South Carolina/Gonzaga Total Pick
Will Gonzaga and South Carolina find themselves in a defensive battle when they meet up in the Final Four tonight at 6:09PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, Gonzaga is favored in this game, as the Bulldogs are getting odds of -7 points against the Gamecocks. The over/under total is listed at 138 points. Today’s game will be taking place from University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona and will air live on CBS.
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Gonzaga comes in as the favorite as a largely defensive-minded team. The Bulldogs have scored their fair share of points, averaging 83.2 for the season, but that was against a weaker schedule than most. What the Bulldogs pride themselves on is defense, where they have allowed just 60.9 per game this season. That has carried them to a 36-1 overall record and an 18-16 mark with the under. In the tournament, Gonzaga is averaging 72.25 points on offense while giving up just 59 per game on defense. The Bulldogs have hit the under in three of their four Tournament games and in seven of their last nine overall.
South Carolina is the Cinderella story of the Final Four, getting into the semifinals thanks to an improved offense. They averaged 72.7 points per game on offense this season, but that number has jumped up to 82 per game in March Madness. The defense allowed 65 per game during the season and are allowing 68.5 during the tournament. South Carolina is 26-10 overall this season while going 18-14-1 with the under. In this tournament, the Gamecocks are 3-1 with the over.
While both teams have prided themselves on defense during the season, I think today will be more about offense. South Carolina has been difficult to stop these last two weeks and developed into more of an aggressive team with the ball. If the Gamecocks have early success on offense, that will force Gonzaga to speed up its tempo as well and create more of a shootout-type contest. I like both teams to push into the low 70s and give this game an over.
FINAL FOUR PREDICTION: GONZAGA/SOUTH CAROLINA OVER 138