Henry Roldán
Two good defenses collide this Thursday in the first round of March Madness 2022 when the Hoosiers face the Gaels. Team Indiana earned the right to be in the round of 64 after beating Wyoming in the round of four, while Saint Mary’s finished second in the West Coast Conference to earn the right to play the big dance in the best position in its history.
Picks and Predictions for the Indiana Hoosiers vs Saint Mary’s Gaels NCAA Basketball Championship Round 1 Game on March 17
- Where: Moda Center – Portland, Oregon
- When: Thursday, March 17, 7:20 PM ET
- Betting Line: Indiana Hoosiers (+3) vs Saint Mary’s Gaels (-3)
Indiana Hoosiers Betting Preview
- Overall Record: 21-13
- Conference Record: 9-11
- Spread: +3
- Over/Under: Under 127
- Moneyline: +135
Indiana’s shaky offense needs to find its way right away if it wants to move forward and defeat the Gaels’ great defense. For this it is mandatory that his maximum figure and star of the NCAA, Trayce Jackson-Davis, has one of those spectacular nights that he usually has. The forward averaged 18.4 points per game and 8.2 rebounds, leading the team in both categories.
Jackson-Davis must make the most of his 2.05 centimeters in height to win the battle in the paint against the Gaels defense, practically the only shortcoming he has in that area. The Hoosiers must completely forget about the battle from long range and free throws, as they were among the worst teams in these categories and Saint Mary’s the best. As for their defense, Indiana knows how to put pressure on their opponents very well and can cause a lot of ball losses in a Gaels offense that is the average of the nation.
Saint Mary’s Gaels Betting Preview
- Overall Record: 25-7
- Conference Record: 12-3
- Spread: -3
- Over/Under: Under 127
- Moneyline: -155
Defense, defense and more defense. That’s the Gaels’ key to defeating The Unstable Indiana Offense and that was their soul and life during the regular round, the best in the last 20 years for college. Proof of the fierce defense of Saint Mary’s is that in the three games they played against Gonzaga, candidate to keep the title, they won on one occasion and in none of the three the rival could score more than 70 points.
However, on the offensive side things are not so positive, so it is important that the Gaels make this game a defensive duel. During the season no player on the team averaged more than 13 points per game (Matthias Tass was the leader with 12.6), they averaged just 35% on three-pointers and also did not help each other from the free line with 76.2%. In total they averaged 69.8 points per game as a team, something that was enough for them to get 25 wins when they received only 60 points per commitment.
JefeBet Prediction
Even though the Gaels had a better year in terms of win-loss records, Indiana has one of the best scorers in the championship in Jackson-Davis. In a game where defense is key and names are missing in the attack, the figure of the Hoosiers will not give truce to Saint Mary’s. This time I’m going with the Indiana moneyline.
