Norfolk State Spartans vs Gonzaga Bulldogs Prediction, 3/20/2021 College Basketball Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Norfolk State Spartans vs Gonzaga Bulldogs

Date: Saturday, March 20, 2021

Location: Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN

TV: TBS

Odds/Point Spread: Norfolk State (+33)

The Norfolk State Spartans (17-7) travel to Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Saturday where they'll take on the Gonzaga Bulldogs (26-0) in the NCAA Tournament. Gonzaga opens this contest as 33-point favorites. The over/under opens at 154.5.

Norfolk State steps onto the court with a mark of 17-7 on the campaign. They are averaging 74.3 pts per contest (97th in the nation) while connecting on 43.2% from the floor. The Spartans are connecting on 36.9% on shots beyond the perimeter (187 of 507) and 70.8% from the free throw line. As a team, Norfolk State is grabbing 36.9 rebounds per game and is sitting with 292 dimes for the year, which is 211th in Division 1 in terms of passing the rock. They are turning it over 13.0 times per game and as a basketball team are committing 19.5 personal fouls on a nightly basis. On defense, the Spartans are able to force 15.5 turnovers per contest and they draw 19.2 fouls. They currently rank 145th in D-1 in allowing assists to their opponents with 290 surrendered on the season. The Spartans defensively are giving up a field goal percentage of 39.7% (539 of 1,358) and they relinquish 36.5 boards per game as a squad. They are giving up 30.7% from beyond the arc and they are 120th in college basketball in points per game allowed (68.5).

The Norfolk State Spartans played the Appalachian State Mountaineers and walked away with a win by a score of 54-53 in their last game. Norfolk State wrapped up the game with a 34.5% FG percentage (20 of 58) and knocked down 7 out of their 18 three-point attempts. When they shot from the charity stripe, the Spartans made 7 of 9 attempts for a percentage of 77.8%. Concerning hauling in rebounds, they collected 29 with 5 of them being on the offensive end. They also doled out 10 assists for the contest while forcing the opposition into 12 turnovers and getting 10 steals. When discussing defending, Norfolk State allowed their opponent to shoot 25.8% from the floor on 16 of 62 shooting. Appalachian State earned 7 assists and had 5 steals for the contest. Moreover, Appalachian State pulled down 42 rebounds (12 offensive, 30 defensive) and added 10 blocked shots. Appalachian State ended up going 93.8% from the charity stripe by making 15 of 16 attempts. They also knocked down 6 out of their 36 shots from beyond the perimeter.

Joe Bryant is one guy who was a factor in the matchup. He ended up finishing with 10 points on 4 out of 13 shooting. He was on the court for 38 minutes and also pulled down 4 rebounds. Bryant ended up shooting 30.8% from the field and also recorded 1 assist. Another guy that was a major factor in the matchup for the Spartans was J.J. Matthews. He snagged 8 rebounds in his 23 min on the court. He finished shooting 60.0% from the floor in this matchup by going 3-of-5 (6 points). When the game finished, Matthews wasn't able to notch an assist.

Gonzaga has a mark of 26-0 so far this year. The Bulldogs are responsible for committing 16.7 fouls per contest while shooting 72.7% from the charity stripe. They are getting an assist 18.3 times per game (3rd in college basketball) and they lose possession by turning the ball over 12.1 times per contest. Gonzaga has 2,395 points on the season (92.1 per game) and they snag 37.9 boards per game. When it comes to offensive execution, the Bulldogs are hitting on 55.1% from the floor, which is ranked 10th in college basketball. The Bulldogs defensively are ranked 141st in Division 1 in points allowed per contest with 69.1. They are forcing their opponents into 15.3 turnovers on a nightly basis and have let teams shoot 41.9% from the floor (99th in college hoops). The Gonzaga defense gives up 32.5% on shots from beyond the arc (178 of 548) and opponents are making 70.3% of their shots from the charity stripe. They surrender 11.5 assists and 30.6 boards per game, which ranks them 71st and 21st in college hoops.

When they last stepped on the hardwood, the Gonzaga Bulldogs went home victorious with a score of 88-78 against the BYU Cougars. The Bulldogs were able to corral 27 defensive boards and 4 offensive rebounds for a total of 31 for the contest. They also coughed up the ball 6 times, while recording 4 steals in this contest. The Cougars earned 21 personal fouls in this contest which got the Bulldogs to the free throw line for 27 attempts. They were able to bury 18 of those for a percentage of 66.7%. When discussing shots from beyond the perimeter, Gonzaga knocked down 12 out of their 26 attempts (46.2%). When all was said and done, the Bulldogs went 29 out of 57 from the floor which gave them a percentage of 50.9%. The Bulldogs permitted the Cougars to convert 31 of 67 attempts from the field which had them at 46.3% in the game. They finished 39.3% from downtown by going 11 of 28 and ended up going 5 of 7 at the free throw line (71.4%). In relation to how they cleaned up the glass, Gonzaga allowed BYU to get 32 overall (6 on the offensive side).

Jalen Suggs was important for the Bulldogs for the matchup. He converted 7 out of 15 in the matchup for a rate of 46.7%, and earned 5 rebounds. Suggs totaled 23 points in his 33 minutes of playing time and accounted for 5 assists in this matchup. Someone else who was a determining factor for Gonzaga was Joel Ayayi. He accumulated 1 assist in 38 mins on the court, and he put in 5 of 9 from the floor. Ayayi wrapped this one up going 55.6% from the floor while collecting 18 points and 9 rebounds.

Who will win tonight's college basketball game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Norfolk State (+33)

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