Jacksonville State Vs. Auburn Odds, Picks, and Predictions (3/18/22)

Auburn’s basketball program has had a rejuvenated season as the Tigers have rattled off a 27-5 record to win the SEC and grab a #2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. There’s no question that they have legitimate title aspirations in their first March Madness appearance since losing in the Final Four to eventual champion Virginia in 2019. Jacksonville State, meanwhile, is making just its second NCAA Tournament appearance in program history after losing to Louisville as a #15 seed in the 2017 tournament. As Auburn looks to kick off a deep tournament run, should it feel comfortable against the Gamecocks?

Auburn Vs. Jacksonville State Betting Odds

Auburn Betting Odds

Jabari Smith Jr. has jumped Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren as the odds-on favorite to be the #1 pick in the upcoming NBA draft with a spectacular regular season. He averaged 17.1 points, seven rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game and is one of the top names to watch for this year’s Most Outstanding Player award for the NCAA Tournament. K.D. Johnson, Wendell Green Jr., and Walker Kessler all average double-digit points per game, and Auburn can get its scoring from several different places.

Bruce Pearl has an all-time 15-10 tournament record, and he led Auburn to a Final Four appearance after the 2018-19 season. While Auburn put together a stellar 27-5 record in the regular season, three of their five losses came in their final six games of the season, including a surprising first-round exit in the SEC Tournament to Texas A&M. If Auburn can shake off that poor stretch, they are as dangerous as anyone in this tournament.

Jacksonville State Odds

As Ray Harper enters his second tournament as Jacksonville State’s head coach, he will look to pull off a remarkable upset win. Jacksonville State lost to the only ranked team it played this year in Alabama, but they kept things close and only lost by six points. Jacksonville State lost in the semi-final of the ASUN Tournament to Jacksonville. Still, Bellarmine knocked off Jacksonville in the final, and Bellarmine has a postseason ban in place, leaving the Gamecocks with an unlikely postseason berth.

Darian Adams is the leading scorer for Jacksonville State with 15.6 points per game, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. Demaree King and Jalen Gibbs also average double-digit points. However, all three of those players are guards, and the Gamecocks don’t match up well with Auburn’s Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler, who are both 6’11” or taller.

Jacksonville State Vs. Auburn Picks & Prediction

Auburn opened as 15.5-point favorites in this game, and Bruce Pearl’s squad is perhaps even a tad undervalued here as it’s hard to imagine how they don’t blow out Jacksonville State. The Tigers will be hungry to redeem themselves after their shocking loss to Texas A&M, and while Auburn has just a 2-8 ATS record in their last ten games, they were one of the best ATS teams in the country over the first part of the season. I’ll roll with the favorites to cover and win by 20 points.

My Prediction: Auburn wins 78-58, Auburn covers, under 137.5 points

March Madness Bracket