🏀 Saint Louis vs. Georgia Prediction & Parlay Today: March Madness Round 1 Odds & Picks

Tonight's late-night showdown between No. 9 Saint Louis and No. 8 Georgia is one of the most intriguing first-round matchups on the board: two high-octane offenses colliding at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y., at 9:45 p.m. ET on CBS.

Georgia is a 2.5-point favorite, but my best Saint Louis vs. Georgia prediction and parlay backs the Billikens in an upset win as part of our March Madness predictions.

🏀 Saint Louis vs. Georgia picks & odds: March Madness First Round

See all of our experts' college basketball picks based on the latest college basketball odds; picks rated on a 1-to-5 star confidence scale based on betting value.

Total wagered: 2 units | Max profit: 2.12 units

🏆 Who will win Saint Louis vs. Georgia?

See the latest March Madness odds for every team in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

I’m calling for Saint Louis to edge this one by two points in what could be a last-possession game. The Billikens cooled off late, going 4-4 over their past eight after a 24-1 start, but that dip may have created a bit of betting value on an otherwise dangerous squad.

Score prediction: Saint Louis 85, Georgia 83

💰 Saint Louis vs. Georgia prediction & best bet

Follow all of our college basketball analysis and expert predictions for March Madness.

Saint Louis ML (+124)

Saint Louis has an efficient offense under head coach Josh Schertz, who will almost certainly be a top candidate this offseason.

The Billikens run a lot of great ball-screen sets, which is why their half-court offense ranks in the 96th percentile, and their man offense is in the 97th percentile (per BBall Index). Georgia ranks in the 58th and 53rd percentiles, respectively, due to its struggles when defending ball screens. If the Bulldogs don't find success with their press, the Billikens will score a lot of points.

At the same time, Georgia's offense is due for some regression after posting the sixth-best 3-point percentage over the last month.

This is a coin-flip matchup, but one I'm comfortable selling high on Georgia, and buying low on Saint Louis.

🔥 Best Saint Louis vs. Georgia player prop bet

Our March Madness betting trends break down which coaches have been the most profitable in the NCAA Tournament.

Robbie Avila Over 3.5 assists (-130)

There is no way I wasn't betting on Robbie Avila in Round 1, but I actually like this angle a lot, given the potential game script on Thursday. Our Esten McLaren looked at everything you need to know about Robbie Avila ahead of his March Madness debut.

Georgia is expected to apply full-court pressure while also mixing in zone schemes. That should create opportunities for Avila, the 6-foot-10 center, to serve as an outlet option or operate effectively in the middle of the zone.

When the ball is in Avila's hands, he's one of the better passing big men in college hoops. He's cleared this assist line in 20 of his 33 games, averaging 4.1 dimes this season.

🚀 Saint Louis vs. Georgia same-game parlay

With bet365 the only book to offer Avila's passing prop, I placed my Saint Louis vs. Georgia parlay at that shop. I had to sacrifice some value on the other two legs, as Saint Louis is +120 to win and -120 to score more than 39.5 points in the first half. This three-leg parlay is extremely correlated, which is why it only comes out to +390.

💵 Latest Saint Louis vs. Georgia odds & betting splits

Latest betting insights via BetMGM.

Saint Louis is actually attracting the majority of spread bets at 55% despite being the underdog, which perhaps isn't a surprise with how popular Avila is entering the tournament. The Under is the clear lean on the total at 59%, suggesting bettors expect both defenses to have a say in this one. Monitoring live betting splits and line movement is one of the best ways to find value before locking in your March Madness picks tonight.

💡 How I'm betting Saint Louis vs. Georgia: March Madness strategy

This game has the potential to be one of the best matchups in Round 1. While I could see it going either way, I do prefer the Saint Louis side at a plus-money value.

In my opinion, this is a buy-low spot on Saint Louis, which can get back on track in this matchup due to Georgia's struggles at defending ball screens. With multiple days of preparation for Schertz, I could see the Billikens having better results in the first half before the Bulldogs adjust at the break.

Plus, I found a player prop worth playing for Avila. I'm pleased with the way I've allocated two units for this late-night showdown.

📊 Live Saint Louis vs. Georgia odds: March Madness First Round

Georgia opened as a 2.5-point favorite, but the line is down to 1.5 at some shops. The total, meanwhile, has dropped from 170.5 to 169.5.

This game is a difficult one to project, so I wouldn't be surprised if the spread remains around one basket. The total has room to drop, particularly if the Under fares better leading into the late window on Thursday.

📈 Saint Louis vs. Georgia betting trends

📺 How to watch Saint Louis vs. Georgia: March Madness First Round

• Date: Thursday, March 19
• Tipoff: 9:45 p.m. ET
• Location: KeyBank Center (Buffalo, N.Y.)
• TV: CBS
• Streaming: CBS App

🏀 More March Madness predictions

Here is a look at all of our March Madness experts' coverage of the NCAA Tournament:

First-round matchups & previews

Bracket picks & odds analysis