Top Offshore betting sites favor Auburn over Jacksonville State. The Jacksonville State Gamecocks and the Auburn Tigers play on Friday in the NCAA Tournament First Round college basketball from Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
Jacksonville State vs. Auburn Odds
| Team | SP/RL | TOTAL | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville | +8½ ( -105 ) | 65½ ( -110 ) | +488 |  |
| Auburn | -8½ ( -115 ) | 65½ ( -110 ) | -675 | |
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Betting Jacksonville State Gamecocks
Jacksonville State is the underdog at the best online sportsbooks. They have a 21-10 overall record this season. The Gamecocks fell to Jacksonville in their last game. Jacksonville State got off to a bumpy 5-6 start this season.
The Gamecocks bounced back in the conference games with a 1-3 February stretch as their only bump in the road. Jacksonville State was on a five-game winning streak before they lost to Jacksonville in their last contest.
On March 5 against Jacksonville, the Gamecocks scored only 18 points in the first half. Jacksonville State added 33 points in the second but nonetheless lost 54-51. The Gamecocks still received the automatic NCAA Tournament bid on account of Bellarmine’s ineligibility.
Jacksonville State is one of the first teams to earn an automatic bid without winning their conference tournament. Because Bellarmine is not qualified to make the NCAA Tournament, the Gamecocks will represent the ASUN.
The ASUN was an undervalued conference this season. Jacksonville State gave teams such as Wichita State and Alabama a run for their money, and suffered close road losses. Jacksonville State shoots at a 38% clip from deep, but depend too much on their long distance shooting.
All of their 10 losses have happened when they shoot 40% or worse from downtown. This provides a clear blueprint for defeating this team. Their defense allows many looks from beyond the arc, but if they play a team that doesn’t favor the perimeter shot, Jacksonville State could go blow for blow.
Betting Auburn Tigers
Auburn is the fave at top sports betting sites. They have a 27-5 overall record. They are coming off a loss to Texas A&M. Auburn had accrued a 22-1 record by early February. The Tigers have won just five out of nine since then.
The losses in that time occurred against Arkansas, Florida and Tennessee, and then Texas A&M in the conference tournament. Last Friday against the Aggies, the Tigers struggled with a 21-37 deficit at halftime.
Auburn outscored Texas A&M 41-30 in the second half but nevertheless lost 67-62. Jabari Smith led the squad with his 17 points, nine rebounds and four assists.
Auburn has many question marks. Auburn has struggled on the road. They lost to Florida, barely beat Georgia, and fell to Texas A&M in the SEC tournament. These issues might follow them to neutral courts.
Another problem for the Tigers is their guard play. While Johnson and Green are skilled, they aren’t able to carry the entire team all by themselves. Over and over again this year, we have seen one of those two players try to be bull goose and fail, and Auburn has suffered as a result.
Pick: We are going to stick with Auburn. The Tigers’ recent record is not all that great, but they’ve been very competitive during their 5-4 stretch. Auburn’s four losses each were by five points or fewer. All of them took place against very good competition.
Jacksonville State had a bad first half against Jacksonville in their last game. It might very well have cost them a conference championship. However, the Gamecocks have done well as of late. They’ve scored 69 points or more in five of their last six games. All in all, Auburn should be cover the point spread in this one, though.
