What a thrilling couple of days of first-round madness! Between the massive upsets and down-to-the-wire endings, the second round of the NCAA Tournament should not disappoint. In this round of 32 matchup in the West Region, overall number one seed Gonzaga will square off with eighth-seeded Memphis on Saturday night in Portland. It's time to take a peek at our March Madness odds series, which includes our Memphis-Gonzaga prediction and pick.
The Penny Hardaway-led Memphis Tigers showcased their talent on Thursday, controlling most of the game versus Boise State by playing smothering defense and holding the Broncos to only 31.5% from the field. The Tigers' largest lead of the game was as big as 19 points, as they ended up going in cruise control late in a 64-53 first-round victory.
As for Gonzaga, their first-round contest was not as easy-going as many thought it would be. The Bulldogs were only up by two points at the half against the pesky Georgia State Panthers, and was still a game with 10 minutes to go until the Zags went on a 24-1 run in the final stages to end up on top 93-72.
Here are the Memphis-Gonzaga March Madness odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
March Madness Odds: Memphis-Gonzaga Odds
Memphis: +10.5 (-110)
Gonzaga: -10.5 (-110)
Over: 155.5 (-110)
Under: 155.5 (-115)
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Why Memphis Could Cover the Spread
The Tigers are 11-2 since February and could prove to be a tough out for a Zags squad that showed its weaknesses against a 16-seed. Memphis is led by future NBA lottery pick in freshman center Jalen Duren, who averages 12.1 points per contest and has nine double-doubles thus far in the 2021-2022 season. Looking at Memphis' starting five, they are a talented bunch outside of Duren, as forward Deandre Williams and guard Lester Quinones both are averaging at least 10 PPG this season.
The key to the game and in covering the spread for Memphis will be how their top-25 defense will withhold Gonzaga's furious scoring pace. In addition to the defense, Memphis should cover if they can score at least 85 points, in which they are 7-0 when reaching that number. Similarly, Gonzaga is 15-0 when scoring at least 85 points, so the first team to that amount may in fact take home the win. With the win over powerhouse Gonzaga, Memphis can reach the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2009. Memphis is 10-3 ATS and are 3-1 ATS when they are the underdog this season. Can coach Hardaway take a page out of Georgia State's playbook and slow down the Bulldogs' crazed shooting expertise?
Why Gonzaga Could Cover the Spread
The Zags got all they could handle in their first game of the tournament and oftentimes looked uncharacteristically confused by what Georgia State was throwing their way. However, after about 30 minutes of play, junior forward Drew Timme decided he had had enough and exploded for 22 of his 32 points in the second frame. Despite the sluggish outing from the Bulldogs that saw them only shoot 27% from three-point range, Gonzaga still demonstrated their prowess, pulling away and winning rather largely by 21 points. Expect the Zags to be dialed in early against the Tigers after such a slow start on Thursday, as that will be a necessity versus a much more skilled Memphis squad.
Gonzaga will cover the spread simply because of their ability to put so much pressure on opposing defenses, as the Zags are the nation's leader in field goal percentage at 52.7%. If there is any information that is public knowledge, it is that Gonzaga will wear you down late, notably going on massive runs to cover spreads and bury teams in their graves. The Bulldogs are only 2-6 ATS in their past eight games but are 5-2 ATS when favored between 10-15 points.
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Final Memphis-Gonzaga Prediction & Pick
No doubt, Memphis will present a bigger challenge for Gonzaga than Georgia State did, and there is cause for concern that the Bulldogs struggled for so long in their opening match. However, we cannot ignore how supreme the Bulldogs have been all year, and the general consensus is that the Zags won't play as bad as they did on Thursday. The Tigers will play them tough, but Gonzaga will pull away late like they always do.
Final Memphis-Gonzaga Prediction & Pick: Gonzaga -10.5 (-110)
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