A Wild First Day in the West Region

The Southern University Jaguars were 21.5-point underdogs against the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Thursday. However, that didn’t stop them from almost pulling off one of the greatest upsets in college basketball history. Gonzaga ultimately won 64-58.

“The more I watched film on them, the more I thought, ‘This could be a real grinder,'” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said of Southern University. “They don’t give you many easy opportunities. They’re very patient on offense.”

The crowd in Salt Lake City was going crazy for Southern, cheering wildly for the Jaguars whenever they made a basket. It was clear they wanted to be present for the first 16-seed upset of a one-seed, and it very nearly happened. However, Gonzaga finally got the game under control down the stretch and ripped the game away from Southern.

“That crowd gets going, everyone wants to see that first 1-16 loss,” Few said. “My guys deserve credit. They showed a lot of poise down the stretch when things weren’t going their way… Everyone was so moved by their effort, their resilience, their confidence. If I wasn’t coaching on the other sideline, they’d be a tough team not to root for.”

Here were some other betting trends for both teams heading into the game, courtesy of OddsShark.com:

 

Gonzaga Bulldogs Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 7-3
After playing St. Mary’s are 10-0
After a win are 10-0

A few Jaguars at Bulldogs trends to consider:
Gonzaga is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Gonzaga’s last 9 games
Gonzaga is 4-1-1 ATS in its last 6 games

No. 9-Seeded  Wichita State Easily Defeats No. 8-Seeded Pitt

The Wichita State Shockers were 4.5-point underdogs to the Pitt Panthers, but they easily defeated the higher-seeded Big East team 73-55. “Our guys took the fight to them, by getting a body on them, being quicker to the ball,” Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall said. “The steals we had on them were big, big baskets and gave us a lead, and a comfortable lead as the game went on.”

The Shockers only shot 38.8 percent from the floor, but they didn’t need to convert any more field goals than that; Pitt played a truly horrible game, shooting just 35.2 percent from the floor. There were a lot of doubts about whether a Missouri Valley Conference team could hang with Big East defensive bruisers like Pittsburgh, but they took the punishment and doled it back out in spades. In a day marked by big near-upsets (Southern University, Davidson), the Shockers big win over a much-favored Pitt team was awfully impressive.

Here were some other betting trends for both teams heading into the match, per OddsShark.com:

Wichita State Shockers Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 9-1
After playing Creighton are 9-1
After a loss are 6-4

Pittsburgh Panthers Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 5-5
After playing Syracuse are 7-3
After a loss are 8-2

A few Shockers at Panthers trends to consider:
Pittsburgh is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

 Arizona Cruises Past Belmont 81-64

The Arizona Wildcats were only 4.5-point favorites heading into the game against mid-major Belmont, though they showed why they were such a highly thought of basketball team at the start of the season before they began dropping games in the Pac-12. They shot almost 57 percent from the floor while holding Belmont to just 39 percent, and made 53 percent of their three point attempts. However, as has been the case all season, the Wildcats were sloppy with the ball, turning it over 15 times. If they play fast and loose like that against a more athletic team, it could cost them dearly.

Here were some other betting trends for the game, per OddsShark.com:

Belmont Bruins Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 7-3
After playing Murray State are 4-1
After a win are 8-2

Arizona Wildcats Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 6-4
After playing UCLA are 7-3
After a loss are 7-3

A few Bruins at Wildcats trends to consider:
Arizona is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Arizona’s last 7 games
Arizona is 7-14 ATS in its last 21 games