The No. 2 seed Auburn Tigers (27-5) will take on the No. 15 Jacksonville State Gamecocks (21-10) in this Round of 64 matchup after both teams paced their respective conferences during the regular season.
Auburn heads into the tournament after falling to Texas A&M in the quarterfinals of the SEC tournament, however, the Tigers lost only four times previously during the regular season.
Jacksonville State lost in the Atlantic Sun semifinals to Jacksonville, but was awarded the conference’s bid to the Big Dance as the regular-season champion after Bellarmine - which is ineligible for postseason play - defeated Jacksonville in the final.
Heading into this matchup, Auburn ranks 10th in KenPom’s ratings while Jacksonville State ranks 146th.
Auburn vs Jacksonville State Odds
Auburn vs Jacksonville State CBB gameday odds are provided by BetMGM Sportsbook and current as of 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 15.
- Moneyline: Auburn (-2000) vs Jacksonville State (+1000)
- Spread: Auburn -15.5 (-110) vs Jacksonville State +15.5 (-110)
- Over/Under: Over 138.5 (-110) / Under 138.5 (-110)
- Implied Score: Auburn 77, Jacksonville State 61.5
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Auburn vs Jacksonville State Prediction
Presented as one of the most lopsided matchups in the Midwest region, Auburn should be ahead early and often in this game. Jacksonville State is one of the better mid-major schools in the tournament, but Auburn is one of the best teams, period.
Per KenPom, Auburn ranks 24th in adjusted offensive efficiency and eighth in adjusted defensive efficiency. Jacksonville State ranks 132nd on offense and 178th on defense in these same efficiency metrics.
Auburn vs Jacksonville State Score Pick
Auburn 78, Jacksonville State 59
While I’m only projecting Auburn to win by 19 points, this margin of victory has the potential to be a lot bigger.
- Print your 2022 March Madness bracket.
Jacksonville State coming into the game on a strong hot streak has me hopeful that they can keep this game from being an embarrassment, but Auburn should have the stranglehold on this game from beginning to end.
Auburn vs Jacksonville State Best Bets
Auburn -15.5 (-110) at BetMGM
Wager: 1 Unit
My final score prediction has Auburn just barely covering a massive spread, but I believe this is a clear-cut wager that needs to be made simply due to the potential.
Auburn’s ceiling is laughing Jacksonville State out of the arena, while Jacksonville State’s ceiling is losing in a respectable manner.
I believe there is no chance Jacksonville State upsets Auburn in this game and while anything can happen in March Madness, this game shows no signs of going in the Gamecocks’ direction.
Under 137.5 Total Points (-110) at BetMGM
Wager: 1 Unit
This suggested wager applies similar reasoning to backing Auburn against the spread.
Unders hit at an uncanny rate in blowouts and because this game has more potential to be a blowout than a close battle, I like the Under 137.5 here a decent amount.
While there’s a chance it just barely hits, I still envision it hitting nonetheless.
