First seed Gonzaga seems to have a Final Four path perfectly grooved for them. Coach Mark Few’s teams will face a cupcake First Four winner in the opening round. But as we know, March Madness is reputed for shockers with the College Basketball odds. Further, there are other capable teams in the bracket. Missouri and Oklahoma are good enough to beat anyone. Virginia is two years removed from a national championship and brings suffocating defense. While Creighton is renowned for its sharpshooting style. Eventually, Gonzaga is going to face danger in this bracket.
2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament – Gonzaga Bracket
| First Round Date: | Saturday, March 20, 2021 |
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| 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Odds at SBG | Click Here |
TBD vs. Gonzaga, Saturday, 9:20 p.m. ET, TBS
Top seed Gonzaga will face the winner of the First Four matchup of Appalachian State vs. Norfolk State. Gonzaga finished with a perfect record of 26-0. On the whole, they won the West Coast Conference regular-season and tournament championships. Gonzaga brings the top-ranked scoring offense in the nation. First-Team All-American Corey Kispert leads with 19.2 points per game. But popular Gonzaga has failed to pay in three of their last four games.
Oklahoma -2, 141 vs. Missouri, 7:25 p.m. ET, TNT
| Team | Spread | Total | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | +2 (-110) | 141 (-110) | +110 | |
| Oklahoma | -2 (-110) | 141 (-110) | -130 | |
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Of course, Missouri and Oklahoma are old rivals from the Big Eight and Big 12 days. Mizzou moved to the SEC to end the rivalry in 2012. Oklahoma has an online wagering record of 15-10 SU, 12-13 ATS, 11-14 OU. In comparison, Mizzou is 16-9 SU, 12-13 ATS, 13-9-3 OU. Missouri has paid in only two of their last eight games. In like manner, Oklahoma has come up empty in seven straight games. Austin Reeves leads Oklahoma with 17.7 points per game. OU coach Lon Krueger is among the most accomplished in the tournament.
Creighton -7, 138 vs. UC Santa Barbara, 3:30 p.m. ET truTV
| Team | Spread | Total | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara | +7½ (-110) | 138 (-110) | +260 | |
| Creighton | -7½ (-110) | 138 (-110) | -320 | |
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Creighton is 20-8 SU, 13-15 ATS, 13-14-1 OU. By contrast UC Santa Barbara is 22-4 SU, 14-10 ATS, 11-13 OU. Creighton made the Big East title game before getting wiped out by Georgetown. Late on, Creighton has covered six of their last nine. UC Santa Barbara won the Big West Conference regular-season and tournament championships. The Gauchos bring the nation’s 15th ranked defense to this game. Creighton ranks 42nd out of 350 games for scoring.
Virginia -7.5, 132 vs. Ohio, 7:15 p.m. ET, truTV
| Team | Spread | Total | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio | +7½ (-110) | 132 (-110) | +315 | |
| Virginia | -7½ (-110) | 132 (-110) | -380 | |
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Virginia is 18-6 SU, 11-12-1 ATS, 14-10 OU. First place in the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season went to UVA. The defense is the calling card of the Cavaliers. They rank 5th best in the country for points allowed. Ohio finished 5th in the Mid-American Conference. But the Bobcats won the MAC Tournament. Ohio ranks 25th out of 350 teams for scoring offense. That makes for an intriguing contrast against the Virginia defense. Late on, Ohio has covered nine of their last ten games. UVA has failed to pay in five of their previous six.
Gonzaga Bracket SBG Free Picks
In this situation, Virginia brings a level of defense that Ohio hasn’t faced. That gives the Cavaliers a distinct advantage over the College basketball odds. Creighton’s flop in the Big East championship game was quite alarming. Owing to their suffocating defense, does UC Santa Barbara make for a dangerous dog.
Gonzaga Bracket SBG Best Bets: Virginia and UC Santa Barbara.