Saint Louis vs Georgia Prediction, Picks & Odds for Thursday's March Madness Game

Chris Hatfield - Contributor at Covers.com
Chris Hatfield • Betting Analyst 12+ years betting experience
Updated: Mar 18, 2026 , 02:19 PM ET • 4 min read

Hatfield's prediction: No total too tall.

NCAAB

Match starts: 30 hrs
SLU
58 %
UGA
42 %
EXPERT PICK - TOTAL
o169.5 (-116)
Read Analysis
Saint Louis Billikens center Robbie Avila (21) reacts after making a three point shot.
Photo By - Reuters Connect. Saint Louis Billikens center Robbie Avila (21) reacts after making a three point shot.

Saint Louis and Georgia look set to entertain in this NCAA Tournament matchup. Both of these teams love to play fast, and both have had a ton of success doing that.

That means one thing in this matchup: Points.

My Saint Louis vs. Georgia predictions and March Madness picks break down why I like the Over on Thursday, March 19

Saint Louis vs Georgia prediction

Who will win Saint Louis vs Georgia?

Georgia: As the seed-line and spread indicate, this is close to a coin flip, but I do have a Georgia lean. I think the Bulldogs have more regular avenues to scoring in the halfcourt with a quicker, athletic backcourt. While this will be tight throughout, give me the Dawgs.

Saint Louis vs Georgia best bet: Over 169.5 (-110)

Big totals in March can feel scary, but context matters: over the last five tournaments, totals of 165+ have still gone 8-6 to the Over. Not a huge edge, but enough to trust a strong read. I’m betting accordingly.

This matchup screams pace. Both teams rank in the Top 50 in tempo and thrive in transition offensively, while struggling to defend it. That’s the perfect recipe for a track meet. Expect constant push, quick shots, and minimal resistance in the open floor. That’s exactly the environment you want when backing an Over this high.

Covers COVERS INTEL: Saint Louis’ dribble jumper offense has been one of the best in the country, posting 1.14 points per possession and ranking in the 99th percentile of the sport.

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Saint Louis vs Georgia same-game parlay

I paired Avila to go over his assist number with my best bet. He’s cleared it in four of his last five games, and he’ll have opportunities to attack Georgia in the halfcourt. UGA finished the year as the second-worst perimeter cut defense in the SEC. This is a primary tenet of the Saint Louis offense, and Avila facilitates almost all of these actions to the tune of a hyper-efficient 1.14 points per possession.

Saint Louis vs Georgia SGP

  • Over 169.5 
  • Robbie Avila Over 3.5 assists 

Our Big Dance SGP: Dazzling offense

Let’s have some fun in such a high-scoring game. 

Trey Green has cleared his three-point number in four of the last five games and looks set to profit from a porous dribble jumper defense. In addition to that, Amari McCottry and Blue Cain are two of the best transition scorers for their respective teams. I targeted them based on my best bet. 

Saint Louis vs Georgia SGP

  • Robbie Avila Over 3.5 assists 
  • Trey Green Over 2.5 threes
  • Amari McCottry Over 11.5 points
  • Blue Cain Over 12.5 points 
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Saint Louis vs Georgia odds

  • Spread: Saint Louis +2.5 | Georgia -2.5
  • Moneyline: Saint Louis +120 | Georgia -150
  • Over/Under: Over 169.5 | Under 169.5

Saint Louis vs Georgia betting trend to know

Georgia has hit the Team Total Over in 6 of their last 7 games (+4.85 Units / 61% ROI). Find more college basketball betting trends for Saint Louis vs. Georgia.

How to watch Saint Louis vs Georgia

Location KeyBank Center, Buffalo, NY
Date Thursday, March 19, 2026
Tip-off 9:45 p.m. ET
TV CBS

Saint Louis vs Georgia key injuries

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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Chris Hatfield - Covers.com
Betting Analyst

Chris has always had a passion for three things: solving problems, sports, and writing. It’s no wonder then that he found himself attracted to the sports betting industry. You can find Chris betting every day. Whether it’s shot prop markets in Champions League Soccer qualifiers or NBA Summer League, he has no offseason. As an EV+ bettor, he especially values the insight gained through a data-driven approach.

His work has been featured on various websites such as SBNation, Rivals, Bleacher Report, and 247Sports. He has appeared on radio outlets such as ESPN 680 and The Sharp 600 podcast. You can listen to his own podcast, “What High School Did You Go To?” on Apple Podcast and Soundcloud.

Chris has carved out a niche as a college basketball originator with massive profitability success in that sport and stresses one piece of advice to sports bettors: exploit edges as broadly as possible and take advantage of them while they last. His preferred sportsbook is bet365 because of the range of markets you can find.

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