Some Totals Just Need Too Much Help To Get Over, This Is One

St. Louis vs. Georgia, 9:45 ET

This is one of the last games on the schedule for today, but that is good, because it means we can close out our day with a win! I'm sure by the time this game tips off, most of you are going to be somewhere between your 10th and 20th beer of the day, and to that I say, "Cheers!" I hope your brackets are not completely busted yet, and I hope you are cashing any ticket that has the same side as mine. Let's get in on this one together as St. Louis takes on Georgia in one of the later games. 

St. Louis is not really a team you think much about when it comes to March Madness. That doesn't mean they aren't good, it just means they are a mid-major. I am a bit surprised that this team was given a nine seed, though. They play in the A-10, which is likely a conference you have no idea about unless you're like me and gamble too much, or have attended one of the schools in the conference. For the season, they went 28-5, but they didn't win their Conference Tournament, which means they received an at-large bid. They started the year 6-0 before losing to Stanford in a Thanksgiving Tournament game. Then, they ran off 18 straight wins before dropping a game on the road to Rhode Island. They actually lost four of their last eight games. All of their losses were on the road or at a neutral site. For the year, they are averaging 87.2 points per game, but they are allowing just 69.5.

Mar 12, 2026; Nashville, TN, USA;  Georgia Bulldogs guard Justin Bailey (7) reacts after a made three point basket against the Mississippi Rebels during the second half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Georgia is typically known as a football school, and this year's basketball team won't make enough noise to dispel that notion. They are good at 22-10, but they aren't anything spectacular. They went 10-8 in the SEC, which wasn't the toughest conference this season, but there were some good teams. They ended up losing to Florida, Ole Miss, Texas, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and Vanderbilt. Those are all respectable teams. The majority of those losses, however, were not very close wins. Their best win this year was against Alabama, at home, and they won that game by 10. It was their senior night, and I've found that crazy things can happen when it is a team's last home game. They also beat Arkansas by 14 earlier in the year, but those are the only two ranked teams they beat. Georgia averages almost 90 points per game, and their defense isn't great. They shoot okay from deep, but are not elite. 

This game has the highest total on the board and it is the highest by a mile. Frankly, I think it is a bit surprising. I think St. Louis is going to struggle against Georgia. The assumption here is that the Bulldogs and Billikins are going to score in the 80s each. I could see one of them getting there, and another in the 70s, but it is just too high of a total. Georgia is ninth in possessions per game in the NCAA, and St. Louis is 48th. I just think there are way too many things that need to go right for this game to hit the over 170.5. Give me the under. 

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