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Jacksonville State vs Auburn Game Preview, Live Stream, Odds, Picks & Predictions

No. 2 Seed Tigers Poised for Deep Run

· Mar 15 - 4 minutes read

SEC Dominates ASUN

The Jacksonville State Gamecocks are up against one of the best teams in the country, which is why the Auburn Tigers are heavily favored to win.

With 15½ points between them with NCAAB lines, most are expecting the Tigers to advance to the second round. However, can the Gamecocks fire up and keep the game close on Friday afternoon?

Jacksonville State vs Auburn Game Preview, Stream, Odds, Picks & Predictions

Let’s check the latest news, stats, injury reports, and March Madness Odds for Jacksonville State vs Auburn. We’ve plenty of predictions for you to consider.

Jacksonville State Facing Uphill Battle

We’re not completely ruling out the Jacksonville State Gamecocks. Stranger things have happened in the tournament, but they’re facing a tough battle.

The Auburn Tigers are one of the best teams in the NCAA Tournament, so expecting an upset is a bit of a stretch.

However, the beauty of college basketball spreads is that a potential one-sided game gets evened up. The Gamecocks are getting +15½ points from bookmakers, which is a sizable start, but is it enough?

The Gamecocks are 18-13 against the spread but come off a disappointing 54-51 loss as the -6 favorites against the Jacksonville Dolphins.

That form isn’t going to win over many bettors, but prior to that they had covered the number in five consecutive games. In those five games, the Gamecocks were underdogs only once, so playing as the hefty dog could bring a different mindset.

Starting well against an offensive-minded Tigers outfit is key. After scoring only 51 points against Jacksonville, the Gamecocks could struggle to stay relevant in the opening round of the tournament.

Auburn Failing to Cover Spreads

As good as the Auburn Tigers have been in posting a 27-5 head-to-head record, they haven’t been good at covering spreads over the last few weeks.

They are 2-8 ATS from their last 10 games and one of those covers was thanks to an 81-68 overtime win against Mississippi State.

It has been slim pickings for bettors, but the level of opposition has been much higher than what the Jacksonville State Gamecocks have been facing.

Auburn has repeatedly faced the likes of Tennessee, Texas AM and Arkansas, so we’re not surprised the sportsbook has installed it as firm favorites.

The Tigers have failed to cover the spread in their last three games as double-digit favorites. They won them outright, but covering the big number has been troublesome.

Looking to rebound after scoring only 62 points in a 67-62 loss to Texas AM, the Tigers are still hungry to win the championship.

“Give AM credit. They played inspired. They played like their hair was on fire because they’re trying to get into the NCAA Tournament,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl told ESPN.

“We wanted to win this championship. We wanted to build momentum going in, and we got beat by a really good team. But our guys are pretty humble and pretty hungry. We still are.”