The Jacksonville State Gamecocks are gearing up to face the Auburn Tigers live from Greenville, South Carolina on Friday. Check out our March Madness odd series, which includes our Jacksonville State-Auburn prediction and pick.

FanDuel March Madness

This is the first time the two teams have met since 2013, and the 13th time ever in the history of their schools. The Tigers have won all 12 matches which have all been played at Auburn. Except for three games, all the victories have been by 20 or more points. This is the first battle on neutral ground. Consequently, Jacksonville State coach Roy Harper and Auburn coach Bruce Pearl have a long-storied history against each other while coaching different teams. When Pearl was coaching Southern Indiana, and Harper coached Kentucky Wesleyan, the two coaches faced off 17 times, with Harper winning 13 of the matches.

The Jacksonville State Gamecocks made their way into the NCAA tournament on the best of technicalities. They did not win the conference tournament, but were able to sneak into the NCAA tournament because Bellarmine was not eligible to enter so the automatic bid went to them. They will be looking to deliver a better performance than their last game, which was a 54-51 defeat to Jacksonville in the Atlantic Sun semifinals. Auburn ended the season on a down note going just 5-4 in their last nine games after a blazing 22-1 start. They look to get back to their winning ways in this first-round showdown.

Auburn won their first outright SEC regular-season championship since 1999. They are reeling from their last game, which was a 67-62 defeat at the hands of a Texas A & M team that did not even make the NCAA tournament. Now the Tigers look to bounce back and take care of Jacksonville State while guaranteeing a shot at a match against the winner of USC or Miami on Sunday. This Jacksonville State's first NCAA tournament appearance since 2017. Auburn is making its first appearance in the tournament since their 63-62 final-four loss to Virginia in 2019.

Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Jacksonville State-Auburn-odds:

March Madness Odds: Jacksonville State-Auburn Odds

Jacksonville State: +15.5 (-110)

Auburn: -15.5 (-110)

Over: 137 (-110)

Under: 137 (-110)

Why Jacksonville State Could Cover/Win This Game

If there is any better time to face the Tigers, it is right now. Auburn went just 5-4 to end the season and Jacksonville State could do their best to capitalize on the season-ending slump and shock the world with a mega upset. To do that, Jacksonville State has to shine at what they excel at and consistently deliver on it.

They shot 47.2 percent from the field on the season, including 38.8 percent from beyond the arc. That mark put them at fifth across the nation. That means it will need to get hot, and their shooters will need to keep the pace going from the triples. That starts with Demaree King and Jalen Gibbs. King is shooting 46.2 percent from the three-point line, which also has him ranked second in the nation. Gibbs is firing on 40.1 percent of his shot attempts from beyond the arc. They will face an Auburn team that has held their opponents to just 31.2 percent from the 3-point line.

This is where the Gamecocks thrive and if they can continue the stream of success with their two 3-point machines, they can shock Auburn, and advance in the tournament.

Why Auburn Could Cover/Win This Game

Auburn is the second seed in this match for a reason. While they did stumble down the stretch, their torrid start validates how talented this team is and how far they could go. Jabari Smith is their leader, averaging 17.1 points per game. Walker Kessler has averaged 11.7 points per game while chipping in 8.2 rebounds on average, and 4.5 blocks a game. Their distribution leader is Wendell Green Jr. who has tallied 5.1 assists per game.

Auburn controls its opponents by winning the battle on the boards and blocking shots. They have averaged 7.9 blocks per game and hold their own defensively. The keys to victory will be minimizing mistakes and winning the battle on the boards. Therefore, they will need Kessler to step up and execute as he has done all season long to ensure advancement in this tournament.

Final Jacksonville State-Auburn Prediction & Pick

The one thing Jacksonville State has going for them is their ability beyond the arc. It will not be enough to unseat an Auburn team that has been effective at covering the 3-point shot. Couple that with the fact Auburn is the better team statistically, and history will likely repeat itself here. The game might start close, but the Tigers will eventually pull away. Auburn will win this game and cover the spread.

Final Jacksonville State-Auburn Prediction & Pick: -15.5 Auburn (-110)