthers finished the regular season, there were not a lot of people who gave them much of a shot in the Sun Belt Tournament, but they actually waltzed through it without really breaking too much of a sweat. They became a defensive beast in that tournament, giving up an average of a little over 60 PPG in their 3 games, well down from the still impressive 67.5 PPG that they gave up during the regular season. As impressive as their 24-10 record was this season, the Panthers never had to play a team as gifted as the Cincinnati Bearcats. The biggest challenge for Georgia State in this one is going to be figuring out how to break down a defensive unit that was among the very best in the nation this year. This could prove to be a long, frustrating night for the Panthers.Team Statistics
Offense- Total Score: 75.32
- Field Goal Percentage: 46.26
- Three-Point Percentage: 38.79
- Free Throw Percentage: 67.65
- Total Rebounds: 34.00
- Total Score: 67.29
- Field Goal Percentage: 39.30
- Three-Point Percentage: 34.21
- Free Throw Percentage: 69.57
- Total Rebounds: 36.76
Why bet on the Cincinnati Bearcats?
You don’t really think of the Cincinnati Bearcats as being one of the elite programs in college basketball, but there was a time when they were. This school won a National Championship in back to back years in the early 1960’s and have 6 Final Four appearances in their 31 tournament visits. This current crop of Bearcats may be the best we have seen in quite some time, and they are an indicator of how great defense can get you places in any sport.
They gave up just 57.2 PPG this season, second only to the Virginia Cavaliers, and they finished the season on a 7-game winning streak that took them all the way to the American Conference Title. They have amassed 30 wins already this season, but you get the sense that they are not done just yet.
Team Statistics
Offense- Total Score: 74.47
- Field Goal Percentage: 45.28
- Three-Point Percentage: 35.68
- Free Throw Percentage: 68.69
- Total Rebounds: 38.91
- Total Score: 57.15
- Field Goal Percentage: 36.99
- Three-Point Percentage: 30.91
- Free Throw Percentage: 68.63
- Total Rebounds: 31.56
Latest NCAA Basketball Betting Trends
- Georgia State is 11-5 ATS in its last 16 games
- Georgia State is 14-4 SU in its last 18 games
- The total has gone OVER in 8 of Georgia State’s last 11 games
- Cincinnati is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cincinnati’s last 6 games
