Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. Norfolk State Spartans Betting Preview

The top-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs will square off with the 16-seeded Norfolk State Spartans on Saturday in a First Round matchup in the West Region. The winner of this matchup will advance to the Round of 32 to take on the winner of Oklahoma-Missouri.

Gonzaga earned the number one overall seed by the Selection Committee after going a perfect 26-0 during the regular season. The Bulldogs have a history of making deep runs in March Madness, but this might be the best team coach Mark Few has ever had.

Norfolk State held on to beat Appalachian State on Thursday night in one of the First Four games. The Spartans are now 17-7 on the season, and they earned a berth by winning the MEAC title. 

The Gonzaga Bulldogs are 34.0 point favorites over the Norfolk State Spartans in this First Round matchup. 

Bulldogs Beating Teams With Ease

The Gonzaga Bulldogs are leading the country with 92.1 points per game this season while also holding opponents to just 69.1 points per game. Gonzaga has won all but one game this season by at least 10 points, and few teams have been able to keep things close for a half.

Forward Corey Kispert leads the team with 19.2 points per game, and he is also shooting better than 44 percent from the three-point line. Drew Timme does all the work inside for the Bulldogs, pouring in 18.7 points and grabbing 7.1 rebounds.

Those two stars lead the way for Gonzaga, but this roster is loaded with future NBA talent. Stopping the Bulldogs on offense has been nearly impossible for opponents. 

Spartans Must Score

If the Norfolk State Spartans are going to put a real threat into Gonzaga, then they are going to have to find some offense. Norfolk State scored just 54 points on Thursday night, but this is a team that is averaging more than 74 points per game.

Guard Devante Carter leads the Spartans with 15 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4 assists per game, and he will have to be a star on Saturday against Gonzaga. Norfolk State is making close to 37 percent of their three-point attempts, and that could allow them to make this game interesting. 

Stopping Gonzaga will likely be the biggest problem for Norfolk State as the Spartans simply don’t have the size or athleticism to keep up. 

No Chance For Norfolk State

Norfolk State can always claim that they won a game in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, but there is simply no way that they win two. There will be some Cinderella runs during March Madness, but the slipper won’t fit for the Spartans.

Gonzaga is the huge betting favorite to win the NCAA Tournament, and they have not been messing around all season long. A 34-point spread is never easy to cover, but Gonzaga has the offense that can do just that.

The Norfolk State Spartans won’t just give in on Saturday, but they won’t be able to stick around in this game for long. Gonzaga will take control of this game early, and the final score will be ugly.

Bet the Gonzaga Bulldogs -34 over the Norfolk State Spartans in the West Region.

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