Georgia vs Saint Louis Prediction and Preview: NCAA Tournament First Round

Georgia and Saint Louis get going late on Thursday night in Buffalo, but they’ll be worth the wait.

Neither one has done anything in the NCAA Tournament for a while. The Billikens got to three straight Sweet 16s from 2012 to 2014, and haven’t won a game since – the only appearance was in 2019. Georgia hasn’t won a tournament game since 2015.

Saint Louis goes super fast, Georgia goes even faster, and it should all add up to a whale of a first round game.

The winner almost certainly gets Michigan, unless it gets lost on the way to the stadium to face the Howard/UMBC winner.

Mar 3, 2026; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs center Somto Cyril (2) on the court against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Stegeman Coliseum. © Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Date: Thursday, March 19
Venue: KeyBank Center, Buffalo, NY
Time: 9:45 pm ET
TV: CBS
Streaming: March Madness Live App, Paramount+, HBO Max
Teams: (8) Georgia 22-10, (9) Saint Louis 28-5
Georgia Rankings: KenPom 32 | NET 33
Saint Louis Rankings: KenPom 41 | NET 31
College Football Programs: Georgia has the talent and experience to win the national title – spring football focus is already kicking in.

Saint Louis was wonderful at football in the early 1900s, but hasn’t had a program since 1949.

– CFN NCAA Tournament Schedule, Previews

Key Stats

– Georgia is No. 1 in the nation in fastbreak points, averaging 19.91 per game.

– Saint Louis enters the NCAA Tournament with the nation’s No. 1 defense in field goal percentage, allowing teams to hit fewer than 40% of their shots.

Why Saint Louis Will Win: The Defense Will Hold Serve

Yes, Georgia is No. 1 in the nation in fastbreak points. Saint Louis is fourth.

The Billikens are great on the defensive glass, kick it out, and go. The big difference is a Saint Louis defense that clamps down hard on the three, never gives up on anything inside, and so far has held all but eight teams to under 42% from the field.

Georgia is 3-5 when shooting under 42%.

Why Georgia Will Win: The Dawgs Will Generate the Takeaways

Saint Louis generates its points off defensive rebounds. Georgia gets its fastbreak scoring by taking the ball away.

The aggressive Bulldog defense was No. 1 in the SEC in steals, and when it gets the chance … vrooom. The offense is off to the races.

Saint Louis isn’t careful enough with the ball. It’s always trying to move the ball around, and it’s good at setting up the three, but it’ll turn the ball over at least 13 times against the Dawgs.

Georgia vs Saint Louis Prediction, Betting Lines

Saint Louis will score a ton, Georgia won’t stop a thing, Georgia’s offense will go even faster, and the points will pile up big.

The Bulldogs are 18-1 when allowing fewer than 86 points, and the only loss was in the SEC Tournament when Ole Miss played one of its best games of the season. Saint Louis was 2-5 when scoring fewer than 78.

The SEC team will hold up when it has to.
Prediction: Georgia 86, Saint Louis 83
Consensus Line: Georgia -2.5, o/u: 170.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2

Meet the NCAA Tournament Seeds
No. 1 | No. 2 | No. 3 | No. 4 | No. 5 | No. 6
No. 7 | No. 8 | No. 9 | No. 10 | No. 11
No. 12 | No. 13 | No. 14 | No. 15 | No. 16

Consensus Line from BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER

This story was originally published by College Football News on Mar 18, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Basketball section. Add College Football News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Georgia vs Saint Louis Prediction and Preview: NCAA Tournament First Round

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